I am a graduate student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, pursuing an MS in Global Health. My research interests involve studying the impact of healthcare access and sociodemographic factors on the outcomes and complications of neurosurgical conditions, including spina bifida and high-grade central nervous system tumors.

I am also involved with global health advocacy efforts through the Global Alliance for the Prevention of Spina Bifida (GAPSBiF). GAPSBiF serves to advocate for the fortification of folic acid into staple foods in the diets of the millions of mothers worldwide who are at risk of having a child with a neural tube defect, such as spina bifida. As part of my work with GAPSBiF, I lead a corn masa fortification advocacy group, which advocates for a policy mandate for the fortification of corn masa products in the United States, with the goal of addressing the ongoing disparity in spina bifida rates in Hispanic populations.