Christina Eguizabal Love, PsyD
Director of Health and Language Access
Office for Health, Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity (O-HEID)
Why did you pursue this field?
I initially pursued neuropsychology because I found it to be a fascinating blend of many fields including neuroscience, neuroanatomy, clinical psychology, and others. I had the privilege of working early on with a compassionate neuropsychologist who was dedicated at working with Hispanic children and I knew at that time that I wanted to be a pediatric neuropsychologist.
Who in history has inspired you the most?
Brenda Milner is widely regarded as one of the founders of neuropsychology. She is inspirational to me given her pioneering work in patients with epilepsy and our understanding of human memory, including patient H.M. She started her work in the 1950’s when women were not as well accepted as scientists. However, her discoveries are still pivotal to our field today.
How do you work to inspire others?
I hope to inspire others by the example I give. As clinical providers, we have immense power and influence over the lives of the children and families that we serve. I strongly believe that our services and expertise are a conduit for providing justice to historically marginalized individuals I want my trainees to remember that sometimes taking one extra step to ensure a child’s access to care may make all the difference in their world and that no other task is more important than that.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
In my career, my proudest accomplishment thus far is my involvement in O-HEID which allows me to engage in advocacy efforts and to continually find ways to improve language access for all of the families that we serve.
What is a problem or challenge you would like to solve or improve?
Since my own childhood, I have witnessed what lack of language access can do to the health and wellbeing of others. At least in my corner of the world, I will work tirelessly to ensure that families who speak other languages are afforded the same opportunities and have equal representation within the healthcare field. The ability to solve healthcare disparities starts within each of us, and we all have a role to play as gatekeepers to minimize barriers and ultimately eliminate the disparities that exist so that quality healthcare is truly available to all.
