Vanessa Leon-Gamez is a Mexican-American, first-generation student, and MPH Candidate at the Colorado School of Public Health studying Epidemiology. She earned her bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences with minors in Leadership and Gender and Women’s Studies from the University of Denver.
Vanessa Leon-Gamez grew up in a small rural town on the Western Slope of Colorado, and as the daughter of Mexican immigrants, Vanessa witnessed her parents navigate several barriers–from a new language, to their immigration status, and how income shaped their access to care. Long before she had the vocabulary for it, she was experiencing the impacts of public health systems.
Vanessa’s journey began at the University of Denver (DU), where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences and developed a foundation in research and analytical thinking. Like many freshmen studying biology, she thought she would enter a pre-med track and potentially go to medical school, but quickly realized that wasn't her direct passion. In her first year, with the pandemic still underway, she interned at the COVID-19 Spit Lab, where she assisted students getting tested every week, delivered samples, and learned how these public health strategies and school regulations work to keep students safe. The following year, she joined the Tinghitella Lab led by Dr. Robin Tinghitella, as a student researcher where she completed an honors biology thesis, “Same play, different way: recurrent loss of sexual signals in a field cricket,” and had opportunities to present her research and findings at poster presentations at her university, but also at the Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE) in 2024 in Montreal, Canada.
Although she felt passionate about her work, she wanted to pursue a long-term career that blended her passions for research and for community work. Public health became a way to begin questioning health systems and understanding health disparities in marginalized populations. While physicians do incredible work, and we definitely need more Latinas in those healthcare spaces, physicians do individualized care. Vanessa instead, was interested in looking at populations as a whole, identifying trends, influencing policy, and getting to know community needs on a larger scale. Because of this, Vanessa decided to apply to grad school right after undergrad to continue solidifying her path. Currently, she is an MPH candidate at the Colorado School of Public Health studying Epidemiology, where she has engaged in different projects to diversify her skill set and narrow down the topics she is most passionate about.
During the spring semester of 2025, Vanessa stepped beyond the classroom and into communities whose stories shaped her understanding of public health. In a project led by Dr. Lee Newman in Guatemala, she surveyed working women on sugar cane plantations, listening to their experiences and witnessing firsthand how labor, environment, and health intersect. These experiences remind her of her own mother's story, a maquiladora worker, and how those stories have shaped the way she views and navigates the world around her.
Back in Colorado, she contributed to the Stay Quit Study, exploring the strategies that help individuals quit tobacco and sustain that change. She later completed her practicum at CU Family Planning, where she conducted literature reviews, developed interview guides, and piloted interviews designed with marginalized communities in mind. What tied these experiences together was not simply research, but relationship-building. Each role required her to move beyond data collection and toward genuine connection. It is easy to analyze statistics or summarize findings in academic spaces without fully acknowledging the lives behind them. Too often, marginalized communities are reduced to statistics. Vanessa is committed to being a researcher who centers lived experience, ensuring that human stories remain at the heart of health equity work.
As for next steps, Vanessa is an example of someone who does not like to stay in a box. She’s exploring her options and considering PhD programs, fellowships, or long-term travel roles, such as the Peace Corps. She wants to continue exploring her passions, traveling, with the understanding that we are more than our grades, accolades, and the knowledge we produce in our fields. We are also daughters, sisters, friends, and people our communities look to for answers.
Vanessa’s advice to young Latinas is to truly explore and pursue what they are passionate about. Too often, our families or the society around us suggest that our only options are to become physicians or engineers because those paths are seen as the most respected or financially secure. While those careers are valuable, they are not the only ways to build a meaningful life in STEM. There is so much more out there. She encourages students to lean on academic advisors, build strong networks, and cultivate meaningful mentorships so they can step into careers that genuinely excite and fulfill them. Through organizations like Esperanza United and Latinas First Foundation, she established some incredible Latina mentors who understand and relate to her experiences in higher education. Don’t be afraid to reach out, to apply to opportunities you don’t feel qualified for, to attend events outside of your field.
She also wants to remind other young women not to be afraid to take up space. At the beginning of her undergraduate career, attending a private, primarily white institution (PWI) made her feel uncomfortable and out of place. It wasn’t until she pushed herself to show up consistently that those feelings began to change. By keeping an open mind and joining spaces she once doubted she belonged in, she developed a deeper awareness of her passions and future goals. College can be such an isolating and lonely experience. Finding your people is what makes college fun and makes the stress of your classes bearable. Especially living during a political climate that is so toxic and draining, having good friendships, being in organizations that fill your cup make so much of a difference.
