Research Staff Spotlight: Mercedes Landaverde

In her 27 years at CHLA thus far, Research Specialist Mercedes Landaverde has had the chance to explore several different teams at the hospital. “Initially, I wanted to be a nurse,” Mercedes explains. “I thought I could start by working as a medical assistant, and my sister-in-law had a friend at CHLA who told her about an opening, so I applied.”

After working as a medical assistant at CHLA for several years, Mercedes applied for a research assistant position in Radiology and Imaging. “The research project I was hired to work on was supposed to last five years, but it got extended to seven,” she says. “I learned so much about the research process through that role, including how to consent families. I realized that the key to the consent process is just to be transparent and knowledgeable about your studies. And it’s great that we often have resources to help participating parents who are struggling financially.” She later acquired her licensed vocational nurse (LVN) degree.

Now, in her role as a Research Specialist in Operations within Pediatrics, Mercedes recruits and consents families for studies. Specifically, Mercedes works with Pat Levitt, PhD, Jessica L. Wisnowski, PhD, and Beth A. Smith, DPT, PhD, supporting CHLA’s involvement in the HEALthy Brain and Child Development Study (HBCD), a 25-site study on brain development.

“I get to do meaningful work with amazing PIs,” Mercedes says. “And what I love most about my job is that it’s challenging in the sense that I'm always working to educate myself on new research topics and studies. Constant learning has been a pattern throughout my career at CHLA.”

When she’s not at work, Mercedes enjoys dancing, playing games with her granddaughters, and supporting her niece, who hopes to be a nurse in the future.