Category: Bios

Karla Armenta, MPH

Karla Armenta, MPH

Coordinator, Community Engagement Team

Ms. Karla Armenta is the Coordinator of the Community Engagement Team at the SDSU HealthLINK Center. She earned a bachelor’s degree in public health promotion from Purdue University and a Master of Public Health from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. She facilitates new project development for community academic partnerships, manages community-engaged research and practice activities, and assists in establishing bidirectional communication processes with community partner organizations, Center Cores, and projects.

Kristen “Kristi” Wells, MPH, PhD

Photo of Dr. Kristen Wells

Kristen “Kristi” Wells, MPH, MPI, PhD

Co-Director, SDSU HealthLINK Center Leader, Research Infrastructure Team Co-Leader, Measurement Methods Group

Dr. Kristen “Kristi” Wells is a Professor of Psychology at SDSU. She is also Director of the Cancer Disparities and Cancer Communication Lab. Her graduate training was in clinical psychology and public health, followed by post-doctoral training in behavioral oncology. Her research focuses on improving the quality of healthcare delivered to various populations, with a specific specialty in patient navigation. Since 2006, Dr. Wells has led or contributed to five studies which have developed and evaluated patient navigation interventions to improve quality of care. She also leads studies developing technological solutions to improve adherence to recommended cancer care and oral medications for cancer. In addition to her leadership as a Co-Director, Dr. Wells oversees the operations of the SDSU HealthLINK Center’s Research Infrastructure Team including five specialized research groups concentrating on measurement methods, health sensor methods, intervention methods, biomedical methods, and health data analytics. See Dr. Wells’ profile for details on publications and projects.

Fernando Sing

Fernando Sing

Computer Systems Administrator

Mr. Fernando Sing is the Computer Systems Administrator at the SDSU HealthLINK Center and Institute for Behavioral and Community Health. He plans, implements, directs, and maintains applications and the use of technology. He also evaluates and provides recommendations regarding complementing research activities with software applications and computer technology.

María Luisa Zúñiga, PhD

Dr. Maria Zuniga Profile Photo

María Luisa Zúñiga, PhD

Evaluation Lead

Dr. María Luisa Zúñiga is a Professor in the School of Social Work at SDSU and Associate Adjunct Professor in the Division of Global Public Health and Department of Pediatrics, UC San Diego (UCSD). She serves as the Campus Director of the SDSU-UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Interdisciplinary Research on Substance Use.

Dr. Zúñiga is an epidemiologist who conducts transnational and Community-Based Participatory Research to study the intersection of alcohol and drug use, mental health, TB/HIV and sexual risk behaviors in order to reduce problems that contribute to poor health. She has worked extensively with communities in the U.S.-Mexico border region as well as Mexican transnational and domestic migrants and their families in Mexico. Her ongoing research is designed to understand and improve health care engagement, patient and clinician communication, and care continuity among Latinos, including persons living with HIV and/or Tuberculosis, and persons impacted by substance abuse. Dr. Zúñiga is currently developing new interdisciplinary collaborations in HIV/TB/Substance use research with colleagues in the US and Brazil.

See Dr. Zúñiga’s profile for details on publications and projects.

Lucy Cunningham, MS, MPH

Lucy Cunningham, MS, MPH

Grant Writing Consultant

Lucy Cunningham is a Grant Writing Consultant at SDSU HealthLINK Center. She has a Masters of Science degree from the University of Glasgow and an MPH from University of Northumbria at Newcastle. She has over 10 years of experience preparing grant applications for the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other federal and state organizations. She was among the individuals responsible for the submission of the U54 application to fund the SDSU HealthLINK Center. Ms Cunningham now assists researchers in preparing grant applications linked to the parent grant (e.g., diversity supplements) and other health disparities research grants consistent with the goals of the SDSU HealthLINK Center. Specifically, she offers individual, tailored support for researchers, including in-depth reviews of draft proposals, guidance on project management, and budgetary advice.

Mariaelena “Elena” Concha

Mariaelena Concha

Mariaelena “Elena” Concha

Administrative Director

Mariaelena Concha serves as the Budget & Finance Manager for the SDSU HealthLINK Center, where she leads strategic financial planning and oversees the full spectrum of fiscal operations for the $22M NIH-funded cooperative agreement. In this executive role, she supports the Center’s mission to advance health research by ensuring financial accountability, operational efficiency, and long-term sustainability through effective budget management, cost recovery systems, and compliance oversight.

Previously serving as the Center’s Administrative Director, Ms. Concha played a key role in its foundational development, managing high-level administrative functions, guiding infrastructure growth, and directing facilities planning efforts. Her transition into the Budget & Finance Manager role reflects her deep expertise in financial strategy and operational leadership.

Ms. Concha collaborates closely with SDSU and SDSU Research Foundation departments to optimize resource use, align institutional processes, and identify cross-functional synergies. She also supports junior investigators with training and guidance on budget development, post-award management, and closeout procedures.

Bilingual and bicultural, Ms. Concha brings over 15 years of experience in administrative and financial management within the academic and nonprofit sectors. Before her Center roles, she served as Administrative Coordinator of the SDSU HealthLINK Endowment and Institute Manager at the Institute for Behavioral and Community Health (IBACH), where she supported multi-institutional public health initiatives and managed institute-wide budgets, including the $10M endowment from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.

Guadalupe X. “Suchi” Ayala, PhD, MPH

Guadalupe X. “Suchi” Ayala, PhD, MPH

Co-Director, SDSU HealthLINK Center Co-Leader, Community Engagement Team Co-Leader, Intervention Methods Group

Dr. Guadalupe X. “Suchi” Ayala is a Professor in the School of Public Health at SDSU, Director of the Institute for Behavioral and Community Health, Director of the SDSU HealthLINK endowment, and Co-Director of the SDSU HealthLINK Center. Her combination of masters’ degrees in experimental psychology and health promotion and doctoral degree in clinical health psychology reflect her interest in identifying effective solutions to improve health. Dr. Ayala’s research focuses on the development and adaptation of family and system-based interventions to prevent and control obesity, diabetes and asthma among various populations . She co-leads the Administrative and Community Engagement Teams and coordinates transdisciplinary intervention efforts under the Research Infrastructure Team of the SDSU HealthLINK Center. See Dr. Ayala’s profile for details on publications and projects.
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