Spring 2024 Newsletter

the HELIOS lab

Visit our website and follow us on Instagram (@thehelioslab.uci) for more updates!

HELIOS is committed to partnered learning by listening to perspectives from community members, health providers and future professionals through focus groups, questionnaires and community forums. We also examine interactions between doctors and patients during medical visits to learn how the right approaches to communicating about priorities, barriers and concerns contribute to better health outcomes

A Message from Dr. B

Research shows that relatively “small” expenses can put underrepresented students at a significant disadvantage in their journey to careers in the health professions. This is why we are blown away by the level of support we have received from donors to help our student members cover the little things that financial aid does not: conference registration fees, parking, gas, food and snacks when at the clinic. This past year, 57 unique donors generously contributed $5,400 to the HELIOS lab. And as a result, our students have made a massive impact. Thanks to these contributions:

• 10 of our lab members will be funded to attend the leading national academic conference in Family Medicine to present their research and gain professional development.

• Our 24 student members accumulated a total of 3,746 combined hours of clinical service experience and 1,758 in-person patient interactions in Spanish and English at 3 safety net clinics around the county.

• They worked directly with patients in 56 Spanish-language group health education class session for adults with uncontrolled hypertension.

• And they will present the products of their work in 9 research presentations at UCI’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program Symposium

Our students are the very best of our UCI community. It’s a pleasure to share this newsletter to show you all what they have been up to!

HELIOS Happenings

The voice of the patient

Starting Winter Quarter, we partnered with Family Health Matters, a federally qualified health center, to ask patients to share their experiences with the providers they’ve had at the clinic. We met with 200 patients who shared their experiences.

“Helping FHM was a great experience! I got to interact with different patients that were so grateful for being able to share their experiences at this facility. It was also fun to be in a new environment with people I had never seen before but felt at home with how nice everyone was. I can’t wait to see what we will learn about what FHM found and I hope to work with them again in the future!”

Andrea Serrano
Psychological Sciences & Chicano Latino Studies 2024

UROP Symposium 2024

Our HELIOS students are working in full swing on their microprojects, to be presented at the UROP Symposium on May 17. There are six microprojects underway, with topics spanning cardiorenal disparities, food insecurity, language barriers, and more!

Learning from our patients and clinician role models.

Last quarter, HELIOS members were in the field supporting happy to help collect surveys, lead focus groups, and gain shadowing experiences for Dr. Tran, Dr. Thieu, and Dr. Lin. We are grateful for these opportunities and are looking forward to continuing these collaborations in this quarter!

“Shadowing Dr. Lin and Dr. Thieu was an amazing experience that impacted my view of the medical field. Witnessing their dedication and compassion not only deepened my understanding of the healthcare disparities but also inspired a commitment to addressing these issues in my future endeavors”

Amanda Arevalo
Biological Sciences `26

Post-Bacc Panel

Last quarter, 4 students in the UCI School of Medicine Post Baccalaureate Program led a panel for our undergraduates, filled with insightful advice. This quarter, they are focusing on MCAT preparation. Good luck on the MCAT and your future endeavors, Post-Baccs! Thank you for your amazing contributions to the lab this year.

“At HELIOS I have enjoyed working with a team of peers that come from a similar background and whose main goals are to address health inequities in our communities. I have learned about the DASH diet and healthy practices for patients with a hypertensive diagnosis which will serve me as a future medical student.“

Valeria Alvarez
UCI SOM Postbacc, 2024

UCI Giving Day

A little goes a long way…

Since 2017, the HELIOS lab has offered offered incredible clinical, service and research experiences to over 100 diverse pre-health undergraduate student members on their way to a career in medicine or other health professions.  But there are lots of practical expenses that make it hard for first generation and underrepresented students, like most of the members of HELIOS, to participate in these kinds of experiences.

Your generous donations are what bridge the gap.

Learn more at thehelioslab.org/give. Or use the button below to make a gift directly to HELIOS, big or small!

The number of contributions matters more than the amount!

Please give what is comfortable. Even small amounts go a long way. More names on the donor wall will tell UCI leadership the importance of the mission to advance health equity by supporting future health professionals. And will show the HELIOS students how many people are pulling for their success.

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Dollar for dollar match challenge

Dr. B will be personally matching dollar for dollar the first $1,000 that is contributed, so your donation will go twice as far!  

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Special Gift

We also have a special gift for our supporters

• For any current HELIOS student member that donates $5 or more…

• For any HELIOS alum that donates $10 or more…

• For anyone else that donates $25 or more…

Dr. B will personally send you a hand written thank you card and this beautiful vinyl HELIOS lab decal designed by HELIOS student Sai Tulugu. This decal is inspired by the “petr” sticker drop guerilla art campaign that plays off UCI’s Peter the Anteater mascot