Marievelisse Soto-Salgado
Marievelisse Soto-Salgado grew up dedicated to solving public health problems in what she calls “La Isla del Encanto”—her hometown of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
She got her passion for science and research through her time obtaining a bachelor’s degree in general sciences and a master’s degree in public health. She’s even been working for several years with a team of researchers at the University of Puerto Rico on a National Cancer Institute-funded cancer research project, and she coordinates a Biostatistics and Bioinformatics core and provides statistical support and consultation for cancer research projects.
Soto-Salgado knows she wants to continue working in Latino cancer research, but wanted to learn more about academic opportunities available in the U.S. before deciding to pursue a doctoral degree.
So she joined Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training, which aims to increase diversity in Latino health disparities and cancer research by encouraging Latino master’s-level students and master’s trained health professionals to pursue a doctoral degree and a career in research.
“Before entering into theÉxito! program, I knew I was interested in a career in cancer control within the Latino/Hispanic community, but theÉxito! program helped me realize that this is definitely what I want do,” Soto-Salgado said. “Through the speaker’s presentations, I found a research area—the behavioral sciences research area—that I did not know, and now I want to explore before making my PhD.”