Diana Munera, BS
Clinical & Research Program Manager
Diana Munera joined Dr. Quiroz’ Lab in September 2019. She received her Bachelors of Science in Psychology in 2013 from Northeastern University. Before joining MAPP, Diana worked as a Practice Manager for the Psychology Assessment Center at MGH, where she worked closely with the MUNDOS program and Dr. Quiroz. Diana’s interest are: helping Latino families navigate the healthcare system. In her free time, she enjoys playing with her two toddlers, traveling and spending time with friends and family.
Alex L. Badillo Cabrera, BA
Clinical Research Coordinator II
Alex is a bilingual (Spanish & English) Clinical Research Coordinator at MARC. He joined Dr. Quiroz’s group on February of 2021. He received his Bachelor of Science of Psychology and a second concentration in Multidisciplinary Art from the University of Puerto Rico in 2020. Alex is interested in neuroaesthetics and clinical psychology. In his free time, he enjoys baking and painting.
Nikole Bonillas Felix, BA
Clinical Research Coordinator
Nikole joined the Multicultural Alzheimer’s Prevention Program (MAPP) as a Clinical Research Coordinator in August of 2022. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Latin American and Latinx Studies from the University of Pennsylvania in 2022, where she previously worked as a research assistant in the Department of Emergency Medicine and Gastroenterology and Nutrition at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and as an emergency medical technician with the Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT). Nikole is interested in understanding health disparities in multicultural and immigrant communities, especially risk factors that may contribute to the development of cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and increasing access to healthcare for these populations in hopes of joining the 2.4% of Latina physicians in the US. In her free time, Nikole enjoys playing and writing music, curating Spotify playlists, cooking and trying new foods, and exploring the outdoors.
Lusiana Martinez, BS
Clinical Research Coordinator
Lusiana joined the Multicultural Alzheimer’s Prevention Program (MAPP) in August 2023 as a bilingual Clinical Research Coordinator. She received her B.S in Biology with a concentration in Marine Biology at the University of North Florida in 2023 where she did some research in environmental toxicology. Lusiana is Interested in environmental toxicology and public health. In her free time, she enjoys trying new foods, discovering new places and working out.
Elizabeth Kaplan, BS, BA
Research Assistant
Liz joined the Multicultural Alzheimer’s Prevention Program (MAPP) in January of 2022 as a Research Assistant. She received her B.S. in Cognitive Neuroscience and B.A. in Contemplative Studies in 2022 from Brown University. She is interested in novel biomarkers and treatment interventions for individuals on the Alzheimer’s Disease pathology spectrum. She enjoys going to the beach with friends, reading, and meditating in her free time.
Ana Baena, BA, MA
Clinical Research Coordinator (Colombia)
Ana received her undergraduate degree with a major in psychology from the University of Antioquia (Colombia), and she completed her MSc in Neuropsychology from the University of San Buenaventura. She joined the Group of Neuroscience of Antioquia as a neuropsychology psychometrician right after graduation, in order to study cognitive impairment in patients with neurodegenerative diseases. Ana’s current research interests include the study of the personality traits, as risk factors of the cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s disease. For the past five years, she has worked as research study coordinator in Colombia for Dr. Quiroz’s NIH grant on memory network dysfunction in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease. Ana is a full-time professional who passionately dedicates herself not only to her research, but also strives to maintain the well-being of patients and their families.
Paula Ospina Lopera, BA, MA
Clinical Research Coordinator (Colombia)
Paula Ospina Lopera completed her bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Medellín, in 2012. She completed her master’s degree in Psychology and Mental Health at the same university. Recently, she completed her master’s degree in Clinical Neuropsychology at the Valencia International University, Spain. From her professional practice until today, she has been affiliated with the Neuroscience Group of Antioquia (Colombia), where she has gained experience in research, neuropsychological assessment, social and educational intervention with families, caregivers, and patients with neurodegenerative diseases, primarily Alzheimer’s disease.
She has worked as a cognitive rater for the API Colombia Clinical Trial and other projects of the GNA, experiences that have allowed her to strengthen her knowledge in research and clinical practice.
Currently, she is the Clinical Research Coordinator for the Nerve Growth Factor project (Rita-NGF Study), which she considers as an opportunity to integrate research, clinical work, patient and family support, and also to continue promoting scientific outreach and social appropriation of knowledge.
Yesica Zuluaga, BA
Clinical Research Coordinator (Colombia)
Yesica Zuluaga, completed her bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of Envigado and completed her master’s degree in neuropsychology at the University of San Buenaventura in Medellin. She currently works in the Neurosciences Group of Antioquia (Colombia) and teaches neuropsychology and neurophysiology at the Grancolombiano Polytechnic. Her main interest is the investigation of neurodegenerative diseases, especially Alzheimer’s disease. In recent years, it has been approached and motivated by cerebrovascular diseases, mainly of autosomal dominant origin caused by mutation in the Notch3 gene, such as CADASIL.
