Ana Hernandez: Using Healthy Food to Fight Cancer

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Guided by her heritage and the “coqui,” support from her parents, and wisdom from God, Ana Hernandez always strives to help others.

Healthy food is her main utensil for assistance.

In fact, Hernandez has helped many people live healthier lives as a registered dietician who focuses on functional foods.

Hernandez, who has a degree in human nutrition and foods from the School Family and Consumer Sciences at Texas State University, is also a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and an officer of the Nutrition and Education and Outreach student organization.

Just like the “arepas de cojo” she created to benefit Puerto Ricans with metabolic syndrome, she has a keen interest in how food can prevent cancer, which needs far more attention on solutions to the alarming growth of obesity and cancer among Latinos.

So she applied for the Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program, which recruits 25 master’s-level students and professionals for a five-day Summer Institute to promote doctoral degrees and careers studying Latino cancer. Éxito! is led by Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez at UT Health San Antonio, with support from the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

She learned a lot during her Éxito! experience.

“The [Éxito!] Summer institute provided excellent tools and resources that will help me apply for competitive doctoral programs with confidence,” Hernandez said. “It also motivated me to continue my career in cancer research and apply for additional training opportunities.”

Editor’s Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2016 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply now.