Veronica Cifuentes

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Class of 2026

Major: Nutrition Science and Research

Minor: Chemistry and Data Science

Veronica Cifuentes is a junior pursuing a B.S.P.H. in Nutrition Science and Research with minors in Chemistry and Public Policy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is interested in studying how public policy innovations can address the relationship between inequality and health. She hopes to work towards an MD/MPH to become a physician-researcher and advocate for health equity.   

Cifuentes is working with Dr. Aditi Vasan and Dr. Chen Kenyon’s research teams at the PolicyLab at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. As a part of the Health Equity Research Methods group, Cifuentes is supporting the projects of equity-focused researchers at CHOP. Additionally, Cifuentes is assisting Dr. Vasan’s study investigating the association between unmet social needs of children with medical complexity and their access to healthcare.

At UNC, Cifuentes volunteers as a Spanish interpreter and volunteer coordinator at a free clinic. She also works to plan the annual Minority Health Conference, which focuses on the connection between health and stress in 2024. In her free time, she enjoys discovering new music, learning how to rock climb, and walking around aimlessly.