Linda Monterroso Hurtado, DHSc, MSHS, a double alumna of the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), wants to channel her skills, knowledge, and passion to lead a clinical research department and influence healthcare policy in support of sibling caregivers.
Dr. Monterroso Hurtado has been an advocate for her brother, who has an intellectual developmental disability, since she was a child by helping her migrant parents navigate the US healthcare system, often as a translator and with caregiving responsibilities. “Siblings of differently abled children are often ignored from a very early age, but there's a lot of responsibility that is put upon us as caregivers and stewards for our families, and I never saw research that explored what that looked like across socioeconomic groups,” said Dr. Monterroso Hurtado.
Upon completion of her qualitative research project in the Doctor of Health Sciences (DHSc) Leadership in Clinical Practice and Education program, titled “Assessing Well-Being and Support in Sibling Caregivers of Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Across Socioeconomic Groups,” she received an honorable mention at the GW SMHS Research Showcase in April.
“My advisor, Dr. Maring, is amazing, and I’ve loved meeting with her. She understands my research because she works in that space, but she also understands the passion and why it's so important to me,” said Dr. Monterroso Hurtado on collaborating with faculty.
In choosing the clinical practice leadership track within the DHSc program, Dr. Monterroso Hurtado built upon her knowledge from her master's degree in clinical research administration and supported her current role of supervising and developing team members within clinical trials.
Dr. Monterroso Hurtado currently works in biopharmaceuticals as an associate director of clinical operations and has experience working in hospitals and cancer research centers conducting clinical research for traumatic brain injuries, and genetic medicine. She is also on the board of a national nonprofit, Sibling Leadership Network, that aims to support siblings of individuals with special needs through tools and resources.
Reflecting on balancing the part-time DHSc program alongside other responsibilities, Dr. Monterroso Hurtado recalled, “The program fit very well with my goals and schedule as I worked full-time, am married, have three dogs, and frequently travel to visit family and care for my brother in New York.”
“The Doctor of Health Sciences married all aspects of my life.”
Dr. Linda Monterroso Hurtado’s manuscript is currently under review with the Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, and she was recently accepted as a fellow into the Nevada Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities program at the Nevada Center for Excellence in Disabilities at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Watch the video interview with Linda Monterroso Hurtado to learn more.