Patient and Community Engaged Research Center (PACER)

Sandra Juarez

Sandra began her career as a certified medical assistant then decided to pursue her education and obtain her master's degree in public healthcare and leadership. She enjoys serving in her community and participating in various programs where she developed a deep understanding of direct patient care and the intricacies of social work and care coordination.

Which recently includes being part of the PACER pearls program as a participant. She hopes to provide valuable input and contribute to improvement for the next generation. Outside of work Sandra enjoys spending time outdoors with her beagle named Shiloh and traveling with her family and friends.

Sandra Reed

Sandra Reed is a retired eligibility specialist from Health & Human Services. She has dedicated over 30 years helping people in need with food, finances and medical needs. She is passionate about helping people in need and finding resources and opportunities to exceed in life.

Sandra is currently active in the Baylor Scott & White fitness programs where is taking measures to improve her overall health and wellness. She enjoys meeting new people and learning new skills.

Angel Barron

Angel is a current operations manager for Baylor Scott & White based at the Douglass community clinic in Plano. This clinic, like most of Angel’s career, focuses on low income, uninsured patients.

Prior to Baylor, Angel oversaw the care coordination department for a Federally Qualified Health Center in Dallas, Los Barrios Unidos, where he managed outgoing referrals and community health programs across four physical locations.

Angel graduated from Texas Tech University with a Bachelors of Science in Biology.

Angelica Medrano

Angelica has been proudly working for healthcare systems since May of 2007. She is currently dedicated to serving patients at Baylor Scott & White Community Care in Fort Worth as a NRCMA, where she has been for nearly 7 years.

Angelica’s work focuses on helping and building relationships with individuals in communities with less access to adequate resources available. She helps to make sure people in these communities get the resources that are available by outreach and building trustful relationships. Understanding these needs, she thrives on helping individuals with unique, personalized health needs and making sure they get the support needed in achieving a better quality of life.

Angelica believes in aid by bridging the gaps as much as possible via educating them with their chronic diseases, connecting them with additional resources and managing their care.

Angelica has firsthand experience navigating the challenges of chronic and life-threatening illnesses via caring for her daughter when she battled Leukemia (ALL), along with helping to manage a journey of ESRD with a successful Kidney Pancreas transplant.

She is excited to be a part of PACER PEARLS, be able to contribute a meaningful outlook that enhances patient care, and strengthens the connection between healthcare providers with the communities we serve.

Tiffany Jones

Tiffany Denee’ Jones is the founder and spokesperson of the PinkChoseMe Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to raising awareness about breast cancer and supporting women diagnosed with the disease.

As a three-time breast cancer survivor, Tiffany intimately understands the profound physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual challenges posed by a life-threatening illness. This personal journey has inspired her to dedicate her life to educating others and empowering them to navigate their own battles.

Through her work, Tiffany promotes not only awareness but also wellness and lifestyle choices that foster resilience and healing.

Kim Gardner

As a community advocate with over 10 years of experience in non-profit and continuing education, Kim is deeply invested in addressing concerns, promoting social change, and empowering residents in her local community.

Advocating for policies and initiatives that improve quality of life is at the heart of her work, with a focus on specific issues such as education, healthcare, environmental protection, and social justice.

Kim relies on outreach, collaboration with local leaders, and public engagement efforts to effect positive change in these areas.

Audrey Self

In November 2013, Audrey sustained a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a result of a motor vehicle accident. Her car was struck from the side by a speeding vehicle, leaving her trapped inside. She was rescued within minutes by an off-duty fire chief, who extricated her from the wreckage, secured her airway, and ensured she was transported by ambulance to Baylor Scott & White.

Audrey remained in a coma for just over one month and entered a vegetative state after regaining consciousness. At the time, medical professionals did not expect her to awaken, survive, or, if she did survive, ever live independently.

In 2025, Audrey marked the 12-year anniversary of this life-changing event.

Today, she is fully independent, high-functioning and employed by Baylor Scott & White. She recently completed the TBI Peer Mentor Program study in her role as TBI Peer Mentor Administrator and continues to collaborate with BSWH to advance medical knowledge, advocacy, and support for TBI survivors and their care partners.

