Video: Latina Shares Her ‘Health Policy Research’ Story



In a new video, Dr. Laura Lopez-Sanders describes how the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Scholars in Health Policy Research Program has affected her. Lopez Sanders is an assistant professor of sociology at the University of North ...

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Innovative Latina Doctor Among ‘Young Leader’ Honorees



The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has announced a Latina among the 10 recipients of the Young Leader Awards: Recognizing Leadership for a Healthier America. The honorees, recognized at a ceremony in Princeton, N.J., were chosen because they offer great promise for leading the way to improved health and health care for all Americans. Each individual, who is 40 years or younger, received $40,000. Dr. Carmen A. Peralta, an assistant professor in residence at the University of California, San Francisco, is one of the Young Leaders. She studies ways to reliably and accurately detect early kidney disease, when treatment could help prevent irreversible damage, with a focus on African Americans and Hispanics and their higher rates of end-stage kidney disease. To understand ...

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Who is Èxito!: Cristina Valdovinos



Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2012 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply by April 1, 2013, for the 2013 Èxito! program. Cristina Valdovinos New York, New York Cristina Valdovinos grew up watching her father work hard to provide for his family. When he was diagnosed with late-stage laryngeal carcinoma during her last term pursuing her bachelor’s degree in human biology from Stanford University, it sparked her desire to study cancer to help those like her father. She soon interned at the Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science in California to investigate early-onset breast cancer and excess late-stage diagnoses in minorities, then entered a cancer control program at the University of Puerto Rico’s Comprehensive Cancer ...

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‘Tu Corazon’ Summit to Examine Heart Disease’s Influence in Latinos



Registration is now open for American Heart Association’s “Tu Corazon Latino” Summit on Friday, Nov. 9, 2012, at the Time Warner Center in New York. Hosted by CBS2 News Medical Correspondent Dr. Max Gomez, this event will take an in-depth look at how cardiovascular disease impacts the Latino population, across generations. Beginning with a focus on youth, the event will examine the trajectory from disease prevention to management with a targeted review of issues affecting the senior population. The Summit attracts community leaders and issue experts from the Latino community throughout the metropolitan region. Go here to register for this free ...

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Heart Disease Risk Higher among ‘Acculturated’ Latinos; Risk Factors Vary by Latino Background



Heart disease risk factors are widespread among U.S. Latino adults, with 80% of men and 71% of women having at least one risk factor for heart disease, according to a San Diego State University (SDSU) study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). These percentages are much higher than the general population, where 49% of adults have at least one major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Prevalence of risk factors varies across Hispanic/Latino background groups, with some groups, particularly those with Puerto Rican background, experiencing high rates of heart disease risk factors compared to other groups, according to findings from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), which will be published in today's Journal of the American Medical ...

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New Guide: How to Talk to Your Kids about Weight, Health



Latino parents, how do you start a conversation on health and healthy weight with your children? A new parent conversation guide, “Weigh In: Talking to Your Children About Weight and Health,” is an online resource created to fill the information gap and offer practical advice for parents to responsibly and compassionately respond to real-world scenarios, such as: Understanding body mass index (BMI) Body image Bullying Weight bias Family obesity Download the guide, a collaboration between the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and the Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity ...

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Infographic: Great Grains



Here's an interesting infographic on four types of healthy grains, from Vegan ...

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Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think



Americans eat more than we think. Why? Check out this new video in which Dr. Brian Wansink of Cornell University discusses his research on "mindless eating." Small changes in our physical environment can greatly affect our food eating behavior and totally change our eating habits, according to Dr. ...

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Who is Èxito!: Diana Flores



Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2012 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply by April 1, 2013, for the 2013 Èxito! program. Diana Flores San Mateo, Calif. Some of Diana Flores’ extended family members didn’t want her to go to college. They thought she should stick to a traditional Latina role—wife and mother—instead of “wasting” money and time on education. But Flores’ mother and father encouraged her to pursue the educational career path she was passionate about. With their support, she earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s degree in public health (environmental health sciences and global health) from the University of California, Los Angeles ...

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