American Heart Association

Hispanic Serving Institution Program Mentors

Our dedicated mentors are the backbone of our HSI Scholars Program. Students accepted into the program are awarded opportunities to engage in a virtual leadership and professional development series to enhance critical skills to position them for success beyond graduation. The early exposure to research labs and partnerships with professional mentors will help shape the next generation of Latino biomedical science and health care professionals.

Want to become a volunteer mentor? Email Mitzi Cardona for more information.

Current Mentors

California

Deborah Feairheller, PhD	Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology Director, the HEART laboratory \| California State University, San Marcos
Elizabeth Tarling, PhD, FAHA	Associate Professor, Department of Medicine Division of Cardiology \| University of California, Los Angeles

Florida

Dahis Manzanares, PhD	Assistant Professor of Biology School Pathways \| Miami Dade College, West Campus
Kathryn E. Sieving, BSc, PhD	BSc Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation Biology, University of California Davis/PhD Ecology, Ethology, & Evolution, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign \| University of Florida, Gainesville
Maria Monzon, PhD	Assistant Professor of Chemistry School Pathways \| Miami Dade College, West Campus
Silvia Torices Del Val, PhD	Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology \| University of Miami: School of Medicine
Trinidad Arguelles, PhD	Associate Professor of Psychology and SLS \| Miami Dade College, West Campus

Illinois

Felix L. Nuñez Santana, PhD	Director of Imaging in the Department of Surgery, Thoracic Surgery Division \| Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society, Yale University \| Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

New Jersey

Ayana K. April-Sanders, PhD, MPH	Instructor, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology \| Rutgers School of Public Health
Carlos Molina, PhD	Professor, Department of Biology \| Montclair State University
Jaclyn Catalano, PhD	Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry \| Montclair State University
James Campanella, PhD	Professor, Department of Biology \| Montclair State University
Luis Torres, DHSc, ATC, NASM-CRT, BCS, CES	Assistant Professor, Department of Exercise Science and Physical Education \| Montclair State University
Nina Goodey, PhD	Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry \| Montclair State University
Scott L. Kight, PhD	Associate Dean, College of Science and Mathematics \| Montclair State University
Yvonne Gindt, PhD	Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry \| Montclair State University

New York

Chiara Giannarelli, MD, PhD	Associate Professor of Cardiology and Pathology, NYU Cardiovascular Research Center \| NYU Lagone Health
Itsaso Garcia Arcos, PhD	Research Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine \| SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Johana Contreras, MD, MSc, FACC, FAHA, FASE, FHFSA	Director of Ambulatory Heart Failure Network \| Mount Sinai Heart Hospital
Natalia Eberhardt, PhD	Postdoctoral Fellow \| NYU Grossman School of Medicine

Puerto Rico

Bianca A Torres-Hernandez, PhD, MSc	Assistant Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences Department \| School of Pharmacy, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus
Carlos Acevedo, PhD	Associate Professor, Department of Biology \| University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez
Elvin A. Gonzalez Perez, PhD	Associate Professor, Humanities Department \| University of Puerto Rico, Aguadilla
Liz M Diaz, PhD	Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry \| University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras
Nancy Cardona, PhD	Assistant Investigator, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences \| UPR Comprehensive Cancer Center

Texas

Kayce D. Solari Williams, PhD, MPH, MS, FASHA	Clinical Associate Professor \| University of Houston - College of Education Department of Psychological, Health, and Learning Sciences
Micah Castillo, PhD	Lead Scientist, NSM Sequencing & Gene Editing Core \| University of Houston
Na Li, PhD	Associate Professor \| Baylor College of Medicine