Throughout her life journey, Audrey would choose to carry a journal to record the lessons she has learned, a Yeti filled with fresh cold water (or Coca-Cola), a camera to capture life’s golden moments, and a blanket to provide comfort during physically, mentally, or emotionally cold days. Her life mantra is: “Nothing is impossible; the word itself says ‘I’m possible.’” – Audrey Hepburn.

Audrey believes life is a profound gift filled with beauty and lessons. She is deeply grateful to be a survivor and believes every individual serves a purpose along life’s journey. Audrey feels her purpose is to share hope, determination, guidance, music, and love with others as they navigate their own challenges and paths forward.

Sundas Sajid

As a mom of three young children, Sundas balances her family life with a passion for creativity and community engagement in Dallas. She enjoys expressing myself through painting, art and exploring new cultures through travel.

Before taking a break from career to focus on her family, she worked as an experienced Architect and LEED Green Associate, where she developed a strong foundation in managing complex projects and finding creative solutions. Sundas’ experience in the field gave her a unique perspective on design and community development, and now she is eager to explore new opportunities, including research initiatives like the PACER program by Baylor Scott & White.

During her time away, she stayed engaged through volunteer work and continuing education, ensuring her skills remain current. Sundas is excited to connect with like-minded professionals and organizations and contribute her skills and expertise in a new capacity.

Katherine Sanchez, PhD, LCSW

PACER Center Director

Dr. Sanchez is the Research Center Director of the BSWRI Patient and Community Engaged Research (PACER) Center for the Baylor Scott & White Research Institute (BSWRI) of the Baylor Scott & White Health (BSWH) system. She leads a nationally recognized research program, funded by multiple federal and state agencies.

Dr. Sanchez entered the PhD program at the University of Texas at Austin after fifteen years of clinical social work practice, primarily in medical settings with uninsured, underserved Spanish-speaking populations. During her years of clinical social work practice, Dr. Sanchez is a clinician researcher with extensive experience in investigating effective interventions aimed at improving behavioral health care delivery. She has examined the role of integrated behavioral health in improving access for all populations, and has an additional research agenda to translate the evidence in integrated behavioral health care by training social workers in evidence-based interventions proven effective.

In 2023, Dr. Sanchez was awarded $7.5 million from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to establish the Texas Cohort of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Connect for Cancer Prevention study to enroll patients from geographically dense and rural, diverse populations to leverage the clinical resources and research infrastructure of the largest non-profit integrated health care system in Texas. Dr. Sanchez is the BSWH representative to the governing board of the Health Care Systems Research Network (HCSRN). This network of 20 non-profit healthcare delivery systems was formed in 1994.

She is the BSWH site PI for the NIH-funded Mental Health Research Network (MHRN) and the NIDA Clinical Trials Network (CTN) Addiction Research Network, Health Systems Node, both multi-health system networks which bring together researchers and research departments embedded in large and diverse healthcare systems in a population-based approach to transforming behavioral health care; with expertise in mental health research as well as epidemiology, health services, economics, disparities, outcomes & quality assessment, as well as conducting pragmatic clinical trials in our health systems.

Dr. Sanchez currently serves on the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Technical Expert Working Group (TEWG) for Patient-Centered CER Competencies, where she shares her expertise in partnering with patients and tailoring research with diverse populations across large catchment areas. Previously, she served on the PCORI Advisory Panel on Healthcare Delivery and Disparities Research (HDDR) for three years where she applied her experience and expertise to helping PCORI refine and prioritize the research it funds and ensure that the research PCORI supports centers on the outcomes that matter to patients and other healthcare decision makers.

Dr. Sanchez is a fellow of the Implementation Research Institute (IRI) and is well prepared and supported to conduct research on examining barriers and facilitators to implementing evidence-based interventions in health delivery systems.

