Iara Backes
I've lived in Florida for a long time, but I was born in Lima, Peru. Most recently I lived in Gainesville to attend the University of Florida (Go Gators!) where I obtained my bachelors degree in Biochemistry. I graduated back in May of 2014, and since then I've moved into a full time position at the Scheuer Lab where we study stress related hypertension. My education at UF was solid, but the most memorable experiences came from the laboratory and the UF Mobile Outreach Clinic, a clinic on wheels that caters to underserved neighborhoods in Gainesville. I'm moving to New Hampshire with my husband Chris, who is a N.H. native excited to be back home, and our spirited cat Thor (can't wait to introduce him to snow).
Jessica Charles
My name is Jessica and I hail from Randolph, MA. I attended Boston University and graduated with a B.A. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and a minor in Music in May 2014. While at B.U., I became fluent in Spanish and lived in La Casa Hispanica (the Spanish house) for two years before taking up Mandarin Chinese and travelling to China to study Traditional Chinese Medicine and the surrounding controversy regarding the integration of TCM and Western medicine in hospitals. My Music minor concentration was world music and so I was also able to explore many varied cultures through music. After graduating from B.U., I spent a gap year working at Brewster Ambulance Service as an EMT out of Jamaica Plain, Boston. In my spare time, I enjoy watching cartoons, cooking, and watching boxing events with friends. I am looking forward to improving my Spanish and eventually becoming a Project Salud interpreter!
Salma Dali
My name is Salma Dali, and I was born in Sudan, Africa but grew up in McKinney, Texas. I graduated from Yale in 2014 with a major in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. Outside of the classroom, I played intramural sports, was the philanthropy chair of Kappa Kappa Gamma, worked with people with disabilities in Best Buddies, and served as a Freshman counselor. These fulfilling experiences led me to take a gap year working as a Dean's Fellow at Yale-NUS College in Singapore, in which I mentored a diverse group of students. In addition to working in a clinical neuroscience lab to contribute to schizophrenia research, I completed my senior research thesis evaluating the effects of antibiotics on filamentous bacteriophage evolution. Many of my summers were spent abroad, including studying abroad in Spain and volunteering at hospitals in Sudan, which piqued my interest in global health and pediatrics. I enjoy trying new things, such as rock climbing, knitting, and scuba diving. I'm excited to be involved in Project Salud!
Kristen Delwiche
I grew up in Portland, Oregon then moved to Tacoma, Washington to attend the University of Puget Sound for college. While on campus I immersed myself in a variety of activities, from competing on the cross country and crew teams, to facilitating outdoor leadership classes, working as a chemistry teaching assistant/tutor, and performing virology research. Spending a semester studying in Tanzania and researching local perceptions of disease burden and the role of both traditional and western medicine in a rural rainforest village sparked my interest in public health work. After graduating in 2012 with a degree in Biochemistry, I began a three year global health fellowship program focused on research and training in quantitative methods at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, in conjunction with the University of Washington. My research focused on quantifying global disease burden attributable to risk factors such as intimate partner violence, childhood sexual abuse, injecting drug use and physical inactivity. When it came to choosing a medical school, I was transfixed by Dartmouth's focus on health equity both in the United States and globally, as well as its tight knit community feel and proximity to natural beauty. I look forward to the opportunity to immerse myself in Project Salud and learn from this unique community!
Emily Dollar
Emily is originally from Troy, NY. She graduated from Dartmouth College in 2014 as a biology major and Spanish minor. Emily learned to speak Spanish as a child living in Leon, Spain, and also spent a summer living in Cachicatta, Peru. While at Dartmouth Emily was the Student Director for the Tucker Foundation for Service, Spirituality, and Social Justice, which gave her the opportunity to work with all of the college's local community service organizations and to oversee different social justice initiatives and events at Dartmouth. Prior to joining the Geisel community Emily worked in Boston as a research assistant at the Connors Center for Women's Health and Gender Biology. As a research assistant Emily was able to work on a variety of projects related to primary and trauma-informed care for women. At Geisel Emily is also a Rural Health Scholar.
