Maria is a senior majoring in Pharmacy Studies and minoring in Molecular and Cell Biology and Sociology. She is also in the Special Program in Pharmacy and Honors Program, president of Christian Students on Campus, board member of National Primary Care Week, and clinical events committee representative for the Student College of Clinical Pharmacy.

In her sophomore year, she was a UConn Co-op Legacy Fellow under the mentorship of Dr. Nathaniel Rickles. She was able to develop a survey research project to explore the cultural and social motivations for Traditional Chinese Medicine use. She had the opportunity to present a poster of this work at the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) 2019 Annual Conference. During her junior year, she received an OUR Supply Award under the mentorship of Dr. Fei Wang to develop culturally and linguistically appropriate tobacco cessation education to underserved communities in Hartford along with a survey to determine its effectiveness. She continues to pursue a mixed methods project as a SURF Award recipient that looks to identify the role of a university support team in the sustainability and feasibility of a pharmacist-centered public health initiative called WISEWOMAN. This program brings medication therapy management to Connecticut women who are low income and underinsured to improve blood pressure control. Her research with Dr. Rickles hopes to determine strategies for increasing the longevity of WISEWOMAN and serve as a pattern of best practices for future initiatives.

If you have any questions or concerns, or would like a perspective on social research in pharmacy or healthcare, please feel free to reach out!