Jan Pillai, MHSA, BS

PACER Center Manager

Jan Pillai is the PACER Center Manager. Jan is responsible for the daily operations of the PACER Center. Jan leads a team of Clinical Research Coordinators (CRCs) and Program Managers (PMs) who engage with BSWH clinical areas across urban and rural settings for various BSWRI research studies and initiatives. In her role, she provides administrative support to Dr. Sanchez and the PACER team with patient engagement, recruitment, and research studies operations. Jan also supports the PACER Center’s Patient Engaged as Research Leaders (PEARLS) program.

Jan comes to the PACER Center from the American Heart Association where she was Director, Healthcare Program Implementation in the National Hypertension Control Initiative (NHCI), a $32 million cooperative agreement with the HHS Office of Minority Health and HRSA that provides training and technical assistance to 350 FQHCs (Federally Qualified Health Center) across the United States to improve blood pressure control. Prior to joining the AHA, Jan served in a leadership role overseeing health center operations, quality improvement and compliance at a FQHC in Michigan for more than 10 years.

Myka Watts

Project Manager/Connect Study Manager

Myka Watts is the Program Manager for the NIH’s Connect for Cancer Prevention study. Myka joined Baylor in 2024 and brings a diverse range of skills and experience to the PACER Center. She has worked for several notable organizations, including Deloitte, Planned Parenthood, and Wayne State University.

Myka holds a master's degree in health services administration from Central Michigan University and a bachelor's degree in applied health sciences from Bowling Green State University.

With over 10 years of experience in health care administration and operations, she values teamwork and mission-driven work, with a keen interest in public and community health.

Martha Buendia

Clinical Research Coordinator

Martha Buendia is a recently licensed Social worker with strong foundation in customer service skills. She graduated with a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington.

As a bilingual Clinical Research Coordinator in the Preventable and TEACH study, she takes pride in her roots and in her ability to connect with diverse populations.

Martha contributes strong problem solving abilities, excellent organizational skills, and a commitment to continuous learning. She is eager to grow professionally and to further expand her knowledge in the field.

Consuelo Blanco

Clinical Research Coordinator

Consuelo Blanco is a Clinical Research Coordinator supporting the Connect for Cancer Prevention Study. She graduated from the University of Texas in Arlington (UTA) with a degree in social work, and she is currently pursuing her master's in social work.

Consuelo comes to Baylor Scott and White Health with over 10 years of experience as a certified phlebotomist. In this role, she has honed her skills in patient interaction, specimen collection and laboratory procedures. Her experience working directly with patients has equipped her with excellent customer services skills. She understands the importance of empathy, patience and effective communication in providing high-quality patient care.

Consuelo has utilized her background in healthcare and customer service to engage in meaningful research and community outreach. Consuelo focuses on promoting patient-centered approaches and enhancing the impact of research on community health care clinics.

Regina Rodriguez

Clinical Research Coordinator

Regina Rodriguez started at Baylor Scott and White Research Institute in 2023 as a Research Enrollment Analyst in the All of Us study, which is a nationwide NIH research study with over 600,000 participants, focused on genetic testing. As team lead with All of Us study, she was cross trained in all areas of the research program.

Regina holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and is a Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT). Before entering the research field, Regina worked as a microbiology laboratory technician, where she discovered her passion for science and thrived in a team environment.

Regina is currently working on the Connect for Cancer Prevention study supporting study recruitment, biospecimen collection and supporting administrative duties for the study. She is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Science.

Fatima Elshlali

Research Enrollment Analyst

Fatima Elshlali is a healthcare professional with over eight years of experience in patient-centered care and engagement. She began her career in clinical research with a the All of Us (NIH study), where she gained valuable experience in research enrollment, regulatory compliance, and patient advocacy. Currently, she serves as a Clinical Research Assistant for the Connect for Cancer Prevention study supporting recruitment processes, biospecimen collections and collaborating with cross-functional teams to optimize enrollment strategies.

With expertise in clinical research, phlebotomy, and patient engagement, Fatima is committed to improving research accessibility and participant satisfaction. She is proficient in process improvement, data-driven strategic planning, and is bilingual (English & Arabic).

