Sally Davis, PhD ~ SDavis@salud.unm.edu
Professor Sally M. Davis is a researcher and educator at the University of New Mexico Health Science Center. She has been working with New Mexico communities in this role since first joining the University in 1976.  Dr. Davis has focused her work on rural, under-served, under-resourced, and under-represented populations in effort to improve education, healthy living, quality of life, and other topics identified by the communities with which she partners.  By combining research, education, and service, she has been successful in securing extramural funding – more than 80 grants – while recruiting, mentoring and collaborating with outstanding colleagues, students, and community members dedicated to community-engaged research.  As Tenured Professor and Division Chief for Prevention and Population Sciences in the Department of Pediatrics (secondary appointment in Family Community Medicine) and Principal Investigator and Founding Director of one of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) 26 Prevention Research Centers since 1995,  Dr. Davis provides leadership for prevention science and practice throughout New Mexico and across the nation.

Glenda Canaca, MD ~ GlCanaca@salud.unm.edu
Dr. Canaca serves as a Research Assistant Professor at the University of New Mexico Prevention Research Center. She has over 20 years of experience working with culturally diverse and underserved communities in New Mexico and Central America, where she is originally from. For the past 13 years, she has worked with Hispanic and Native American populations as part of the Prevention Research Center, first with the NIH-funded CHILE study and leading the social marketing team for the last 10 years. She trained in social marketing at the University of South Florida. Dr. Canaca serves as the Principal Investigator for the SNAP-Ed funded Eat Smart to Play Hard social marketing initiative for Hispanic/recent immigrant children and their families. She also serves as the Principal Investigator for the CDC funded, Vaccinate with Confidence project, to increase COVID-19 vaccine confidence in Latino, Spanish speaking rural and urban communities in New Mexico. She is committed to social justice in her community-engaged work.

Theresa Cruz, PhD ~ ThCruz@salud.unm.edu
Dr. Cruz, PhD, is an epidemiologist and research professor and serves as Deputy Director of the UNM Prevention Research Center. She has more than 20 years of experience in community-engaged research and evaluation focused on the primary prevention of injuries, violence and chronic diseases. She collaborates with community partners and uses mixed methods to address research questions focused on translating research into practice and improving health equity. Dr. Cruz also enjoys training and mentorship efforts at the UNM Prevention Research Center and the UNM Transdisciplinary Research, Equity, and Engagement (TREE) Center where she mentors learners at multiple levels to develop and nurture interest in community-engaged prevention research. Dr. Cruz received a Doctorate of Philosophy in epidemiology from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. 

Kevin Estes, PhD. ~ kmestes@salud.unm.edu

Dr. Estes is a Research Assistant Professor at UNM PRC. He is an applied microeconomist interested in the intersection of labor, education, and health. His research has included analyses of public policies from early childhood to post-secondary education. He completed his bachelors of business administration in finance at New Mexico State University and his doctoral studies in economics at the University of New Mexico.

Tamar Ginossar, PhD ~ ginossar@unm.edu

Dr. Ginossar is the Associate Chair for Communication & Journalism and holds a secondary appointment with the PRC.  As a health communication expert, Dr. Ginossar’s research focuses on the role of communication in reducing health disparities and supporting multilevel behavior change at the individual, organizational, and community levels. Her research utilizes community-based, mixed- methods approach to examine use of communication technologies such as eHealth and mHealth in advocacy and digital inequities, cancer communication disparities, and HIV prevention and management. She led the New Mexico state-wide HIV Prevention and Services Needs Assessment to examine federally-funded prevention and service provision, needs, and gaps. As part of her research, she partners with interdisciplinary research teams, community organizations, and diverse stakeholders on health communication research projects. She is happy to involve motivated, engaged undergraduate and graduate students in her work.  She is a 2019-2020 Presidential Teaching Fellow and a past Institute of Medicine (IOM) presenter on digital health strategies, health disparities, and health equity. She lived and traveled internationally in the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

Julia Meredith Hess, Ph.D ~ JMHess@salud.unm.edu
Dr. Hess is Research Associate Professor, UNM Prevention Research Center (PRC), Department of Pediatrics. She is a sociocultural anthropologist who works as a collaborator on mixed methods projects that aim to reduce health disparities across New Mexico. She is Co-investigator on VIVA III: Healthy Places—Healthy People, translating physical activity recommendations and enhance places to be physically active with Navajo Communities. She is a PI as lead evaluator on Rebuilding and Engaging to Foster Resiliency Among Muslims Experiencing (REFRAME) Violence: A Multilevel Community-Based Approach. REFRAME is a four-tiered intervention that attends to the behavorial health and well-being of Muslim and Afghan, African, and Arabic Newcomer (MAAAN) youth and their families. She is a Co-investigator on the Refugee and Immigrant Well-being Project. Her research interests include: transnational migration, health and well-being, social determinants of health, health equity, U.S. immigration, refugees, community-based participatory research, and participatory research methods.​

