Forum 1 Program Book
Featured Speakers & Presenters
September 12, 2025
Forum 1: Why Are Latino Men at Higher Risk for Cancer — and How Is It Impacting Patients, Communities, and the U.S. Economy?
Hour 1
Matthew (Mateo) Banegas, PhD
Counting the Costs of Cancer – The Economic Toll on Latino Men and U.S. Productivity
Matthew (Mateo) Banegas is Associate Professor at UC San Diego and Co-Director of the Center for Health Equity Education and Research. His work focuses on the impact of social and economic risk factors on health outcomes and creating solutions to improve healthcare delivery in underserved communities.
Ask the Men - Cancer Survivor Panel
Tomas Almaguer, PhD
Professor Emeritus, Author
Tomás Almaguer is Professor Emeritus of Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State University and author of Racial Fault Lines and The New Latino Studies Reader. A pioneering scholar and prostate cancer survivor, he brings academic and personal insight to the cultural dynamics of Latino men’s health.
Marty Gonzalez, MA
Former TV News Anchor, KRON TV
Marty Gonzalez is weekend anchor at KRON 4 and Associate Professor at San Francisco State University. A veteran journalist and prostate cancer survivor, he combines professional expertise and personal experience to encourage awareness and early detection in Latino men’s health.
Ray Suarez, MA
Author, Program Host, Podcaster
Host of PBS's Wisdom Keepers, Ray Suarez is a veteran journalist with a 40-year career across NPR, PBS, and Al Jazeera America, and author of Latino Americans: The 500-Year Legacy That Shaped a Nation. A cancer survivor, he brings personal insight and decades of reporting experience to issues affecting Latino communities.
Hour 2 - Research Focus
Matthew R. Cooperberg, MD, MPH
Prostate Cancer 2025: Smarter Screening, Smarter Treatment
Matthew R. Cooperberg is Professor of Urology and Epidemiology & Biostatistics at UC San Francisco and Chief of Urology at the San Francisco VA Medical Center. His research focuses on prostate cancer risk stratification, treatment outcomes, and disparities, with more than 295 peer-reviewed publications.
David Garcia, PhD, FACSM
Genetics & Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Risk in Mexican Men
David O. Garcia is Associate Professor at the University of Arizona’s Zuckerman College of Public Health and Director of “Nosotros Comprometidos a Su Salud.” His research focuses on obesity- related health disparities and liver disease among Mexican-origin adults through culturally tailored interventions.
Edgar Villavicencio, MPH
Engaging Mexican Men in Fatty Liver Disease Control
Edgar A. Villavicencio is Research Development Professional at the University of Arizona’s Zuckerman College of Public Health and research coordinator for the “Nosotros Comprometidos a Su Salud” lab. His work focuses on Latino and Indigenous health, cancer prevention, and culturally tailored, community-based research.
Hour 3 - Lifestyle & Resources
Ana Maria Lopez, MD, MPH, MACP
Food as Medicine – We Are What We Eat and It Could be Deadly
Ana Maria Lopez is Professor of Medical Oncology and Integrative Medicine and Nutritional Sciences at Thomas Jefferson University specializing in oncology and patient-centered care. Her work focuses on reducing disparities in healthcare access and developing patient-centered technologies and lifestyle interventions for underserved populations.
Miriam Juárez-Vargas
Program Manager, TLCI
Miriam Juárez is Program Manager at The Latino Cancer Institute, where she leads research and community engagement initiatives. She spearheaded development of the Cancer Resources Asset Map, a bilingual directory of cancer support services, and manages collaborations with UC Davis’ Tu Historia Cuenta Program.
October 3, 2025
Forum 2: Machismo and Cancer Risk
A Key Driver of Latino Male Health?
Hour 1
Luis Arturo Valdez, PhD, MPH
Keynote: Machismo - Drexel University
Luis Arturo Valdez is Assistant Professor at Drexel University's Department of Community Health and Prevention and Founder of the GANAS Health Initiative. Their research focuses on gender, health equity, and designing interventions for men of color using intersectional approaches to address how masculinity influences health behaviors in Latino communities.
