Our People
Leadership
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Dr. Gino Aisenberg
Co-Director
Dr. Gino Aisenberg, an associate professor at the University of Washington School of Social Work, is a bilingual/bicultural Latino mental health researcher. He is the founding co-director of the Latino Center for Health at the University of Washington. Previously, he served as associate dean for diversity and student affairs of the Graduate School from 2013-2019.
Dr. Aisenberg is staunchly committed to addressing inequities in the access and utilization of health and behavioral health services by diverse populations. His research interests focus on three interrelated areas impacting underserved ethnic minority populations:
1. traumatic exposure of children and families to community violence and associated post-traumatic stress disorder,
2. depression care for adults, and
3. evidence-based practice.
Dr. Aisenberg obtained his MSW and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Southern California. Since coming to the University of Washington in 2002, Dr. Aisenberg’s research and teaching have been deeply informed by culture and authentic partnerships with community-based agencies serving marginalized and rural communities.
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Dr. Leo Morales
Co-Director
Dr. Leo Sergio Morales is a professor and assistant dean for healthcare equity and quality in the UW School of Medicine and founding co-director of the Latino Center for Health at the University of Washington. He received his M.D. and MPH degrees from the University of Washington and his Ph.D. from the RAND Graduate School in Policy Analysis. After completing a residency in primary care internal medicine at the UCSF/San Francisco General Hospital, he was recruited to the UCLA School of Medicine where he held faculty positions as assistant and associate professor, and co-directed the UCLA Resource Center for Minority Aging Research.
He is a past recipient of a Robert Wood Johnson Minority Foundation Medical Faculty Development Award and a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Investigator Award. His research focuses on racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in health and the measurement of patient resorted outcomes in diverse population settings. In recognition of his research contributions, he was inducted into the American Society for Clinical Investigation in 2007.
In recognition of his efforts to improve the health of Washingtonians, he was 2023 the recipient of Washington State Public Health Association (WSPHA) Annual Secretary’s Award and a recipient of a 2021 Washington State Medical Association Grassroots Advocate Award.
Staff
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Angela R. Rambo
Director of Operations
Angela previously worked at the University of Washington for over two decades in student services, admissions, project management, and program management. She earned her MSW from the UW School of Social Work in 2010. Angela possesses a passion for working with diverse communities; residents, and business leaders to help bring lasting changes to communities of color. In addition, she has over a decade of experience working in communities both in the Greater Seattle Area and in Eastern Washington. Angela looks forward to contributing her skills and knowledge to help advance the Latino Center for Health in its mission to promote the health of Latinx communities through community-engaged and culturally informed research that informs policy and practice. Angela is also excited about the new learning and growth that will come from being a part of the Center and contributing to its excellence.
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Emely Diaz Barragan
Graduate Student Intern
Emely Diaz Barragan (She/Her/Ella) was born and raised in Yakima, Washington. She is a proud alumna of the University of Washington, where she earned both her bachelor’s degree in Public Health and Global Health and a Master of Social Work. She is deeply passionate about mental health and public health, with a strong commitment to advancing health equity for BIPOC and Latine communities through both research and practice. Emely joins LCH as a graduate student intern, helping support the center’s mission for culturally responsive practices and community-engaged methodologies through her research on Latina mental health and primary prevention strategies.
Her passion for public health is reflected in her teaching assistant role at the University of Washington School of Public Health department, where she helps teach public health undergrads about the history and practice of public health.
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Giselle Cárcamo Romero
Community Engagement Specialist
Giselle Cárcamo Romero (she/her/ella), MSW, was born in Lima, Peru where she studied and worked as an Organizational Psychologist. She moved to Seattle in 2001 and obtained a degree in Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences – Society, Ethics and Human Behavior and a Masters of Social Work from the University of Washington.
Giselle is a charismatic and compassionate leader who has worked with underrepresented minorities for over fifteen years. She is called to serve the community with an ethics of justice, collaboration and empowerment. She honors the wisdom that each community member holds change making power and follows their lead.
Giselle joins the Latino Center for Health (LCH) as the Community Engagement Specialist. She is committed to authentic and impactful partnering with Latinx communities and organizations in Washington State so as to collectively advance the health and wellbeing of Latinx communities. She leads two major bodies of work. One, she is creating opportunities to amplify community voices to inform and partner in LCH research priorities and activities. Two, she is building community capacity through the Health Science Workforce Development efforts of LCH. She leads our Graduate Student Fellowship Program that supports health science student scholars irrespective of legal status and promotes a path towards collaborative, interdisciplinary efforts aimed at addressing persistent disparities.
Giselle complements her workforce development efforts as a part-time lecturer at the University of Washington School of Social Work. She is a faculty member of the Community Centered Integrative Practice (CCIP) concentration and teaches the required Community Practice course for 2nd year graduate students.
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Danielle Veloso
Research Project Coordinator
Danielle Veloso (she/her) is a passionate health equity research coordinator. She graduated from the University of California Berkeley with a B.A. in Sociology and was a graduate student in Sociology at the University of Washington. She has previously worked as a research project coordinator for the VA Puget Sound, the San Francisco Department of Public Health, and the Harm Reduction Coalition. Danielle is committed to addressing racial and ethnic health disparities, improving life outcomes for underserved populations, and promoting equitable public policy.
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Agus Vega
Intern
Agus Vega is a family physician from Argentina and currently a student in the MPH program at the Global Health Department at UW. They practiced as a medical doctor in both hospital and community health center settings, focusing on primary prevention and the equitable management and expansion of resources within the community.
Driven by their passion for reproductive justice and equity, their research and activism primarily focuses on abortion, particularly in Argentina. By participating in a practicum at the Latino Center for Health, Agus seeks to gain insights and valuable experience in conducting community outreach activities and culturally responsive research for Latinx communities in Seattle who are living with or at risk of developing non-communicable diseases.