Rebecca Kilburn, Ph.D ∼ mkilburn@salud.unm.edu

Dr. Kilburn's research passion is using data and evidence to improve practice and policy, and she has focused primarily on prevention and health promotion for children. Her research and evaluation studies have examined costs, implementation, and effectiveness. Most of her studies have employed mixed methods, and they have typically partnered closely with community collaborators. She has experience executing randomized trials, cleaning and using administrative education data, and collecting data directly from families, students, and community members. Recent projects include the New Mexico Youth Risk & Resiliency Survey, a study of the Tips by Text school readiness program, and an analysis of the viability home visiting. Besides publishing reports, journal articles and toolkits about children's programs and policies, Dr. Kilburn has also made numerous presentations to policymakers, including being the keynote speaker at the MIECHV Regional meetings and testifying before the House Ways and Means Committee, Subcommittee on Human Resources. Dr. Kilburn holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago.

Belinda Vicuña, PhD, MPH ~ BVicuna@salud.unm.edu
Belinda Vicuña is a Research Assistant Professor at the UNM Prevention Research Center, serving both on the Social Marketing team and SNAP-Ed Evaluation team. She has over 15 years of experience in New Mexico. She earned her M.P.H. (Public Health) and Ph.D in Psychology at the University of New Mexico. Her research experience and interests lie in the role of social and cultural sources of resilience for health (such as spirituality and health), social marketing research, evaluation research, and health equity and social justice. She is a proud bicultural, bilingual Bolivian Latina, but calls New Mexico home. She is passionate about equitable community-academic collaboration and community-driven research to advance health equity in New Mexico.

Shane Barton, BA ~ smbarton@salud.unm.edu

Shane is a Programmer Analyst in the UNM Prevention Research Center. He currently works on the New Mexico Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey, School Health Profiles, and Tips by Text projects. He graduated with a B.A. in Software Systems Design from New Mexico Highlands University.

Ashlee Begaye, MA ~ ANBegaye1@salud.unm.edu
Ashlee Begaye is Navajo from Kirtland, NM. Her clans are Bit'ahnii born for Táchii'nii. She has her B.S. in Biology and Chemistry, and M.A. in Educational Psychology. Ashlee joined the UNM Prevention Research Center in 2015 as a Health Educator for the NIH-funded program The Science Around Us, where she implemented culturally-relevant science curriculum and activities for middle school students in rural northwestern NM. She is currently an Associate Scientist II for the Social Marketing team and works to build culturally-relevant programming, increase community engagement, and promote nutrition and physical activity with children (SNAP-Ed funded Eat Smart to Play Hard program), teens (SNAP-Ed funded Choose H2O), and older adults of New Mexico.

Laurel (Fimbel) Billette, BS ~ LFimbel@salud.unm.edu
Laurel Billette is a Health Educator on the VIVA Connects and Social Marketing teams. She received her Bachelors in Community Health, and now works to promote community programs, access to outdoor physical activity locations, social support, and education for VIVA Connects communities. From these community projects, our goal is to build strong relationships with communities, arrange events for communities to connect with one another, provide technical assistance for projects, and encourage long term sustainability of programs within communities. The Social Marketing team allows Laurel to work on nutrition and physical activity health promotion for children, teens, and adults through fun collaborative programs uniquely designed for NM communities.

Arisbeth Castillo Munguia graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Population Health from UNM in 2023. She ahs worked as a medican assistant at teh UNM Cancer Center which motivated her to expand her education. She joined UNM's Prevention Research Center as a practicum student in fall 2023 and transitioned to a Professional Intern role at the conclusion of her practicum. She primarily works on the Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey, School Health Profiles, and Tips by Text projects.

Although seeded, gestated and delivered in the hills of central Texas, Kelly Cockrell took root and blossomed in the glorious mountains of northern New Mexico back in the 80s and 90s where she cultivated and harvested an enriching career in web design, graphic design, education and information technology. Kelly holds a BA in Fine Arts with an emphasis in photography and an MA in Media Arts and Computer Science. She is happiest when she's in her garden, hanging out with her animals, or just bicycling into nowhere.

