My Public Health Journey
Brittany Cazares Luna
Brittany is an undergraduate scholar at Virginia Commonwealth University whose public health journey is grounded in her Mexican heritage and growing interest in dentistry and oral health. Through her work with the Kalpulli Research Group, she has contributed to research examining oral health among Latin* communities, including barriers to dental care and how Latina caregivers understand and prioritize oral health for their children. She is passionate about connecting research, dentistry, and service to create more responsive and supportive oral health experiences for Latino families and underserved communities.
Tell us about your current public health work.
Over the past two years, my interest in public health has grown through my research experiences at VCU, particularly through the Kalpulli Research Group. My research has focused on oral health among Latin* communities, including examining how social factors and experiences with unfair treatment can influence dental care utilization. More recently, over the summer I got the opportunity to have worked on a pilot mixed-methods study exploring how Latina caregivers in the Greater Richmond area understand and prioritize oral health for their young children. Through this work, I have learned that oral health is influenced by much more than individual knowledge or habits, including access to care, insurance, affordability, language, and personal experiences. These experiences have shown me how research can help bring attention to barriers that communities face and inform more meaningful approaches to care. My experiences in research have also strengthened my goal of becoming a dentist who understands the broader factors that influence my patients' health. I am especially interested in continuing to connect research, dentistry, and service to improve oral health in underserved communities.
How has your heritage shaped your public health journey?
Being Mexican is a privilege that I am proud to carry with me, and my heritage has shaped the way I understand community, family, and the importance of serving others. Growing up, I was surrounded by a strong sense of family and community, which taught me the importance of supporting and looking out for others. As a first-generation college student, pursuing higher education has also shown me the importance of representation and having people who encourage you to see yourself in spaces where you may not have seen many people who looked like you. My heritage has motivated me to learn more about the health experiences of Latino communities and the barriers that can contribute to health disparities. Through my research, I have been able to hear and learn from members of the Latin* community while studying issues that directly affect them. It has made me more aware of the responsibility that comes with conducting research within communities and the importance of making sure their experiences are represented. I hope to use my education and future career in dentistry to continue creating spaces where Latino families feel seen, heard, and supported.
What advice would you give to a fellow Latina/o who wants to pursue a career in public health?
My advice to a fellow Latina/o pursuing public health would be to never underestimate the value of your culture, experiences, and perspective. Our communities need people who understand that health is shaped by much more than what happens in a clinic or hospital, including language, finances, transportation, housing, family, and trust. Do not feel like you have to fit into one specific path within public health; there are opportunities in research, community health, health education, policy, program evaluation, and many other areas. I would also encourage you to stay connected to the communities that inspire you and to approach your work with humility, remembering that serving a community means listening to its members and valuing their knowledge and experiences. Most importantly, do not be afraid to take up space in this field. You bring a perspective that is needed, and your lived experiences can become a source of strength in the work you do. Public health is ultimately about people, and our communities benefit when those who understand and care about them are part of creating solutions.
What is your favorite family tradition?
My favorite family tradition is getting together for the holidays because it is one of the few times when my parents, grandmother, brother, and I can all slow down and spend the day together. My parents and grandmother work so hard seven days a week, so these are some of the few days when we can put everything else aside and just be present in the moment. I love making tamales with my grandma and helping my mom make her las tostadas de tinga, usually alongside a big bowl of pozole. My dad loves music, so there is always something playing while we cook, and we always end up dancing in the middle of the kitchen. My brother also seems to have all the luck when we play lotería, which always makes for some funny moments. These gatherings are meaningful to me because they remind me of the closeness, love, and sense of community that I associate with my Mexican heritage. No matter how busy life gets, our holiday traditions give us a chance to come back together, laugh, make new memories, and enjoy being a family.
My Graduations
High school graduation from Manassas Park High School, 2022