Who are we?
Project Well-being was created by a group of Latina researchers in the Department of Population Health at New York University (NYU). Our goal is to develop projects that inform and improve the health and well-being of Latino/a families in NYC.
Our Team
R. Gabriela Barajas-Gonzalez, Ph.D.
Dr. Barajas-Gonzalez is Project Well-being’s principal investigator. Dr. Barajas-Gonzalez’s research interests are very much influenced by her upbringing in a Mexican immigrant household and community. As a bilingual/bicultural developmental psychologist, Dr. Barajas-Gonzalez is interested in the promotion of mental health and academic achievement in children from immigrant and ethnic minority populations. She earned her PhD in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University and is an Assistant Professor at NYU-Langone’s Center for Early Childhood Health and Development.
Heliana Linares Torres, MS
Heliana Linares Torres is a Venezuelan communications professional and researcher. She is the Project Director of Project Well-being. As a member of NYU-Langone’s Center for Early Childhood Health and Development, Linares Torres, collaborates with faculty and staff on research projects, especially related to early childhood and Latino families. Heliana previously worked with advertising and communication agencies creating relevant communications and managing the strategic development of campaigns. Heliana has a Communications degree from Universidad Católica Andres Bello, and a MS in Integrated Communications.
Anya Urcuyo, BA
Anya Urcuyo is our project coordinator. Anya was born and raised in NYC to a bicultural/bilingual family. Coming from a Nicaraguan-Irish background, Anya speaks Spanish fluently. Growing up biracial has instilled a deep interest in working closely with immigrant communities to improve their mental health and well-being. She graduated from NYU with a BA in Social Dimensions of Child Development and currently works with NYU-Langone’s Center for Early Childhood Health and Development.
Franco Torres, JD
Franco Torres serves as Project Well-being’s legal consultant. He is also a supervising attorney at Catholic Charities Community Services in New York City. In addition to representing clients, Franco supervises and mentors a team of attorneys, staff and volunteers dedicated to provide pro bono legal services. Franco is also a supervising attorney at the St. John’s School of Law Immigrant Rights and Refugee Litigation Clinic. He received his Juris Doctorate from Boston University School of Law. He was born and raised in Brooklyn and speaks Spanish fluently.
Melissa Santos, LMSW
Melissa Santos is a bilingual and bicultural social worker and serves as a clinical consultant on Project Wellbeing. She also works at the Center for Early Childhood Health and Development as a parenting program coach for different early childhood centers and public schools across New York City as well as a facilitator for professional learning trainings done for teachers and leaders. Additionally, Melissa works on various projects across the center that focus on improving the mental health and academic achievement of underrepresented groups. She comes to Project Wellbeing with extensive experience providing parent and student workshops in 25 partner schools across New York City. Melissa received a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Columbia University and received a Master’s in Social Work from New York University.
Denise Ramirez, LMSW
Denise Ramirez is bilingual social worker who serves as Project Well-being’s clinical consultant. She has extensive experience working with Latino families and is interested in learning more about parenting experiences of Latino families’. Denise works with the Center for Early Childhood Health and Development on a variety of projects. Denise earned her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey and her Master of Social Work from the Silver School of Social Work at New York University.