Victoria Culkin, MA ~ VCulkin@salud.unm.edu

Victoria Culkin is an Associate Scientist III at UNM’s PRC. Victoria has been with the PRC since 2018 and currently works with the CHILE Plus program. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Applied Communication from Creighton University and her Master of Arts in Communication Studies from New Mexico State University. Victoria's background includes 20 years of public health experience in infectious and chronic disease prevention.

Courtney FitzGerald, MSSW, MPH ~ CAFitzGerald@salud.unm.edu
Courtney FitzGerald has worked at the UNM Prevention Research Center since 2007. She is currently Principal Investigator for the Adolescent Wellness and Social Media (AWSM) survey, co-PI for the New Mexico Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey and School Health Profiles, and an evaluator for the Healthy Here REACH project in Bernalillo County. Courtney is a PhD candidate in Health Communication. Her research interests social norms and adolescent health behaviors, positive youth development, and intersectionality as a social determinant of health. 

Jennifer Johnston, MSL ~ JAJohnston@salud.unm.edu
Jennifer Johnston is the project coordinator for the social marketing team at the University of New Mexico (UNM) Prevention Research Center (PRC).  For the past eight years, she has been researching and developing interventions for nutrition related disease prevention at the PRC. She helped create the Eat Smart to Play Hard campaign including program content, process, and graphic design of campaign materials.  She received her bachelor’s degree in Nutrition/Dietetics from the University of New Mexico and worked as a Nutritionist for three years at First Choice Community Health. She has her master's degree in Law from the UNM Law School to advance her work in public health and advocate for the well-being of others. 

Karen Lopez ~ KNLopez@salud.unm.edu
Karen is the Administrative Assistant for the Prevention Research Center. She works on the PRC, Healthy Places-Healthy People,  Social Marketing, SNAP-Ed and other grants as needed.

Martin Mera, MBA ~ mamera@salud.unm.edu
Martin recently moved to Albuquerque and started working at the UNM Prevention Research Center as an Accountant II. He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina but lived most of his life in Mendoza, where he obtained his degree in Accounting and MBA. He immigrated to the United States in 2019, where he graduated with a Masters in Accountancy from the University of Oklahoma. In his free time, he enjoys playing sports like soccer and tennis, as well as going out for a run.

Havana Posa Maisano, BS ~ hcposa@salud.unm.edu
Havana received her B.S. in Physical Anthropology with a minor in Chemistry from the University of New Mexico in 2014 and will complete her MPH in Epidemiology in Fall 2025. As a graduate project assistant at the UNM PRC, she contributes to projects like the Healthy Here REACH project and the NM Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey. With healthcare experience dating back to 2010, including roles as a medical scribe, medical assistant, and registered behavior therapist (ABA) for children with autism, Havana brings a diverse perspective to her work. Her interests include nutrition, the microbiome, the long-term effects of human behaviors and environments, and is an avid breastfeeding advocate. Born and raised in Santa Fe and Albuquerque, she is passionate about improving the health and well-being of New Mexicans.

Valery Palacios, BS ~ vapalacios@salud.unm.edu

Valery began at the PRC as a student intern in 2024 and has helped work on projects such as: VIVA Connects, CHILE and Healthy Places Healthy People. She is now at the UNM Prevention Resource Center helping wherever she can from learning and adapting mixed methods. As a sociologist, it is important to not only observe the world around her but also share and put it into use. Valery has learned that many of the community projects are guided to build strong relationships through connection, events, assistance, sustainability and much more! She will complete her Bachelors of Sociology at the University of New Mexico in the Spring of 2025, as a First-generation college student in her family. She is excited to continue expanding her knowledge in areas of public health, policies and sociological aspects in the world with community-based research and methods.

Amy Pierce, BS ~ amypierce@salud.unm.edu

Amy Pierce is a Program Specialist at the UNM Prevention Research Center. Amy received a BS in Hotel and Restaurant Management from Oklahoma State University in 2006 and has since worked in hospitality, human resources, and quality assurance. She started at the PRC as an MPH practicum student in January 2023 and was thrilled to have the opportunity to continue working with the team followingthe practicum experience. Amy graduated with her Master of Public Health program from UNM in December 2023. At the PRC, Amy primarily works on the Youth Risk & Resiliency Survey, Tips by Text, and the School Health Profiles. Amy's professional interests also include work in early childhood education, literacy, and processes.

