I am the Associate Dean for Clinical and Translational Research at the University of Miami and Co-Director of the Clinical and Translational Science Cancer Institute. I have over twenty-five years of experience leading NIH funded clinical and community-based health research projects in various area. in various chronic diseases including diabetes, stroke, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, HIV and most recently COVID. In most of these projects the populations the focus has been Hispanic, black and Haitian populations.
I also have considerable experience directing large multi-center research projects. At present, I am MPI of the AllofUs research project (UM’s largest existing NIH study. I also the PI of the state-wide Florida Community Engaged Alliance program addressing health disparities in our state. I have also led numerous cores for large research program project grants, often leading community and stakeholder engagement components. Current examples include the PCORNET funded OneFlorida Clinical Research Consortium and NIMHD UM-Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance (U54 and now P50). I have been a standing member of various NIH study sections and served on various federal committees including on the HHS Advisory Committee on Minority Health (ACMH) and this year was very excited to hear I have been nominated by NHLBI to serve on their Advisory Council. I have also participated in many national and international committees such as the Lancet Commission on Health Policy and now this year on the National Academy of Medicine’s committee on Creating a Framework for Emerging Science, Technology, and Innovation in Health and Medicine.
Also important is that I bring considerable administrative experience as a clinical leader. For 12 years I served as Chief of UM’s Division of General Internal Medicine, where I oversaw 52 faculty including clinicians, educators and researchers. Locally I also serve I on the Board of Directors of two community-based organizations- The Health Council of South Florida Health Council (HCSF) and Miami-Dade Area Health Education Center (AHEC). I also often work with local and national media discussing my own research and also health care topics of particular relevance to the Hispanic community including being a frequent guest on most of the major Latino television networks.
