Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: Voices Across Mass General Brigham

Oct 4, 2024

4 minute read

Each year, Hispanic Heritage Month is observed throughout the United States from September 15 to October 15, celebrating the history, culture, and uniqueness of those of Hispanic descent.

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re honored to highlight the voices, culture, and cutting-edge work of researchers from Mass General Brigham with Hispanic roots.

Liliana Ramirez Gomez, MD, is an attending neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital as well as a researcher working to identify preclinical biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and related dementias (AD/ADRD). A main focus of hers is on improving support for underrepresented Spanish-speaking individuals with dementia, including both patients and their caregivers.

“To me, Hispanic heritage means 'compartir,' or 'sharing.'”

Read more in this Q&A with Dr. Gomez.

Leon Morales-Quezada, MD, MSc, PhD, MPH, is a Spaulding Rehab physician-investigator from Mexico. While working in the intensive care environment, Dr. Morales-Quezada realized that most patients would survive their medical conditions, but with poor quality of life. For this reason, he decided to learn more about neurological rehabilitation and neuroplasticity, which led him to the U.S.

"My cultural background significantly influenced my professional development, particularly in my values and beliefs towards work ethic, education, and training."

Read more in this Q&A with Dr. Morales-Quezada.

Fairlee C. Fabrett, PhD, is the director of Training and Staff Development in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at McLean Hospital. A native of Mexico, Dr. Fabrett has lived experience balancing expectations within various cultures. She strives to use her own acculturation story as a basis for understanding the stories and experiences of the trainees and patients she works with.

"I am also passionate about providing mentorship and guidance to individuals from marginalized backgrounds so that they are better able to understand the system and find connections, in the same way my mentors did with me."