Fatima holds a B.Sc. in Healthcare Studies from the University of Texas at Dallas and is a Certified Phlebotomy Technician. At PACER, she applies her experience to further enhance research efforts and patient-centered initiatives.

Ashley Whitman

Research Enrollment Analyst

Ashley Whitman is a Research Enrollment Analyst with a strong background in behavioral health and substance use treatment. Licensed in Chemical Dependency Counseling, Ashley spent several years serving as a Primary Counselor at an inpatient treatment center, where they provided direct care and developed individualized treatment plans for clients navigating recovery.

Currently pursuing a degree in Social Work at the University of Texas at Arlington, Ashley combines practical experience with academic training to support compassionate approaches to care. Ashley is passionate about helping individuals and communities access the resources and support they need to thrive.

At PACER, Ashley’s primarily role is help support recruitment of participants for the PREVENTABLE research study.

Monica Parra

Research Enrollment Analyst

Monica Parra is a Research Enrollment Analyst on the PACER Team. She graduated from Texas Christian University (TCU) with a bachelor's in psychology and went on to complete a master's degree in biomedical science with a specialization in Clinical Research Management from UNTHSC.

In her role, Monica supports three PACER projects, where she is responsible for participant recruitment, scheduling, and ongoing communication with study participants. She plays a key role in ensuring regulatory compliance, including informed consent processes and maintaining research quality standards.

Monica enjoys working closely with participants to ensure a positive research experience and is passionate about supporting ethical, participant- centered research.

Ashaurri Johnson

Research Enrollment Analyst

Ashaurri C. Johnson is a Research Enrollment Analyst supporting the Connect for Cancer Prevention Study. She completed her bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), where it strengthened her knowledge of human health, performance, and evidence based practice.

Ashaurri holds a phlebotomy certification and brings substantial experience in both clinical support and research operations. Her background includes participant enrollment, data coordination, participant engagement, workflow improvement, and maintaining high quality research standards. She has also developed strong leadership abilities, with extensive experience training staff on operational duties and ensuring that teams are well prepared to meet study expectations. Her commitment to precision, efficiency, and patient-centered communication has made her a reliable resource within research teams.

Ashaurri is passionate about contributing to the advancement of medicine and is driven by the opportunity to support research that leads to improved healthcare outcomes and innovative medical solutions. Dedicated, detail-oriented, and motivated by continual learning, Ashaurri strives to create positive experiences for participants while helping research teams deliver impactful, high-quality results.

Christian Vazquez, PhD, MSW

Research Investigator

Dr. Vazquez is a Research Investigator for the PACER Center. His research is grounded in his practice experience as a social worker for county social services agencies and as a hospital administrator. His work aims to improve health services delivery at the community, health system, and population level. He also holds an appointment as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.

His current work is funded by a K01 Career Development Award through the National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Aging (K01AG081455). He is also the PI on three pilot grants funded by NIH-funded centers across the country. His projects examine various factors related to health literacy and cardiovascular health. He conducts secondary data analysis with large population-based datasets and conducts experimental intervention studies that use both quantitative and qualitative methods. Dr. Vazquez is also the recipient of a NIH Loan Repayment Program award (L60AG084095) and actively participates in NIH review panels as an ad-hoc member.

Prior to joining the PACER Center, Dr. Vazquez was an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at The University of Texas at Arlington for four years. He received his PhD in Social Work from The University of Texas at Austin, Masters in Social Work from the University of Michigan, and Bachelors in Sociology from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

Avia Gray, PhD

Research Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr. Avia Gray is a Research Postdoctoral Fellow at the PACER Center. A Texas native, she holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Abilene Christian University, a Master’s degree in Psychological Research from Texas State University, and a Doctorate in Psychological Sciences with an emphasis in Health Psychology from the University of California, Merced.

Dr. Gray utilizes holistic, evidence-based methodologies to examine biopsychosocial barriers affecting health outcomes across populations with limited access to care, with a particular focus on individuals living with chronic health conditions. Her work aims to address such barriers by identifying existing factors and developing innovative approaches to improve health status, healthcare utilization, and quality of life.