Uniting for Health Equity: Alex Solano-Umana’s Exceptional Impact on Community-Based Cardiometabolic Health Research

Alex Solano-Umana was awarded the 2024 Johns Hopkins School of Nursing Exceptional Community Partner in Research Award for her contributions to the Mid-Atlantic Center for Cardiometabolic Health Equity (MACCHE) Healthy for Two (H42) study. As the Director of Community Outreach at the Lourie Center, Solano-Umana acts as a liaison between the H42 study and the center’s home visiting program. In her role, she recruits participants, engages in community-based research, co-chairs the H42 coordinating council, and will be listed as a co-author on the H42 protocol paper.

Kelly Bower PHD, MSN/MPH, BS, RN, a co-Principle Investigator for H42, nominated Solano-Umana for the award. Bower emphasized Solano-Umana’s critical role in shaping the intervention design and recruitment strategies of the H42 study. The collaboration between The Lourie Center and H42 has grown significantly under Solano-Umana’s leadership, with her involvement in the coordinating council, research staff visits to the center, and participation in the CHE Community Advisory Board highlighting this partnership.

In March 2023, Solano-Umana participated as a panelist on the community partnerships panel at the launch of MACCHE. During her speech at MACCHE’s launch event held in March 2023,” she shared insights on sustainability and success in community-based research while stressing that researchers should allow room for mistakes, questions, feedback and follow up when introducing new programs.” She encouraged researchers to foster cultures of dedication and collaboration towards shared health equity goals through continuous feedback.

Solano-Umana’s leadership has strengthened relationship between Lourie Center and H42 promoting community engagement in research initiatives by fostering a culture of dedication and collaboration towards shared health equity goals. Her contributions have been instrumental in advancing H4