Fostering a supportive and positive environment at the bench, bedside and in the community

Theresa Hill
Director, Education Programming | Employee Experience

Theresa Hill brings over 25 years of professional experience across education, scientific research, community health and investment banking. Her expertise spans program development, strategic marketing, training and development, policy implementation, and spearheading awareness and engagement initiatives.

With a proven track record of engaging with C-suite executives and senior leadership, Hill drives impactful strategies that foster organizational growth and openness. She holds an MBA in Business Management and Leadership from Western Governors University and a Master of Education from Southern Arkansas University.

At Scripps Research Translational Institute (SRTI), Hill leads the institute’s education programming and employee experience efforts, ensuring equal access to opportunities and nurturing community support, and manages the competitive nationwide summer internship program for clinicians, graduate students, undergraduates and high school students.

Additionally, Hill serves as a Women in Leadership Advisory Member for the University of California Riverside Extension, a Career Education Advisory Board Member for San Diego City College, and an Advisor for Scripps Internal Medicine Residency. Her leadership in engagement is complemented by a unique background in formal vocal training and performance experience, further highlighting her versatile skill set.

Romina Foster-Bonds
Project Director, Research Implementation, The Participant Center for the All of Us Research Program, Scripps Research Translational Institute

Romina Foster-Bonds has led decentralized bio sample and innovation efforts at Scripps Research for the All of Us Research Program the past two years. She is the Director of Research Implementation. She has a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience and a Master of Health Science degree in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology from Johns Hopkins University. She has over ten years of experience in translational research and health economics and outcomes research, starting with genome-wide association studies at Johns Hopkins University engaging and sequencing participants from African populations worldwide with the goal of diversifying sequencing data. Her past leadership experience overseeing patient advocacy, business development and programs efforts to build research programs for underserved populations with limited access to genetic testing and therapies. She is Colombian and Peruvian, fluent in Spanish and passionate about closing gaps in access to the latest in research and technology.

Jacob New
K12 Clinical Scholar, Scripps Research Translational Institute

Jacob New is a K12 Clinical Scholar and Medical Oncology Fellow at Scripps Research and Scripps Clinic, dedicated to advancing cancer research and improving therapeutic options for patients. Now in his second year of the program, he conducts translational research in cancer biology, with a focus on understanding and targeting the unique mechanisms of cancer cells to develop innovative treatments.

Jacob earned his MD-PhD from the University of Kansas Medical Center, where his PhD in cell biology focused on the tumor microenvironment in head and neck cancers. In addition to his scientific and clinical work, Jacob is dedicated to creating a mentoring environment that helps individuals from all backgrounds excel in their efforts to advance science and improve patient care.

Laura Nicholson
Director, Education, Scripps Research Translational Institute

Laura Nicholson spent much of her childhood in a town explicitly designed to promote ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic diversity among neighbors, later encountering college and medical school cities that were comparatively homogeneous and culturally divided. This inspired her to study American and global racism and to join student and professional groups committed to diversity and equity as a critical goal in all academic and professional pursuits. At Scripps Clinic, she was associate program director in Graduate Medical Education for 15 years, organizing curricula on social determinants of health, inclusive healthcare communication, and equitable medical decision making.

Emily Spencer
Associate Director, Scripps Research Translational Institute

Emily Spencer joined the Scripps Research Translational Institute (SRTI) in 2014. She has over 20 years of experience in human genetics research, overseeing recruitment and retention of participants in large-scale genomics studies for the past 10+ years. At SRTI she directs local implementation of Clinical Translational Science Awards network-wide initiatives including the Trial Innovation Network, with a commitment to enhancing diversity and inclusion across all activities.

Dr. Spencer received her undergraduate degree in psychology and Spanish from the University of California, Davis. She completed her graduate degree in genetics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham where her dissertation research focused on expanding molecular diagnostic methods for Neurofibromatosis type 1 and related disorders.

Theresa Hill
Director, Education Programming | Employee Experience

Kristina Haro
Director of Finance

Lucas Aponte-Collazo
Graduate Student Success Manager

Veronica Moreno
Campus Director, Johnson & Johnson

Kirsten Ricketts
Manager, J&J La Jolla Campus Business and Strategic Planning

Emilio Ulloa
Professor and Associate Chief Diversity Office for HSI and Regional Affairs College of Sciences Psychology

Dominic Cooper
Program Manager, Diversity and Community Initiatives