Research Staff Spotlight: Gisell Figueroa

“I love everything about my job,” says Gisell Figueroa. “I love science, learning and interacting with patients and families. And I love knowing that I am part of discovering something that can make a difference in people’s lives.”

Gisell joined CHLA as a Clinical Research Assistant in December 2022, shortly after graduating from the University of California, Irvine. In May 2023, she was promoted to Clinical Research Coordinator I. In this role, she supports Alaina Vidmar, MD, in her study of time-limited eating—which restricts eating to an eight-hour window each day—in adolescents with Type 2 diabetes.

She recruits and enrolls patients in the trial and ensures that study visits go smoothly. In addition, she calls participants each week to check in with them. Her job is the perfect preparation for her next career goal: applying to physician assistant school. But it is also rewarding on another level.

“I enjoy working with so many Hispanic families at CHLA,” Gisell shares. “I came to this country from Guatemala when I was 14, and I could not speak any English. I remember how difficult that was, so I feel blessed to give back to my community.”

After hours, her favorite activities include reading books, going to the gym and taking her two dogs to the beach. These days, she has another fun pastime, too: wedding planning. She and her fiancé are getting married in June.