Maribel Cedillo, DMSc, MS, RD - Senior Research Manager in the University of Utah's Division of General Internal Medicine - was highlighted by the Internal Medicine Department's Written Stories section this month. This section was created to highlight members of the Internal Medicine community, connect us, and inspire us. A snippet of the article is below, and you can use the link under this story to read the full article:
"From her mother, Maribel inherited a focus on food, a nurturing instinct, curiosity, and a love of learning. 'Growing up, it was a little annoying because my mom thought I was too thin,' Maribel says. 'She was always a little bit more worried about me than the rest of my siblings, who had a normal weight.'
This early preoccupation with nutrition ultimately shaped Maribel's professional focus - one that addresses both a deeply personal concern and a pressing cultural challenge. Nearly one in five Utahns identifies as Hispanic or Latino, a rapidly growing population that experiences diabetes at nearly twice the rate of non-Hispanic Whites. Yet evidence suggests that current prevention models consistently underperform for this community. According to Maribel, standard diabetes prevention programs are effective for only about 16% of Hispanic participants. 'What we have isn't good enough,' she says. 'It's not reaching the people who need it most.'"
Congratulations, Maribel!