Lisa Goldman-Rosas, PhD, MPH
Stanford School of Medicine
Lisa Goldman Rosas is Associate Professor at Stanford School of Medicine and Director of the Food for Health Equity Lab. She collaborates with communities to develop nutrition programs that address disparities in diet-related chronic diseases, including obesity-related cancers.
Hour 2
Luis Carvajal-Carmona, PhD
University of California, Davis
Luis Carvajal Carmona is a Professor at UC Davis whose research centers on the genetics and genomics of cancer risk, particularly colorectal cancer, in diverse and underserved populations. His work advances precision medicine and health equity by identifying how genetic variations influence cancer outcomes in Latino and underserved communities.
María Constanza Camargo, PhD, MS, MHA
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
María Constanza Camargo is Earl Stadtman Tenure-Track Investigator at the National Cancer Institute. She is a leading researcher on gastric cancer and Helicobacter pylori infection, addressing the higher burden of stomach cancer among Latino populations.
Hour 3
Leticia Nogueira, PhD, MPH
American Cancer Society (ACS)
Leticia Nogueira is Scientific Director of Health Services Research at the American Cancer Society. Her research examines how climate change and structural racism affect cancer care and outcomes, with emphasis on policy solutions to reduce disparities.
Catherine Metayer, MD, PhD
University of California, Berkeley
Catherine Metayer is Professor of Epidemiology at UC Berkeley and Director of the Center for Integrative Research on Childhood Leukemia and the Environment (CIRCLE). She studies childhood leukemia disparities, focusing on why Latino children face nearly twice the rates of other groups.
Katherine A. McGlynn, PhD, MPH
National Institutes of Health (NIH)/NCI
Katherine A. McGlynn is Senior Investigator at the National Cancer Institute, specializing in cancer epidemiology. Her research has revealed rising testicular cancer incidence among Hispanic men, highlighting urgent implications for prevention, early detection and screening strategies.
October 24, 2025
Forum 3: Building an Equitable Latino Healthcare Workforce
Challenges in the workforce pipeline, patient-centered care, and health disparities among youth.
Hour 1 - Generational Leadership
Cristhian Gutierrez Huerta, 6th Year MD/PhD Student
6th-year Medical Student, National President LMSA
President of The Latino Medical Student Association. Speaking on challenges facing Latino medical students and the future of Latino healthcare leadership.
Hour 2
Wendy Johansson
MiSalud: From Adolescence to Adulthood, Building Comprehensive Care
Wendy Johansson, Co-Founder & COO of MiSalud Health, oversees clinical operations and technology for culturally competent, bilingual healthcare for underserved Latino workforces. She pioneered a unique care model combining job-site events with same-day virtual care, achieving 85% engagement by matching patients with providers who share their cultural context.
Pat Levitt, PhD
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles / University of Southern California
Pat Levitt is a developmental neuroscientist whose research investigates the genetic and environmental factors that shape the development of brain circuits supporting cognition, social behavior, and emotional health. As Chief Scientific Officer of The Saban Research Institute at CHLA and Provost Professor at USC, his work examines early life influences on toxic stress and resilience in children and families. Levitt is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and co-Scientific Director of the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, where he helps inform science-based policy to improve outcomes for children.
Hour 3
Francisco Cartujano-Barrera, MD
University of Rochester
Associate Professor presenting findings of research study on lung cancer and vaping among Latino youth populations.
Javier Rosario, LCSW, QS, OSW-C
Blood Cancer United (formerly LLS)
Bilingual Information Specialist with LLS Miami, addressing what Latino patients need to know and barriers to healthcare access.
Miriam Juárez-Vargas
Program Manager, TLCI
Miriam Juárez is Program Manager at The Latino Cancer Institute, where she leads research and community engagement initiatives. She spearheaded development of the Cancer Resources Asset Map, a bilingual directory of cancer support services, and manages collaborations with UC Davis’ Tu Historia Cuenta Program.
