Organization: Community Education Group
Region: Latin America and the Caribbean
Nationality: Mexico
Country: Mexico
Interests & expertise: Financing the HIV response
Profession or occupation: Researcher
What inspires you to work in the HIV field?
What drives me is seeing how HIV is not just a medical issue; it is deeply tied to inequality, stigma and political inaction. While working in the Appalachian region, I saw how rural communities are often left behind in terms of access to care and harm reduction. That pushed me to focus my academic work on the impact of HIV prevention funding and how public policy can either help or harm vulnerable populations. I am motivated by the idea that data can be a tool for accountability and that real change happens when we listen to communities and design policy with them.
What are your goals as an IAS change maker?
I want to push for policies that actually reflect what communities need, especially people who use drugs, rural populations and young people. I hope to keep working at the intersection of research and advocacy, translating evidence into policy tools that are bold but actionable. I also want to connect with others doing this work around the world, learn from them, share strategies and not lose sight of the fact that change does not happen in isolation. At the end of the day, I just want to be useful in building systems that work better for the people most affected.