Our People

Leadership

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. His primary research interest focuses on delivery and dissemination of an innovative training and treatment program providing evidence-based and culturally tailored depression care to Latinx adults via telephone. Undergraduate students and promotoras are trained and supervised to effectively deliver this manualized treatment.

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.

Dr. Leo Morales

Co-Director

Faculty Bio

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

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.

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.

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.