Saul Cruz (he/him)
Role: UCSD Field Coordinator
Saul Cruz is a first generation, gay Latino, food enthusiast, dog parent, Latinx & LGBTQ+ advocate, and UCSD Alum. Some of the many identities he holds dear. As the Research Field Coordinator for the NEXUS study, he is greatly motivated by the experiences he is fortunate enough to hear from the Latinx folks in our community here in sunny San Diego! The unique experiences our participants share with us matter, he am thankful to have the opportunity to work on this project and increase our representation as a community! ¡Juntos somos un potencia tremenda y poderosa ✊🏽!
Anthony Cirilo (he/him)
Role: Student Research Assistant
Anthony Cirilo is a fourth-year Public Health major with a concentration in Epidemiology and a minor in Global Health at UC San Diego. As a first-generation, Latino college student, Anthony is passionate about identifying and addressing health disparities that affect his community. For the NEXUS Study, Anthony is part of the recruitment and retention team which conducts study reminder phone calls. Anthony is also part of ongoing manuscript efforts for the NEXUS Study. On his free time, Anthony likes to nap in random places.
Aaron Gutierrez (he/him)
Role: Community Outreach Specialist
Aaron Gutierrez has worked for UC San Diego’s Antiviral Research Center and Family Health Centers. For the last five years, he has helped lead outreach efforts with various health organizations, promoting healthy lifestyles and disease prevention in San Diego’s communities of color. Most notably, in 2020, he played a pivotal role in UC San Diego’s COVID-19 vaccine trials, educating community members about the benefits of research and enrolling participants in clinical trials.
Ricardo Vazquez (he/him)
Role: Research Coordinator
Ricardo Vazquez graduated from the University of California, Riverside, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology in 2018. With over seven years of experience in research, Ricardo has a focus on Language and Learning, Perception and Sensation, and HIV. Currently, Ricardo serves as the Research Coordinator for San Ysidro Health and has been with the NEXUS study since 2020.
Stevie Juarez (he/she/they)
Role: Research Coordinator
Stevie Juarez has been with the San Diego LGBT Community Center since 2018. In 2021 they began working on the Nexus Study which seemed like a great opportunity since sexual health and fighting stigma associated with HIV are something they’re very passionate about. Stevie currently works as the Bilingual Community Health Educator and Client Services Navigator at The Center.
Juan Esparza (he/they)
Role: Bilingual Community Health Educator
Juan Esparza is one of the Bilingual Community Health Educators at The San Diego LGBT Community Center working on UCSD’s NEXUS study. Juan has two years of experience working in HIV Prevention and in providing case management for People Living with HIV across California and Arizona. When asked why he joined the NEXUS Study Team, he shared that “I have always loved working with and alongside my community, especially when it comes to preventing new transmissions of HIV among Latinx folx.”
Rosalinda Rodriguez (she/her)
Role: Office Manager
Rosalinda Rodriguez is a Research Project Manager for the NEXUS study. She supports the NEXUS investigators working on assessing how anticipated and enacted intersectional stigmas manifest though Latino men who have sex with men’s social networks to impact HIV testing and PrEp use. Mrs. Rodriguez has extensive experience working in study participant recruitment, retention and research management. Mrs. Rodriguez received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, Riverside. She is bicultural and bilingual English and Spanish.
Laramie Smith (she/her)
Role: Principal Investigator
Laramie Smith, is an Associate Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health in the Department of Medicine at UC San Diego Health. Dr. Smith has over 18 years’ collaborative research experience with public health and community partners. As a social psychologist, she applies social and behavioral theory, from a public health perspective, to improve health equity among historically marginalized communities.
ucsdnexus.com 