I am an Assistant Professor of Nursing at Rutgers University and a practicing board-certified women’s health nurse practitioner with over two decades of clinical and academic experience. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Rutgers University in 2001, followed by a Master of Science in Nursing and a Doctorate in Education from the University of Pennsylvania in 2003 and 2017, respectively. My clinical expertise encompasses contraception, postpartum care, lactation, high-risk obstetrics, and sexual and reproductive health.

My research is deeply informed by my cultural heritage and clinical practice. I am a third-generation nurse born and raised in the Philippines, and the only women’s health nurse practitioner in the world with a concurrent research program, committed to examining sexual and reproductive health disparities among Filipino women in the global diaspora. My scholarly work includes studies on sexual and reproductive health knowledge among young adult Filipino American women and the influence of geopolitical and cultural factors on health behaviors.

My emerging program of research focuses on the influential role of “”titas”” (aunts) in Filipino American families to enhance contraceptive education. Recognizing that titas often serve as trusted confidantes and informal educators, this project aims to empower them with accurate contraceptive information to facilitate open, culturally sensitive discussions within families. By positioning titas as key stakeholders in reproductive health education, the initiative seeks to bridge generational and cultural gaps, ultimately promoting informed decision-making and health equity in the Filipino American community.