Karen Melendez Alas is a research assistant at The Boggs Center on Disability and Human Development. She is responsible for recruiting, consenting, enrolling participants, conducting surveys and interviews, leading focus groups, and data analysis. Karen earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Cell Biology and Neuroscience with a minor in Psychology from Rutgers University. She completed an Interdisciplinary Honors Thesis under the mentorship of Dr. Manuel Jimenez and Dr. Silvia Perez-Cortes, titled The Impact of Physician Modeling of Shared Reading on Observed Parent-Child Interactions. Her research sits at the intersection of medicine, public health, education, linguistics, and cultural studies. It explores how literacy-focused interventions in pediatric care can address health inequities, particularly within Latino communities. As a first-generation Latina and aspiring physician, Karen plans to apply to medical school in the upcoming cycle, with a long-term goal of advocating for under-resourced communities and working to reduce systemic disparities in healthcare.