Charlene Dunaway
Charlene is an international student from San Pedro Sula, Honduras. She graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2009, where she double majored in Biological Sciences and Chemistry. While in undergrad, she worked with the Latin American community in Nashville and helped develop bilingual literacy programs for children of Mexican and Central American immigrants. After undergrad, she moved to New York City and completed a PhD in Biomedical Sciences at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 2015. Her research focused on the molecular mechanisms of atherosclerosis and was supported by the American Heart Association Pre-doctoral Fellowship. Throughout college and grad school, she volunteered as a Spanish Interpreter at different free clinics that served the uninsured patient population. Charlene is also part of the Honduras Global Foundation, an organization that promotes the transfer of knowledge and scientific development in her country. Now at Geisel, she is excited to work with the Latin American community of the Upper Valley through Project Salud.
Erin Floyd
My name is Erin and I grew up in Northeast TN. I am one of six kids, two of which are already medical students. I graduated from Swarthmore College in 2010 with a BA in Spanish and Latin American Literature. After graduating, I have coordinated medical research in both psychiatry and Obstetrics/Gynecology at UC Davis and Stanford. In my free time, I love learning about wines & ciders, taking Iyengar Yoga workshops, biking, as well as chatting with unique, random strangers. I'd like to be a primary care physician and am interested in the Integrative Medicine, Mind-Body Medicine, Academia, and potentially CAM research.
Thomas Flynn
Tommy is from Katonah, NY and graduated from Bates College with a degree in Environmental Health. Prior to starting at Geisel, he served in an adult free clinic and a child psychiatric treatment center as a board-certified medical Spanish interpreter, helping bridge the linguistic divide between patients and providers. While at Bates, Tommy conducted research into the possible toxicity of a popular caffeinated tea from South America, yerba mate, which was at odds with its reputation as a health-promoting beverage. He has also contributed to an NIH-funded study looking at the use of traditional medicinal plants by Latino immigrants in New York City that aimed to inform cultural competency training for medical students. Tommy has traveled to Costa Rica to study tropical biology and the Spanish language, and recently visited Peru and Chile. He is excited to work with migrant populations here in NH and VT, and to continue learning how to bring linguistically and culturally sensitive care to the underserved.
Georgia Griffin
Georgia was raised in Norwich, VT, and her first job was taking care of newborn calves on a dairy farm. She studied Earth Systems at Stanford University, with particular interests in agriculture, food systems, and social/environmental determinants of health. After college, Georgia spent a year volunteering with Ninos con Valor, a residential home for at-risk youth in Cochabamba, Bolivia. She looks forward to learning about the mental and physical health challenges faced by migrant and Spanish-speaking farm workers in New England. And she is very excited to join Project Salud in improving healthcare for this population!
Lawrence Kogan
I'm originally from Framingham, Massachusetts and the youngest of three children. I graduated from Cornell University in 2013 with a major in biochemistry and a minor in Spanish. During my junior year I studied abroad in Chile where I lived with a host family and took a variety of classes, including a clinical observation seminar where I got to observe the Chilean healthcare system firsthand. My incredible experience in Chile influenced me to become an outreach coordinator for Cornell Abroad upon my return to school. In addition to Cornell Abroad, I was active in Hillel, where I founded a club for Latin American Jews and I also held several leadership roles within my fraternity such as VP of philanthropy. After graduating, I moved to Cincinnati to work at Procter & Gamble where I created new shampoo formulations for Pantene, Herbal Essences and Aussie. I then followed an opportunity to work in Dr. Robert Langer's lab at MIT and address medication nonadherence. Outside of work, I love to travel and play sports and I fulfilled my lifelong dream by attending the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. As a physician, I anticipate specializing in oncology or gastroenterology and also using my Spanish and Portuguese abilities to expand medical access to underserved populations. Project Salud is awesome!
David Leander
David was born in Daegu, South Korea, and was raised in St. Louis, Mo. He attended Northwestern University, graduating in 2010 as a triple major in Materials Science, Economics, and Spanish with a minor in Global Health Studies. He studied abroad in Mexico City through a public health summer program, assisting in data collection for metabolic syndrome research by interviewing subjects in Spanish. He performed a small interview-based study focused on the linguistic barrier within the Spanish-speaking population of Chicago and the availability of prescription medication instructions. After graduation, David worked for 3 years as a Project Manager at Epic Systems, a leading electronic medical records company based in Madison, Wis. After Epic, while preparing to apply to medical school, he completed a research internship at Aurora Health Care and also began volunteering as an HIV counselor at a free health clinic. David enjoys trying new foods and cooking-he is excited to live near farmers' markets and partake in a CSA. He is eager to begin his studies, and is helping Project Salud develop its EMR system for mobile clinics. Thanks David!