Mahtab Soleimani received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Iran and earned her master's degree in Family and Child Studies from the University of New Mexico. She will be a PhD candidate in Family and Child Studies starting in Spring 2025. Since January 2023, Mahtab has been working on various projects at the UNM Prevention Research Center (PRC) as a project assistant, and she is currently a professional intern. She has expertise in qualitative research and has received various trainings in child development and mental health. Her research interests include community-engaged approaches, injury prevention, and family health.

Camille Velarde, MA ~ CRVelarde@salud.unm.edu
Camille Velarde is an Associate Scientist II and works on various projects with the UNM PRC. She is a New Mexico native and growing up in Cuba, NM gives her an appreciation for the work done with rural communities at the PRC. She earned her master's degree from the University of New Mexico in health communication where her thesis looked at the various ways that mental health has been examined in the field of health communication. She is a fourth year PhD student in the Communication and Journalism department with an area of focus in health communication. Her research interest is community engaged approaches to digital health messaging.

Robyn Viera, MA ~ RViera@salud.unm.edu
Robyn joined the Division for Prevention and Population Sciences in 2016 as a Science Research Manager.  Robyn works on the New Mexico Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey (YRRS) and New Mexico School Health Profiles (SHP) survey funded by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the NM Department of Health (NMDOH); and is the lead evaluator for the New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED) Healthy Schools Project funded by the CDC.  Robyn has over 20 years’ experience conducting mixed-method community-based research, collaborating with healthcare providers, and delivering health-related communications to diverse populations throughout New Mexico.  Prior to joining UNM, Robyn worked in healthcare service delivery and public health as a Program Lead for the State of New Mexico and as a Program Manager for the UNM Cancer Center at the University of New Mexico, focusing on prevention-based research and interventions.

Yvonnie Vitanzos completed her Masters in Family and Child Studies with a concentration in Early Childhood Studies at the University of New Mexico. She has been an early childhood educator in mulitcultural settings since 2012. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the Philippines. Currently, she works as an Associate Scientist I at the University of New Mexico Prevention Research Center, contributing to the development and implementation of community-engaged research studies on healthy eating, active living, and injury prevention in New Mexico.

Zoey Zhen-Taylor, BS ~ ZoZhen@salud.unm.edu

Zoey received her Bachelor of Science degree in Population Health in 2023. She chose her site at the UNM Prevention Research Center for her capstone. The experience and skills she gained motivated her to expand her career with PRC as a professional intern. Her primary projects are New Mexico’s Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey, School Health Profiles, and Tips By Text.

Elverna Bennett is a citizen of the Navajo Nation.  She is currently a project consultant to the UNM PRC Healthy People Healthy Places project and worked on Pathways as an field interventionist for the family component. She also serves on UNM PRC Community Advisory Council (CAC), to ensure that communities are involved in the Centers’ activities. She is also a member of the Native Research Network, Inc., an association and network of Native and non- Native health researchers who are involved in, and care about health-related research among indigenous populations. She has also worked as a field interventionist with the Johns Hopkins University, under the Bloomberg School of Public Health, working with Dr. Joel Gittelsohn on obesity and diabetes prevention projects in the SW area. 

Frank Morgan is Salt Clan, Born for Yucca Fruit People, mother’s father Ledge of Mountain, and father’s father Many Goats/Red House. He grew up around Four Corners area. Attended school and earned a social science degree. He worked with ethnographers and psychiatrists and he learned to translate and interpret. As a translator and interpreter he produced translated books related to diabetes, genetics, EPA superfund remediation terminology, and developed a Navajo court interpreter training materials for New Mexico State Supreme Court. He has worked with traditional Navajo medicine practitioners and health care personnel and produced curriculum for public health programs. He is a farmer, artist and sheep herder.

Marla Pardilla, MPH, MSW, has been working in behavioral health with the NA populations for over 25 years.  She serves as consultant to the UNM PRC Healthy People Healthy Places project with Dr. Sally Davis and team and has previously worked on the Pathways project. Otherwise she is with the Johns Hopkins University, under the Department of International Health, working with Dr. Joel Gittelsohn as Co-P.I. on obesity and diabetes prevention projects.

Harrison Platero from the Canoncito Band of Navajo Indians, has been employee of UNM PRC at various times as research interventionist on prevention research projects, including PATHWAYS . He has served on the PRC Community Action Committee for over 5 years.  With his extensive knowledge of Navajo culture, he is often consulted by researchers to interpret research terminology for Navajo communities.  He is a member of the Native Research Network, Inc. since 1997, and works for Johns Hopkins University part time.