Research Investigator 1
Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation
Over my 15-year career conducting Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) research at Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation (BSWIR), I have supported the growth of the program in various roles and currently am a Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator for TBI, CVA, and SCI research. Due to my longevity at BSWIR and my passion for research, I have built excellent ties with the investigators on this proposed project. Throughout my work, I have established proficiency with conducting and supporting investigator-initiated research and quality improvement projects, funded by internal (current funding: BSW and Ginger Murchison Foundation) and external government (current funding: 90IFRE0084, 90DPTB0023, 90SIMS0021, SC200117, 90IFRE0043, PAR-19-171, 90SIMS0011) and philanthropic grants (current funding: Neilsen-973467), which includes grant writing and grant submission, project development, study methodologies, intervention delivery, data management, project management, and research dissemination. I self-identify as Hispanic, am bilingual in Spanish, and am passionate about investigating health disparities in special populations and engaging people from underrepresented groups into our research activities. Further, I serve on the Diversity Equity and Inclusion councils as Vice Chair at Baylor University Medical Center and am a Co-Investigator in the Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems (TBIMS).
As a certified Diabetes Prevention Program – Group Lifestyle Balance (DPP-GLB) interventionist, I have extensive experience with both intervention delivery, program management, and data management in the original and modified programs, having incorporated modifications to the DPP-GLB to adapt for traumatic brain injury (TBI) (90DPTB0013) and stroke (CVA) (90IFRE0021), and delivering the original GLB-TBI pilot (Ginger Murchison Foundation). Most recently, I have supported the expansion of both programs to reach a broad and diverse population, including underrepresented populations, through telehealth delivery and cultural and linguistic modifications. For example, I served as co-investigator on the modification of the GLB-TBI (90DPTB0023) and am currently PI on the modification of the GLB-CVA (90IFRE0084) to be culturally and linguistically appropriate for people who self-identify as Hispanic/Latino.
My research interests focus on neuro-rehabilitative populations (e.g., traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and stroke) across the continuum of care. One of my notable contributions in this topic area was a collaboration to determine predictors of 30-day hospital readmissions in adults following traumatic brain injury which was published in The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation. Projects such as these highlight my collaborative and analytical capabilities in traumatic brain injury research.
Throughout my career, I have also been involved with delivering a research education lecture series for PM&R physician residents and new investigators. In this role, I oversee physician residents with development and implementation of their own research projects. Given my extensive experience conducting and collaborating on neurorehabilitation research, my work on behalf of underserved and underrepresented populations (90IFRE0084), in addition to my educational background, I am highly qualified to serve as a Co-Investigator for this proposal.
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