Scholar Profile

Alyssa Portes of Charleston, South Carolina, earned a Bachelor of Arts in Medical Anthropology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) in 2020, followed by a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) through UNC-CH's Accelerated BSN program in 2022. She is currently a third-year PhD candidate and a member of the ninth cohort of Hillman Scholars. Ms. Portes works as a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit nurse at UNC Health, while also serving as a student research assistant on the UNC Spark-IPV study and as a teaching assistant in UNC-CH's School of Nursing.

Ms. Portes' dissertation examines how social determinants of health act as barriers or facilitators to managing perinatal depression in Latina mothers in rural and urban communities. She has presented her work at several national conferences, including the Association of Women's Health, Obstetrics, and Neonatal Nursing, the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, and the National Perinatal Association Conference.

In her free time, Ms. Portes enjoys listening to music, exploring local businesses, and spending quality time with family and friends.