Staff Directory

Serena is pursuing a Master of Science in Social Work at the Columbia School of Social Work, and a Master of Public Health in Sociomedical Sciences at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. She previously received an Honours Bachelor of Arts and Science degree from McMaster University with a minor in Mental Health, Addiction, and Society. Serena is passionate about increasing health equity through participatory research and community engagement. Serena's previous work has involved qualitative social science research, particularly in the areas of reproductive and perinatal mental health, and the inclusion of marginalized populations in physical activity spaces. Serena's involvement in the Sleep Mind Health Research Program is motivated by her interests in the social and structural determinants of sleep, the social determinants of health and health behavior, and the implementation of public health interventions.

Derrick Ruiz is a PhD student at the Columbia University School of Social Work. He holds a Master of Social Welfare (MSW) and Master of Public Policy (MPP) from UCLA and a Bachelor of Social Work from San Diego State University, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. He is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) in New York and holds a certified addiction counseling credential in California. His professional and research experience spans behavioral health, youth justice and reentry, housing policy, child welfare, and community-based research. He has worked with the City of Los Angeles Mayor's Office, the City of Santa Monica, California's Office of Youth and Community Restoration, CDCR-affiliated reentry services, San Diego City Council District 8, San Diego County Child Welfare Services, the San Diego Housing Commission, and Johns Hopkins University. Derrick's research centers on the social and structural determinants of health among transborder communities along the U.S.–Mexico border, particularly focusing on how border governance, prolonged wait times, and transborder mobility shape sleep, stress, behavioral health, and overall well-being among transborder commuters. His broader scholarly interests include health equity, Latino and immigrant communities, behavioral health, civic engagement, and the translation of community-engaged research into policy and practice.

Christian is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Medical Humanities with a Special Concentration in Public Health at Columbia University. He is passionate about immigrant health as it pertains to disparities in equity in the United States healthcare system, especially in Latino/a populations and the intersection between health infrastructure and global sociopolitics. As such, Christian is currently working as a Laidlaw scholar with the Sleep Mind Health Research Program under Dr. Carmela Alcántara to characterize the social determinants of health in ICE detention from postmortem data. His previous work in political advocacy, community programming, and leadership development motivates these interdisciplinary research interests.

At Columbia College, Christian is the Media Director for the Columbia University Democrats, and the Executive Board Secretary for the Political Science Students' Association. In the future, he hopes to continue pursuing work at the intersection of public policy and health through advocacy and community based research.