Research Staff

Sara Dube, MPH, CHES

My name is Sara Dube and I’m a Senior Research Program Coordinator for the Magic Project. I earned my Master’s of Public Health degree from The University of Texas School of Public Health, and Bachelor’s of Science in Biology from The University of Texas at Austin, where I also graduated from the UTeach program. I am a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and I’m passionate about health promotion and public health.

Ileana Martinez

Hello, I’m Ileana Martinez, Research Engineering/Scientist Associate I, and I came to Austin from Brownsville, TX to pursue my degree in Nutritional Sciences at UT (Class of Spring 2024). Through my work and volunteering experience in college, I found my passion to be working in community health, nutrition education, and bridging language and cultural gaps mainly in Hispanic populations. I seek to ease people’s access to basic needs and resources in the communities of Austin that need it the most.

Lorena Sandoval-Mejia

My name is Lorena Sandoval-Mejia, and I am a Research Engineering/Scientist Associate I for the Widen Lab. I graduated with my Bachelors of Science and Arts in Biochemistry from The University of Texas at Austin in May 2024. During my undergraduate career, I also pursued a minor in Healthcare Communication and a certificate in Spanish for Medical Professions highlighting my interest in overcoming communication barriers in the healthcare field. Even though, I was born in Austin, I actually grew up in Toluca, Mexico. Therefore, serving the Hispanic and minority communities is one of my priorities.