Lisa Aponte-Soto
ChicagoCHEC Role: Community Engagement Core Co-Leader
Organization: University of Illinois at Chicago
Dr. Lisa Aponte-Soto serves as the chief research officer for Mile Square Health Center (MSHC), a network of 13 Federally Qualified Health Centers providing comprehensive, high quality health services through the continuum of care. In this capacity, she coordinates a portfolio of community-based research projects, oversees the MSHC patient screening and navigation programs, and conducts evidenced-based program, process, and outcomes evaluation to monitor progress, mitigate issues on an ongoing timely basis, and ensure continuous improvement. Formerly, Dr. Aponte-Soto served as National Deputy Director of New Connections, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), which aims to diversify perspectives of research and evaluation practices. Additionally, she has over 20 years of experience working in academia, social services, and health care settings, conducting administrative operations, program management, grants management, policy development, research, and evaluation. She is trained in culturally responsive research and evaluation practices and has extensive experience working with and for diverse communities in conducting culturally responsive research, evaluation, and programming. Her research and evaluation expertise include addressing health inequities, college access, mentoring, and career development. Dr. Aponte-Soto holds a PhD in community health sciences from the University of Illinois at Chicago.