Laura Ramirez is a research assistant with the Hispanic Institute at Child Trends. Laura graduated from Florida International University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a minor in statistics, and certificate in women’s and gender studies. Prior to Child Trends, Laura worked for over two years as a research assistant and lab manager at a public health laboratory at her university. There, she facilitated various research projects focused on identifying intersections between cultural identity and health outcomes. She assisted with a mixed-methods project on rural Colombian adolescents’ social networks and perceptions of risk-taking behaviors. Using data from this project, she conducted her senior thesis on gender-based differences in Colombian adolescents’ perceptions of pubertal development. Broadly, Laura is interested in research focused on improving educational, career, and living outcomes for typically underrepresented communities, in particular Hispanic youth and women.