About the Author

Author Picture

Arely Perez

Perez received her Master’s degree in Health and Kinesiology at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Currently, she is project coordinator for the Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at UT San Antonio, the team behind the Salud America! program. Éxito! aims to increase the number of Latinos who pursue doctoral degrees and cancer research. Since joining the IHPR in 2012, her research focus has been on cancer survivorship and cancer health disparities.


Connect with Arely:
Twitter Link

Articles by Arely Perez

Sandra Garcia Camacho: Taking Aim to Boost Latino Health


CamachoGSandra Exito 2018 participant

Thanks to her mother’s hard work, independence, and resilience, Sandra Garcia Camacho is poised to make an impact for Latino health. Garcia Camacho grew up in Yauco "The City of Coffee" in Puerto Rico. She completed her bachelor’s degree in natural sciences with a concentration in biomedicine at the University of Puerto Rico in Ponce. She then pursued her master’s degree in public health with an emphasis in biostatistics at the Medical Sciences Campus in Puerto Rico. She wants to conduct research in chronic disease, and looks forward to addressing research gaps in the study of polycystic kidney disease. To further her experience and education, Garcia Camacho applied for the Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. The Éxito! program, led by Dr. ...

Read More

Erika Bonilla: Working to Help Latino Families Thrive


BonillaErika Exito 2018 participant

Like the beautiful photo of Erika Bonilla’s tia and father that serve as a reminder of her El Salvadorean roots, Bonilla is on a mission to see Latino families thrive. Bonilla holds bachelor’s degree in Spanish and a master’s of public health degree from California State University, Long Beach. Bonilla is a Research Associate at the CSULB Center for Latino Community Health, Evaluation, and Leadership Training. Her research focus includes: maternal and child health, adolescent health, women’s health, cervical cancer, HIV/AIDS prevention, childhood obesity prevention, community-based participatory research, education, and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students of multiple disciplines in health science and human services majors. Having already gained valuable ...

Read More

Carmen Rodriguez: Dancing Toward a Career in Public Health Epidemiology


Rodriguez Carmen Exito 2018 participant

Folklorico. Merengue. Line. Dancing keeps Carmen Rodriguez connected to her Dominican culture and roots. Those roots also gave her a strong foundation when she moved from rural Dominican Republic to New York City, studying mathematics at Bard College. Rodriguez went on to earn her master’s degree of public health in epidemiology and biostatistics at the City University of New York’s School of Public Health and Health Policy. Now she’s hard at work as a project manager for a breast health study among immigrant Latinas. To further her experience and education, Rodriguez applied for the Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. The Éxito! program, led by Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez at UT Health San Antonio with support from the National Cancer Institute, ...

Read More

Genesis Rios: Go-Getter Takes on Latino Public Health


Genesis Rios Exito 2018 participant

With the examples of her hard-working mother and her brother who overcame leukemia as a child, Genesis Rios is a go-getter to the max. Rios dives head-first into tough challenges and new experiences. That includes: applying to programs like Americorps; teaching healthier lifestyles and disease prevention at a free clinic; and examining the health impact and educational potential of peer social networks among Latinos. Rios, born in Moca, Puerto Rico, and raised in Chicago, is currently working on her master’s degree in public health in community health sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Because of her work in underserved Latino communities, Rios became interested in reducing health disparities and barriers in access to healthcare that U.S. Latinos face. To ...

Read More

Veronica Landa: Following a Dream to Prevent Cancer Health Disparities


LandaVeronica Exito 2018 participant

With boundless encouragement from her mother, Veronica Landa displays bold determination and curiosity to explore and follow her dreams. Landa is already turning dreams into reality in her work as a research coordinator for clinical trials and as a specialist to refine family health services programs in California. Originally from San Antonio, Landa attended Stanford University and earned an MPH from the UT School of Public Health. Her work has centered on health disparities, with particular interest in Latinos and cancer. She also was the research coordinator for a minority clinical trials project at UT School of Public Health. Landa knows the critical value of prevention when it comes to cancer health disparities. To further her experience and education, Landa applied for ...

Read More

Fernando Juarez: Overcoming the Odds to Promote Health


GarciaIsela Exito 2018 participant

Like Han Solo, never tell Fernando Juarez the odds. Juarez grew up playing the Loteria, but real life isn’t a game of chance for him. He’s certain he will overcome any challenge and achieve success in anything he puts his mind to. He is one who will take on any challenge, no matter how daunting, using a fantastic blend of his mother’s compassion and his father’s stubbornness. Juarez is taking on the challenge of studying for his master’s degree in health and kinesiology at the University of Texas at San Antonio. And he puts into practice what he learns. When Jaurez participates in class courses and research projects, he implements his findings to his life. As a health advocate, Juarez aims to inspire and teach people how to make lifestyle modifications to improve ...

Read More

Isela Garcia: Passion for Improving Health on the Border


Garcia Isela exito participant 2018

Isela Garcia has a passion for dancing folklorico. But she has an even stronger passion for solving health issues that affect the Latino population on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. As an undergraduate, Garcia worked on border health research projects in El Paso and Ciudad Juárez. As a first-year MPH candidate at New Mexico State University, she is committed to research in Latino health disparities. She currently works on cancer education programs for the border community, and continues to gain experience in cancer education and prevention programs. To further her experience and education, Garcia applied for the Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. The Éxito! program, led by Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez at UT Health San Antonio with support from the ...

Read More

Alejandra Ochoa: Chocolate, French, and Public Health


OchoaAlejandra Exito 2018 participant

A writer once said: “Chemically speaking, chocolate really is the world’s perfect food.” That is spot-on for Alejandra Ochoa. Because, just as chocolate fits well in any recipe, Ochoa is adaptable and driven to help people get healthy. Ochoa, who was born in Mexico City and immigrated to Phoenix at age 6, earned her bachelor’s degree in French with a minor in public health at the University of Arizona in 2014. She moved to Normandy, France, to participate in a teaching assistant program. She moved to Tucson, Ariz., to pursue a master’s degree in public health in 2017. Ochoa is continually learning and already is helping our youngest population as an injury prevention specialist at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. To further her experience and education, Ochoa ...

Read More

Liliana Martinez: Determined to Improve Latino Health


MartinezLiliana Exito 2018 participant

Determination is what Liliana Martinez is all about. She found a model for determination in her brother who, despite spending time incarcerated, went back to school and became a successful teacher. Martinez proved her own determination when, as a native of Mexico who immigrated with her family to the United States at age 6, she worked with undocumented students to pursue passage of the DREAM Act and mentored high school students to pursue higher education. And, perhaps most impressively, she will be passing her determination on to the next generation, too, as she is resolute in wanting to teach her first child the indigenous Nahuatl language spoken by her Mexican grandmother. Martinez is a current graduate student in the master’s degree of public health program at the ...

Read More