Somos Latinx Lideres (SoLL)

Andrés Alvarado Avila, BA, (he/him) is a research study coordinator for the SMART and RADAR studies at ISGMH. He is also the founder and co-chair of Somos Latinx Lideres. Andrés has experience working for various research projects that aim to address mental and physical health inequities. His research interest include documenting and addressing health inequities in Latinx and Black communities in the United States through research that informs clinical practice, interventions, and policy. Outside of Northwestern, Andrés serves as a board member for the Chicago Education Advocacy Cooperative, a non-profit dedicated to helping underrepresented students navigate academia.

Eloisa Serrano is a 4th-year PhD student in Clinical Psychology at Northwestern. Her lab, the Griffith Lab, is housed within the Department of MEdical Social Sciences. As a Southside Chicago native with previous work experience at non-profits, she had exposure to the many health inequities and social justice issues affecting urban areas like Chicago. She realized that as a Latina clinician and researcher, she will have the opportunity to include more people in the shaping of research and use clinical therapy to address mental health needs of Latinx populations. She is currently also completing clinical work in the VA system helping veterans coping with chronic health issues and trauma. Her goal is to help break down the cultural stigma of seeking mental health support in minority communities. Her lab research focuses on health literacy, assessment, treatment of anxiety and depression, and community mental health care. Along with her current research, she is also interested in intergenerational trauma, issues affecting first-generation students, women’s health issues, correctional health, and community violence. When she’s not in the lab, Eloisa spends her time cooking, trying delicious coffee throughout the city (hello, cold brew & café de olla), and making homemade treats for her pups.

Artur Queiroz, PhD, (he/him) received his double PhD in public health at the Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública at Universidade Nova de Lisboa and I Science at Universidade de São Paulo. His research focuses on social influences on sexual health, social networks, and HIV prevention. During his doctoral training, his dissertation examined structural, individual, and social barriers experienced by men who have sex with men in accessing HIV prevention. Artur is interested in multiple forms of HIV combined prevention as well as a comprehensive approach to the health of LGBTQIA+ people.

Monica Estrada is a research study coordinator at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Her passions lie in psychological research, mental health education, the intentional dissemination of mental health resources for marginalized populations, and the use of evidence-based practices. Outside of work, she is the Midwestern Regional Ambassador for Therapy4thePeople, a non-profit dedicated to increasing the accessibility of mental health services to people of color and individuals struggling to find affordable services. In her free time, she enjoys learning how to bake breads from different cultures, cook new recipes, and spending time with her nieces and nephew.

My interest in studying psychological distress among SMM and HIV prevention among Latinxs has been an ongoing interest that I can date back to 2004 when I Immigrated to the U.S. from Colombia. As an immigrant family, we faced many obstacles, including language barriers and experiences of discrimination. During my childhood, my family did not have health insurance. Our only access to healthcare was my aunt, who had immigrated with us, and who was a dentist in Colombia. I recall the large apartment that housed the seven of us when we first arrived, and together, we struggled to establish ourselves. One reason I chose to pursue a Doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology was to increase access to health care services to people who, like us, had to immigrate to a new country.

When I reflect upon how far I have come since I first arrived in the U.S. as a queer and eager third grader, I am reminded of a goal I established at another transitional moment in my life. As a first-year graduate student, a faculty member made the remark that I might be undocumented and worried about possibly being deported due to the current political climate in 2016. After making the comment, he immediately froze with embarrassment in front of the classroom, realizing that his remark could be perceived as insensitive and debasing, given that I have dual U.S./Colombian citizenship. I knew that his statement did not reflect a malicious intent, and yet, the alienating impact of his words mattered more than his intent. Unfortunately, experiencing microaggressions in academia is an experience that is all too common for LGBT students of color. This experience albeit inconsequential further consolidated my commitment to work towards building representation and visibility in academic and medical spaces.

Throughout my academic career, I have actively sought diverse research experiences and mentorship of people who share similar experiences as I do. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to receive mentorship from Dr. Carlos Rodríguez-Díaz, a public health researcher from George Washington University. This was the first time in my academic training that I had the opportunity to work with a Latino researcher. There was formal mentoring, and he was always very helpful as we discussed research opportunities. But further, it was about just seeing him in action and knowing that it is possible that I could be in that position. It’s very validating to see someone who looks like you, with similar experience to you, thriving in that environment. That is why visibility is so important to me in the position that I am in now.

¡SÍ SE PUEDE! You are needed more than you know. We need your calidez, respeto, y personalismo that only Latinos can share with each other. Wherever you are in your training, know that there is someone similar to you, whether that is in the same classroom or someone online. These are the relationship(s) that will carry you through the lonely and challenging obstacles. Most importantly, bring with you the hugs, the dances, the laughter, and the touch that you got from your familia. Bring it all into the conversation with each other and you will find an instant connection. This is how we get through it--engaging and participating with each other. From these conversations, I have come to know that my very presence breaks down walls of isolation and resentment that have been built by years of mistreatment of brown and black students. I cannot help but wonder how far we will continue to come by supporting and sharing each other’s stories.