DecideACT
Helping Hispanic/Latino Adults Quit Smoking
The study was created by a team of 25 scientists at Seattle's Fred Hutch Cancer Center, the University of Rochester in New York, University of Houston, and University of Florida, in strong collaboration with an advisory board of Hispanic/Latino community members and the app development team Moby, Inc. Click the images below to learn more about each team member:
Ali Keith is a Clinical Research Coordinator with the HABIT Lab at Fred Hutch and provides administrative support for the DecideACT study. She enjoys the creative and collaborative work of developing accessible digital interventions for underserved populations.
Arlette Chávez-Iñiguez, MD, a community health researcher committed to uplifting the voices and experiences of Latino and LGBTQ+ communities. Working closely with community members, survivors, caregivers, promotoras, and local organizations, she co-creates culturally meaningful and accessible programs that improve support for cancer survivors and expand tobacco cessation resources. She believes healing and health grow from community knowledge, shared leadership, and the celebration of culture, identity, and lived experience.
Brie Sullivan, MS, is the senior project manager at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center for the DecideACT study.
Camille Fogel, MS, is a psychology and public health researcher who is passionate about developing and testing health interventions for marginalized communities. She works for the HABIT Lab at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and is leading the qualitative analysis for the DecideACT study.
Cristina Conde, BS, received her bachelor’s in environmental health from the University of Washington and worked as research staff for three years at UW Medicine. She's passionate about improving public health, reducing inequalities, and creating healthier communities; she is currently an MPH student at UW.
Evelyn Martinez is the Clinical Supervisor at the University of Florida’s Mobile Outreach Clinic, which provides free primary care and women’s health services to underserved populations. As a member of the study’s Community Advisory Board, she brings expertise in community health outreach and patient navigation to the development of DecideACT. Motivated by personal experiences with the impact of tobacco use in her family, she is committed to promoting smoking cessation and advancing health equity within Hispanic and Latinx communities.
James Jacoby, a system architect and founder of Moby, lifelong engineer, and creative problem solver.
Jonathan Bricker, PhD, a scientist who specializes in smoking cessation research. He is a Full professor at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and Affiliate Professor at the University of Washington.
Joryson Lee Rivera, originally from Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, and now based in Seattle, WA, is a dedicated professional with a strong commitment to service. A U.S. Army veteran who served in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom, he now channels that same dedication into his work as an Immigration Legal Assistant, supporting the Hispanic community and clients worldwide in navigating complex U.S. immigration matters.
Kristin Mull, MS, is a biostatistician leading the statistical design and analysis of the DecideACT study at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. She is excited to work with the DecideACT team and contribute to this important research that advances cancer prevention and community health.
Li Yin is a seasoned cross-platform mobile software engineer at Moby.
Margarita Santiago-Torres, PhD, a Puerto Rican nutrition and health disparities researcher with expertise in energy balance, lifestyle behavioral interventions, community-based research, and observational studies. Her work focuses on developing and implementing scalable, culturally appropriate lifestyle interventions for underserved communities, driven by her commitment as a Latina who grew up in an underserved community to reduce health disparities.
Matty Triplette, MD, MPH, is a pulmonologist and scientist at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. He leads the Center’s tobacco treatment and lung cancer screening programs. Their research focuses on implementation strategies and behavioral interventions to support lung cancer prevention in high-risk communities and populations.
Melisa Ramos Sepulveda is a Research Project Coordinator at the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus. As a Public Health Professional, and a Latina, I consider it a priority to support efforts that strengthen the health and well-being of our communities. Knowing how harmful smoking can be, I’m grateful for the chance to contribute to a project that aims to create an effective, modern, and culturally relevant resource to support individuals in their journey towards smoking cessation.
Michael Zvolensky, PhD, a clinical psychologist and Professor at the University of Houston. His work focused on the co-occurrence of anxiety and stress-related psychopathology with substance use disorders, health behavior problems (e.g., sedentary behavior), and physical illness (e.g., HIV/AIDs, chronic pain).
Oscar Chavez, MD, MPH: At DecideACT, I collaborate on the review of cultural and technological materials. I am deeply motivated to participate in a project that strengthens mental health and access to culturally sensitive services for Latino communities.
Pamela Torres is a Colombian woman, the oldest of three sisters. She loves research, movies, concerts, and traveling. She is a professional in the field of Human Resources and Clinical Social Work. She joined this group because she enjoys doing research and participating in projects that help the community. Also loves to help others to achieve goals.
Paula Cupertino, PhD, a behavioral scientist and public health leader whose work focuses on advancing health equity through community-engaged research, with an emphasis on culturally and linguistically tailored interventions to reduce tobacco-related disparities among Latino and other underserved communities. She has led multiple NIH-funded studies integrating community-based participatory research, mobile health tools, and health system partnerships to expand access to evidence-based cancer prevention and treatment. She has also held senior leadership roles at major cancer centers and is a dedicated mentor to students, clinicians, and early-career investigators committed to advancing health equity. Based at University of Rochester Medical Center in New York.
Ramón Miranda Beltrán is a San Juan–based artist. He co-founded the worker-owned cooperative Sociedad del Tiempo Libre, is a member of Convite (a collective developing tropical-vernacular building technologies), and is currently pursuing an MA in Philosophy at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras.
Ramzi Salloum, PhD is Professor and Associate Chair for Research at the University of Florida College of Medicine, where he directs the Division of Implementation Science and Health Interventions. His research focuses on implementing evidence-based cancer care practices, especially tobacco control.
Sarah Hwang is the project coordinator for the DecideACT study at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. She serves as a project liaison and coordinates research and administrative activities and is the main point of contact for all study participants.
Sofia Cobos, MPH, is a Mexican-American public health professional and Research Manager at Fred Hutch. She serves on the Community Advisory Board for the DecideACT study, drawing on more than five years of experience in health research to inform the study team about culturally relevant strategies to promote healthy habits. She is passionate about advancing culturally responsive strategies that support Hispanic communities in quitting tobacco.
Tara Ward is a technical program management leader, directing cross-functional teams in the delivery of impactful digital products.
Tim Moser, a product designer and founder of Moby, specializing in calm, user-centered digital products that simplify everyday life and help others.
Victoria Uceda's journey into medicine is rooted in service, with contributions to initiatives at institutions such as the Rutgers Cancer Institute, Wilmot Cancer Institute, and Hackensack University Medical Center. Originally from Perú, and with over a decade of research on tobacco cessation and culturally tailored interventions for Latino and LGBTQ+ communities, she has authored multiple abstracts and publications and graduated medical school with honors in research. Fluent in Spanish and learning American Sign Language, she is committed to advancing health equity through language access, inclusive care, and community-rooted approaches that uplift Latino, LGBTQ+, and disabled populations.
Any questions?
Want more information?
Email us: DecideACT@fredhutch.org
Call us: 206-667-7903 or toll-free at 1-855-263-1279