- November 27, 2017

 

Dr. Erica Soltero, a postdoctoral fellow in the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (CHPDP), was recognized by the Pediatric Section of The Obesity Society as a top abstract presenter during Obesity Week 2017 in Washington, DC. Obesity Week is an annual scientific conference that brings together researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers to discuss the latest science related to obesity and health. Dr. Soltero’s research focuses on community-based approaches to prevent obesity-related disease in minority youth and families. The award recognizes Dr. Soltero and her collaborators from the Family Wellness Program at St. Vincent de Paul, the Valley of the Sun YMCA, Mountain Park Health Center, and the CHPDP for their work on “¡Viva Maryvale! A family focused diabetes prevention program.”

In addition to her abstract during Obesity Week, Dr. Soltero recently presented preliminary findings from ¡Viva Maryvale! to Bureau Chiefs and staff from the Arizona Department of Health Services.

“This was a rare opportunity for us to discuss the growth of our partnership and present data on outcomes to our funders,” stated Soltero. “We were able to facilitate discussion and receive valuable feedback on next steps and future directions from thought leaders and decision makers at the state level.”

¡Viva Maryvale! is funded by the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS16-05121) and Dr. Soltero is supported by a grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R01DK107579) under the mentorship of CHPDP director, Dr. Gabriel Shaibi.

Congratulations to Dr. Soltero and her team on this well-deserved recognition!