Angela Lee
My name is Angela, and I am from New York. I graduated from Yale in 2011 with a major in Anthropology, specifically focusing on the intersection of medicine and culture. After graduating, I spent a year working at an HIV/AIDS nonprofit in Boston while taking the first semester of Organic Chemistry. I then moved to Guayaquil, Ecuador, where I helped set up a molecular diagnostic laboratory in Hospital Luis Vernaza. Along with helping to set up a lab, I worked with the gynecology and obstetrics department to implement a cost-efficient cervical cancer screening program. The hard work and resourcefulness of the physicians in this setting inspired me to pursue medicine as my ultimate career path. I ultimately returned to work in New Haven, where I consented cancer patients at the Smilow Cancer Center. After being exposed to so many different aspects of medicine, I am extremely excited to be starting my first year as a medical student at Geisel and to be a part of Project Salud.
Jose Marin Sanchez
My name is Jose E. Marin, I was born in Los Mochis, Sinaloa Mexico and raised in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua Mexico. I attended school in Ciudad Juarez until the end of my 11th year and moved to the United States. I graduated from high school in the US and proceeded to attend The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) to complete my bachelor of science in Cellular and Molecular Biochemistry. During my time at UTEP, I gained research experience in the area of neuroscience. Among other numerous extracurricular activities in which I was involved, soccer became my favorite. Upon graduation in May 2015, I continued my training in the Scientific Summer Scholars program of Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, MA. I'm excited to work as an interpreter and volunteer as part of Project Salud.
Grace Sollender
My name is Grace, and I am a native Coloradoan. I am the oldest of four children and have three younger brothers, two wonderful parents, and three dogs. I graduated from Dartmouth College in 2015 with majors in biology and Spanish. Throughout undergrad, my most influential medically-related experiences were a multi-summer cancer research fellowship program that I participated in at the University of Colorado Cancer Center, and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome quality improvement research that I conducted at DHMC. Studying Spanish in undergrad was a formative part of my college experience. At Dartmouth, I tutored Spanish at Hanover High and worked as an assistant teacher to the Spanish Department. In spring 2014, I participated in a Dartmouth study abroad program in Buenos Aires, Argentina, an experience I consider to be one of the most valuable of my undergraduate career. I treasure opportunities to combine my passions of medicine and Spanish -- which is why I am so excited about Project Salud! In my free time, I love to be active, practice yoga, run, travel, and spend time with my family.
Talia Stewart
Talia Stewart was born in Brooklyn, NY. In 2014, Talia graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a major in Spanish language and literature. As an undergraduate, Talia volunteered for the health advocacy agency Health Leads, where she helped undocumented Spanish speaking immigrants obtain resources such as food, health insurance, and healthcare. She also conducted research in Lima, Peru in order to answer whether the 6-minute walk test could add to the clinical assessment of type II diabetes mellitus. In her free time Talia enjoys watching scary movies, volunteering and running.
Stephen Wang
I was born in Shenyang, China. When I was five, my family moved to Canada, and I currently reside in Ottawa. As a result of my upbringing, my Christian faith has become the undercurrent that fuels my life, and I have learned to speak English, Mandarin, and French fluently. I attended Saint Louis University for my undergraduate education, graduating with a major in public health and a minor in biology in May 2015. Throughout my undergraduate education, my interests were community and global health, as well as social justice. Over those four years, I tutored refugee children from Nepal and Tanzania through the Firm Foundation Tutoring program, I went to Haiti with Dr. Tim Randolph to diagnose infectious diseases and treat Tungiasis, and I cooked and served every summer at the Ottawa Mission homeless shelter. I know that I am extremely privileged with the opportunities I have been given, and I want to give back through a career in medicine, starting now as a medical student—serving my community through Project Salud!