Erik Rodriquez
Power Words
Where were you born?
I was born in the geographic middle of California.
What school did you attend?
For undergrad, I attended a university within the California State University system. For my master’s, I attended a small private university outside of Los Angeles. For my Ph.D., I attended the University of California, Davis. Lastly, I completed my postdoctoral training at the University of California, San Francisco.
What gained you interest in the NIH?
Given their role as a funder, I was interested in working at NIH to bring diversity to the intramural research program with respect to my type of research in addition to as a member of a group underrepresented in the sciences.
What kind of work do you do at the NIH?
My research has two main focuses and one general area. First, I’m interested in relationships between sociocultural factors and tobacco use behaviors among racial/ethnic minorities. Second, I’m interested in relationships between chronic stress, unhealthy behaviors, and mental health among racial/ethnic minorities. Third, I’m interested in chronic disease conditions (e.g., premature death, diabetes, lung cancer, etc.) that affect racial/ethnic minorities.
What message would you like to send to young Hispanics who are considering going to college?
When the world suggests that you’re not supposed to be in their space, they are wrong. You belong here. You belong in science. There are people around that are interested in helping you succeed. All you have to do is push yourself to reach out to as many people as you can in order to find a few people who will be your mentors.