Niko Verdecias, MPH holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Syracuse University and a Master of Public Health degree from SUNY Downstate Medical Center, with a concentration in Urban and Community Health. She has worked in public health for over 9 years. Niko’s primary area of service and research interest are health disparities in minority and immigrant communities which has afforded her opportunities to work in areas such as CVD, diabetes, sleep disorders, obesity, mental health, infertility, and HIV/AIDS. For the past few years, Niko has worked jointly at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center as a researcher and the Project Director of several HIV related studies. The most recent, a national initiative, focuses on getting HIV positive women of color into medical care and developing strategies to help them stay in care.