CHER is excited to welcome new interns Christopher, Candelaria, and John, and they are already proving to be strong assets to the team. Here are some interesting details about these students and the skills and aspirations they bring with them:
Christopher Counts is a Master of Public Health student at CSULB. After completing his degree, he plans on attending medical school and becoming a primary care physician. Christopher has a particular interest in addressing health disparities among racial and sexual minorities and plans to work in these underserved communities. Outside of research, Christopher enjoys volunteer work, yoga, hiking in the mountains, and snow skiing.
Candelaria Garcia is a fifth-year undergraduate student at CSULB majoring in Health Science with an option in Community Health Education. Her research interests are reflective of her lived experiences as a first-generation Chicana from Compton, California. She seeks to combat health disparities related to environmental injustice, substance use and misuse, and other chronic conditions influenced by the social determinants of health. Following her baccalaureate degree, Candelaria plans to enroll in graduate studies in epidemiology to pursue a health-related research career.
John Poli is a 2nd year student in the MPH program at CSULB, with a BS in Biology. He is also a Graduate Mentor in the Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) program, which aims to promote diversity in the realm of science. His research interests include investigating the effects of racism in health and increasing the quality of health for marginalized populations through improving health education and healthcare. He aspires to become a primary care doctor with hope of fostering strong partnerships in public health and health education to promote and improve access of healthcare to marginalized populations. John is the oldest child among a Filipino family of seven and enjoys basketball and playing music.