I am deeply rooted in my culture, constantly surrounded by vibrant colors, spicy foods, and reverent traditions. Growing up, in my community, crossing the US-Mexico international border for a few hours to buy fresh fruit from the favorite fruteria was nearly a daily event. I went to quinceañeras rather than sweet-sixteens and played in the mariachi as a guitarrista, a traditional Mexican musical group that plays customary live music. Patrons would vivaciously dance during cheerful songs and take a hefty drink during a somber serenade. Anticipating a career in music, I entered college as a music major; however, I quickly discovered that I was more curious about evoking emotions and behaviors through music, rather than honing my strum. With a newfound fascination in understanding what arouses emotions and behaviors, my journey towards becoming a psychologist began.

Immediately following my undergraduate, and following a new passion for research, I enrolled in a master's program at Texas State University and earned my MA in Psychological Research in 2016. I conducted research in HIV, chronic illness, and substance use. I also was an instructional assistant to several undergraduate research methods class and taught two undergraduate statistics laboratory classes. Here, I primarily worked with Dr. Ty Schepis and Dr. Krista Howard. Outside of my education, I worked as a direct care provider at a residential treatment center for adolescents and children.  

In my final year of education at Texas State, I accepted an offer to join the PhD Clinical Psychology program at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, Illinois to continue my research in HIV and substance use. 

I completed my PhD in Clinical Psychology at the Illinois Institute of Technology in 2022, with a focus in behavioral medicine research and clinical practice. I primarily worked under the supervision of Dr. Du Bois. I have numerous publications and conference presentations surrounding topics of health and marginalization - with a focus in HIV prevention and treatment. I was also awarded a grant from the American Psychological Foundation to conduct my dissertation - an examination of barriers and facilitators to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis among full-service sex workers. 

During my time at IIT, I served as a founding member and president of the colloquium committee to arrange talks of broad interest to the students and faculty. I also served as the APA Student Science Council Health Psychology Representative from 2020-2022. 

I began as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology at CSUSB in Fall 2024. 

I teach/taught the following courses in the MS Clinical/Counseling program: 

• Psychopathology

• Community/Public Mental Health

• Substance Abuse: Detection, Assessment and Treatment

I teach/taught the following courses in the undergraduate psychology program

• Abnormal Psychology

• In the summer of 2026, I was accepted into the Visiting Professor (VP) Training Program at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). The VP Program is designed to support investigators who are already conducting HIV prevention research with communities disproportionately impacted by HIV in the United States. The program aims to strengthen participants’ research portfolios and enhance their competitiveness for external funding.