Daniela is a Clinical Instructor at UCLA Health, where she teaches medical students and is a primary care doctor focusing on LGBTQ health. She is passionate about reducing health disparities and social inequality for vulnerable populations, including stopping the criminalization of communities of color in Los Angeles County. Daniela completed her Family Medicine training at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in June 2020. As a resident, she advocated for her patients and peers as a delegate through the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR). She is originally from Bogotá, Colombia and migrated to Miami, FL at the age of twelve with her mom and sister. Her focus throughout her medical training has been on community-based research and advocacy, working with farmworkers, domestic workers and ex-incarcerated individuals. Daniela has an interest in policy, and as a Rappaport Fellow has worked at the Massachusetts State House developing a strategic plan to meet the legal needs of immigrant youth. She is a 2015 Paul and Daisy Soros Fellow. Daniela intends to use her medical and policy training to advocate for marginalized communities as a primary care physician.
Soon after immigrating, Daniela was introduced to the American health care system as she began interpreting at doctor's appointments for her chronically ill grandmother. During these visits, she was struck by the profound disparities in health care for those with limited English proficiency. Meanwhile, Daniela was noticing how difficult life could be for immigrant families, like her own, who were having trouble finding jobs and making ends meet. Daniela decided she would pursue what felt like an impossible goal, becoming a doctor.
