Throughout her career, Lara has managed research portfolios and shaped strategic research direction, aligning cross-functional data, analytics, and impact assessment efforts to translate research into organizational impact. She has designed and refined survey instruments and helped transition large-scale survey research from repeated cross-sectional data collection to a longitudinal panel design. She also led the development and implementation of a comprehensive evaluation framework to assess mental, physical, social, and financial well-being, including the design of its measurement tool and reporting strategy. Her experience moves between population survey data, qualitative research, and organizational decision-making, with findings informing organizational learning, strategic decision-making, and a deeper understanding of health and well-being across veteran and military-connected communities.
Lara is a PhD candidate in Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology through the joint doctoral program at the University of California San Diego and San Diego State University. Her dissertation defense and degree completion are anticipated in December 2026. She holds a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from LSU Health Sciences Center and a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences from Texas A&M University. Her research takes a life-course perspective, examining how experiences and social conditions across stages of life relate to health, behavior, and access to care. At MFAN, that perspective informs how she approaches the changing needs of military families, connecting an understanding of their histories and circumstances with questions about the support they need now and in the future.
Lara knew military life through her grandfathers, great-uncles, uncles, and cousins. She has fond childhood memories of visiting Kelly Air Force Base with her mom’s father and hearing Navy stories from her dad’s father. One served as a Marine during the Korean War and later in the Air Force Reserve; the other was a Navy veteran of World War II. Her commitment to this community brings together qualities she has long recognized in herself: a mind governed by science and a deep investment in the well-being of others. For Lara, research is a way to bridge the gap between science and everyday life by sharing evidence grounded in research and lived experiences that helps communities address the conditions shaping their health and future.
Outside of work, Lara enjoys fitness and travel. She also shares her home and adventures with Pickles, her Great Dane and resident house cow!
