Sofia Elena Salazar

Biography

I am a Senior Research Projects Specialist in the Cardiovascular Services Department at Nemours Children's Health, where I support and conduct multiple research projects. Also, as a social scientist with a Ph.D. in Strategic Communication, my work focuses on health communication, equity, and access to care for underserved populations. Throughout my career, I have worked at the intersection of health and social justice, contributing to initiatives that address disparities and improve outcomes across diverse communities. My research has been published in Food Protection Trends and the Journal of Applied Communication Research, and I have presented at numerous national and international conferences. I bring extensive experience with grant-funded research. As a Research Assistant on the DECIPHER Grant—an international initiative involving scholars from seven countries—I contributed to a $1.8 million project by analyzing and coding over 800 news articles related to COVID-19. As a Research Fellow at the Crossing Latinidades Institute, funded by a $5 million Mellon Foundation grant, I collaborated with faculty to explore Latino identity in the U.S. My background in health communication and social science equips me to lead and support research that advances equity and informs strategies to improve community health.