Oswaldo Moreno, Ph.D.

Director, La Esperanza Research 

Dr. Oswaldo Moreno (he/him/his) is the Director of La Esperanza Research Program. He is also an Associate Professor of Psychology and the Director of Clinical Training in the Department of Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). He earned a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Religious Studies from Arizona State University, a  M.T.S. in Religion and Social Science from Harvard University, as well as M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Clark University. Dr. Moreno also conducted a Pre-doctoral Residency Training at the Boston University School of Medicine and completed a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the Brown University School of Public Health. Dr. Moreno's research initiatives have included evidenced-based practices, social determinants of health, community prevention, mental health promotion, and addictive and affective science.

Isis Garcia-Rodriguez

Graduate Research Assistant - 6th Year Ph.D. Student

Isis Garcia-Rodriguez (she/her/hers) is a Ph.D. student in VCU's Counseling Psychology’s Doctoral Program. Before VCU, Isis received her bachelor's degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology and Health & Society at Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts. While at La Esperanza, Isis was awarded the Commonwealth of Virginia as a COVES Policy Fellow. The title of her doctoral dissertation was "Social determinants of alcohol use among Latine college students." Isis is currently on an APPIC-approved internship program at the University of Virginia. 

Cindy Hernandez

Graduate Research Assistant - 5th Year Ph.D. Student

Cindy Hernandez (she/they/ella/elles) is a Ph.D. student in VCU's Counseling Psychology Doctoral Program. Before VCU, Cindy received her bachelor's degree in Psychology with a minor in Communication Studies from the University of Florida. While at La Esperanza, Cindy was awarded a F31 Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award from the National Institute of Drug Abuse. The title of her F31 is "The role of caregiver-adolescent Interpersonal and cultural factors on Latinx adolescent tobacco use: A mixed-methods Study." 

Geovani Munoz

Graduate Research Assistant - 4th Year Ph.D Student

Geovani Muñoz (he/him/his) is a Ph.D. student in VCU's Counseling Psychology’s Doctoral Program. Before VCU, Geovani received his bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Political Science from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona). While at VCU, Geovani has been funded by the American Psychological Association Minority Fellowship Program and The Commonwealth of Virginia Engineering and Science (COVES) Fellowship. 

Camila Tirado

Graduate Research Assistant - 3rd Year Ph.D. Student

Camila Tirado (she/they/ella/elles) is a Ph.D. student in VCU's Counseling Psychology’s Doctoral Program. While at La Esperanza, Camila completed their NIH Diversity Supplement from the National Institute of Drug Abuse. Camila's grant is entitled, "Predicting effects of ENDS flavor regulations among Latinx/e smokers: Impact of cultural assets on attitudes, intentions, and behavior." After La Esperanza, Camila hopes to accomplish an interdisciplinary clinical science with neuroscience to investigate substance use/ addictions, trauma, and mindfulness approaches in community settings. 

Natalia Gomez Giuliani

Graduate Research Assistant - 2nd Year Ph.D. Student

Natalia Gómez Giuliani (she/her/ella) is a Ph.D. student in VCU's Counseling Psychology’s Doctoral Program. Before VCU, Natalia was a research area specialist at the University of Texas, San Antonio, and a research assistant at the University of South Alabama. Natalia received her bachelor’s in Psychology from Carlos Albizu University in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Overall, Natalia is invested in the healing of Spanish-speaking communities through increased access and utilization of effective and evidenced-based mental health services.

Andrea Rodriguez Crespo

Graduate Research Assistant - 1st Year Ph.D. Student

Andrea Rodriguez Crespo (she/her/ella) is a Ph.D. student in the Counseling Psychology Doctoral Program at VCU. Before her studies at VCU, Andrea completed a bachelor's degree in Psychology with a minor in Biology and a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Overall, Andrea is committed to developing and delivering effective interventions in the community and military personnel with mental health needs.

Lisa Fuentes, Ph.D.

La Esperanza Research Alumnus 

Dr. Lisa Fuentes (she/her/hers) is an alumnus of VCU's Counseling Psychology Doctoral Program. Before VCU, Dr. Fuentes received her bachelor's degree in Sociology from Brigham Young University (BYU) and a master's degree in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Denver. Dr. Fuentes also completed an APPIC-accredited internship at Rutgers University Health Services in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Currently, she is a post-doctoral fellow in the Washington DC area.