Gabriela León-Pérez is an Associate Professor in VCU's Department of Sociology. Dr. León-Pérez's overall research program is motivated by a commitment to social justice and health equity, and it is grounded at the intersection of the sociology of migration, Latino sociology, and medical sociology. Across these interrelated areas of research, her underlying goals are (1) to clarify the role of social, structural, and contextual factors in shaping the health and integration experiences of Latino immigrants and their children, and (2) to identify resources that improve the health and well-being of marginalized communities. Stress and social support are central themes across her research agenda. As a whole, Dr. León-Pérez's research has demonstrated how pre-migration experiences, legal status, state policies, stress, and social support interact to shape the health and well-being Latinos. Trained as a social demographer, she has used large population-level survey datasets to study immigrant health. Current projects are qualitative in nature and based on in-depth interviews and oral histories. I have also made concerted efforts to embrace the ideals of community-engaged research and public sociology by working with community members as equal co-producers of knowledge.