Dr. Molina serves as a scholar activist focused on promoting the voices and agency of marginalized and resilient populations, including Latinx and other communities of color, LGBTQIA+ communities, and communities living with chronic conditions.

Since 2011, Dr. Molina and community partners have been successful in obtaining multiple competitive grants (>$730K), publishing more than 50 peer-reviewed articles, and 30 national conference presentations focused on health equity. Further, they are committed to the next diverse generation of scholar activists, having mentored over 30 undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, graduate, and medical students who identify as ethnic, sexual, and gender minorities.

An overarching theme in this work is recognizing and leveraging the assets of underserved individuals, social networks, and communities toward health equity, with a focus on breast cancer and HIV. Specifically, individuals do not represent only “data points” in scientific studies, but also have the potential to become messengers/interventionists that diffuse and act upon evidence. Dr. Molina has both an MS and PhD in Psychology and MPH, in Epidemiology from the University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL.

Notable Awards & Recognition:
Recipient of National Minority Quality Forum’s 40 under 40 Leaders in Minority Health (2017); American Cancer Society’s Calle/Rodriguez Memorial Minority Travel Award (2018); University of Illinois Chicago Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of Latino Faculty Recognition Award (2019)