Leslie earned a BA in psychology from UCLA and has experience in pediatrics, mental health and early intervention research. She previously worked at the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center, where she contributed to research aimed at improving health outcomes for women, and advanced from CRAI to CRC. She is currently the lab lead in the Castellon-Lopez Lab, where she supports the development of community-informed, culturally responsive health interventions.

Iris is a postdoctoral scientist at Cedars-Sinai's Cancer Research Center for Health Equity within the Castellon-Lopez Lab and holds a PhD in community health sciences from UCLA's Fielding School of Public Health. Before joining Cedars-Sinai, Iris was a college academic mentor, where she provided academic support and skill development for undergraduate students. Additionally, she served as a graduate student researcher on the Research on Immigrant Health and State Policy (RIGHTS) project at UCLA. Her research focuses on health disparities, particularly how social determinants of health affect individual and community wellbeing.

Manuel earned a BS in nutrition and dietetics from California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), and he is currently a research intern in the U‑GROW Program at Cedars‑Sinai. He supports the Castellon‑Lopez Lab research on culturally responsive, community‑engaged interventions to reduce chronic disease disparities among Latino populations. His contributions include data analysis, program development and dissemination efforts. Drawing on prior experience facilitating nutrition education courses and supporting wellness programs, Manuel helps advance the lab’s goals of improving food literacy, promoting preventive health and addressing community needs.

Gael graduated from UCLA with a BS in human biology and society. He first joined the field of research as a student assistant with the community-informed, COVID-19 vaccine intervention, miVacunaLA. Since December 2023, he has worked in the Castellon-Lopez Lab focusing on preventive, collaborative community interventions and qualitative studies related to Latino/a/x health.

Sachell received his BS in biochemistry from Texas A&M University and is currently a second-year medical student at Texas Tech Health Sciences Center El Paso. He is passionate about addressing health disparities and expanding Latino health research. He joined the Castellon-Lopez Lab to deepen his understanding of Latino health through clinical research and apply this knowledge to support underserved communities as a future physician.