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/vanessaleongamez
Organizations:
Vanessa Leon-Gamez grew up in a small rural town on the Western Slope of Colorado, and as the daughter of Mexican immigrants, Vanessa witnessed her parents navigate several barriers–from a new language, to their immigration status, and how income shaped their access to care. Long before she had the vocabulary for it, she was experiencing the impacts of public health systems.
Vanessa’s journey began at the University of Denver (DU), where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences and developed a foundation in research and analytical thinking. Like many freshmen studying biology, she thought she would enter a pre-med track and potentially go to medical school, but quickly realized that wasn't her direct passion. In her first year, with the pandemic still underway, she interned at the COVID-19 Spit Lab, where she assisted students getting tested every week, delivered samples, and learned how these public health strategies and school regulations work to keep students safe. The following year, she joined the Tinghitella Lab led by Dr. Robin Tinghitella, as a student researcher where she completed an honors biology thesis, “Same play, different way: recurrent loss of sexual signals in a field cricket,” and had opportunities to present her research and findings at poster presentations at her university, but also at the Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE) in 2024 in Montreal, Canada.
Although she felt passionate about her work, she wanted to pursue a long-term career that blended her passions for research and for community work. Public health became a way to begin questioning health systems and understanding health disparities in marginalized populations. While physicians do incredible work, and we definitely need more Latinas in those healthcare spaces, physicians do individualized care. Vanessa instead, was interested in looking at populations as a whole, identifying trends, influencing policy, and getting to know community needs on a larger scale. Because of this, Vanessa decided to apply to grad school right after undergrad to continue solidifying her path. Currently, she is an MPH candidate at the Colorado School of Public Health studying Epidemiology, where she has engaged in different projects to diversify her skill set and narrow down the topics she is most passionate about.
During the spring semester of 2025, Vanessa stepped beyond the classroom and into communities whose stories shaped her understanding of public health. In a project led by Dr. Lee Newman in Guatemala, she surveyed working women on sugar cane plantations, listening to their experiences and witnessing firsthand how labor, environment, and health intersect. These experiences remind her of her own mother's story, a maquiladora worker, and how those stories have shaped the way she views and navigates the world around her.
Back in Colorado, she contributed to the Stay Quit Study, exploring the strategies that help individuals quit tobacco and sustain that change. She later completed her practicum at CU Family Planning, where she conducted literature reviews, developed interview guides, and piloted interviews designed with marginalized communities in mind. What tied these experiences together was not simply research, but relationship-building. Each role required her to move beyond data collection and toward genuine connection. It is easy to analyze statistics or summarize findings in academic spaces without fully acknowledging the lives behind them. Too often, marginalized communities are reduced to statistics. Vanessa is committed to being a researcher who centers lived experience, ensuring that human stories remain at the heart of health equity work.
As for next steps, Vanessa is an example of someone who does not like to stay in a box. She’s exploring her options and considering PhD programs, fellowships, or long-term travel roles, such as the Peace Corps. She wants to continue exploring her passions, traveling, with the understanding that we are more than our grades, accolades, and the knowledge we produce in our fields. We are also daughters, sisters, friends, and people our communities look to for answers.
Vanessa’s advice to young Latinas is to truly explore and pursue what they are passionate about. Too often, our families or the society around us suggest that our only options are to become physicians or engineers because those paths are seen as the most respected or financially secure. While those careers are valuable, they are not the only ways to build a meaningful life in STEM. There is so much more out there. She encourages students to lean on academic advisors, build strong networks, and cultivate meaningful mentorships so they can step into careers that genuinely excite and fulfill them. Through organizations like Esperanza United and Latinas First Foundation, she established some incredible Latina mentors who understand and relate to her experiences in higher education. Don’t be afraid to reach out, to apply to opportunities you don’t feel qualified for, to attend events outside of your field.
She also wants to remind other young women not to be afraid to take up space. At the beginning of her undergraduate career, attending a private, primarily white institution (PWI) made her feel uncomfortable and out of place. It wasn’t until she pushed herself to show up consistently that those feelings began to change. By keeping an open mind and joining spaces she once doubted she belonged in, she developed a deeper awareness of her passions and future goals. College can be such an isolating and lonely experience. Finding your people is what makes college fun and makes the stress of your classes bearable. Especially living during a political climate that is so toxic and draining, having good friendships, being in organizations that fill your cup make so much of a difference.
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/vanessaleongamez
Organizations:
- Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE)
- American Public Health Association (APHA)
- Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE)
- National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA)
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