Investigator Development Team

Administers our Pilot Project and Mentorship Program that supports junior investigators at SDSU with funding and mentorship on developing their programs of research at SDSU. This team also directs career enhancement activities including seminars and workshops that are open to the public.

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.


Heather Corliss, MPH, PhD

Co-Leader, Investigator Development Team

Dr. Heather Corliss is a professor in the School of Public Health at SDSU. She is a social and behavioral epidemiologist with expertise in population health disparities including substance use, mental health, chronic disease, sexual and reproductive health, and adolescent health and development. She has methodological expertise in design and analysis of observational (e.g., longitudinal cohort) and mixed methods studies. Current projects include identifying supportive and protective factors associated with positive health among adolescents, substance disorders and treatment experiences among youth and other populations. See Dr. Corliss’ profile for details on publications and projects.

Yessenia Hernandez, MPH

Intervention Methods Group Coordinator

Yessenia Hernandez has been with the Center since 2019, initially serving as Project Manager for GOALS, one of the Center’s first funded Research Projects. She subsequently transitioned to the role of Intervention Methods Group Core Coordinator, where she facilitated connections between SDSU and SDSU-IV faculty and the services provided by the Research Capacity Core. Currently, she serves as the Investigator Development Core Coordinator, providing support and guidance to SDSU and SDSU-IV Early Stage Career Investigators participating in the Pilot Project Program. An alumna of San Diego State University, Mrs. Hernandez earned a Master of Public Health and a Master of Social Work in 2018. Her academic background and professional experiences have cultivated a strong commitment to reducing health disparities among minority populations through research and policy reform.

Michelle Santos Garcia

Administrate Support Assistant

Michelle started as an intern at the SDSU HealthLINK Center in the Spring of 2023 and transitioned to Administrative Support Assistant in 2024. She has a Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Sciences in Psychology, with an emphasis on industrial and organizational psychology. Michelle’s role consists of supporting the overall center, with the primary focus on being the Front Desk Administrative Assistant/Receptionist at the Clinical Research Center. She also supports the Community Engagement Team and the Investigator Development Team.