{"id":5933,"date":"2025-06-02T14:05:59","date_gmt":"2025-06-02T18:05:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/md\/?p=5933"},"modified":"2025-06-03T14:03:44","modified_gmt":"2025-06-03T18:03:44","slug":"meet-pierina-parraga-clinical-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/md\/news\/2025\/06\/meet-pierina-parraga-clinical-research\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet Pierina Parraga: UNC medical student blending compassion, culture and clinical research"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_5934\" class=\"thumbnail wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"width: 403px\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5934 \" src=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/md\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/838\/2025\/06\/Pierina-Parraga-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"393\" height=\"524\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/md\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/838\/2025\/06\/Pierina-Parraga-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/md\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/838\/2025\/06\/Pierina-Parraga-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/md\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/838\/2025\/06\/Pierina-Parraga-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/md\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/838\/2025\/06\/Pierina-Parraga-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/md\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/838\/2025\/06\/Pierina-Parraga-600x800.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/md\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/838\/2025\/06\/Pierina-Parraga-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 393px) 100vw, 393px\" \/><figcaption class=\"caption wp-caption-text\">Pierina Parraga at American Society of Nephrology\u2019s 2024 Kidney Week in San Diego.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">For Pierina Parraga, research isn\u2019t just about the discoveries\u2014it\u2019s about the people. Her clinical experiences with children facing complex health challenges have shaped not only her academic path but also her sense of purpose.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">While working with young patients, Parraga helps administer the Revised Children&#8217;s Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS), an assessment <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">designed to measure anxiety and depression in youth. The experience opened her eyes to the importance of pediatric care and solidified her desire to pursue a career in the field.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cJust being present while a child or adolescent is going through all these different assessments was a reminder of how important it is to be there for a child at such a critical point in their transition,\u201d Parraga said. \u201cSeeing how I could help them in the future and be an advocate for them is something that I would definitely be interested in continuing within my career.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Parraga\u2019s research with the RCADS has already sparked ideas for improvement. She hopes to turn her findings into a quality improvement project that could lead to more effective intervention strategies for children in need.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">A passion for research<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Parraga, a medical student in the class of 2027, has demonstrated a strong interest in research since arriving at the UNC School of Medicine. In addition to her work with RCADS, she\u2019s taken on several other projects that reflect her curiosity and commitment.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Last fall, Parraga presented at the American Society of Nephrology\u2019s Kidney Week in San Diego. Her research focused on children with chronic kidney disease (CKD), tracking how their body mass index (BMI) changed over time. She discovered that BMI tends to increase as these children move through adolescence.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cThat was one of the coolest projects that I got to expose at my first conference,\u201d Parraga said.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">More recently, Parraga has been working on a project with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/transition\">UNC STARx Program<\/a>. Founded in 2006 by Dr. Maria Ferris, the program aims to improve self-management skills and disease knowledge among adolescents and young adults with chronic conditions.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As part of her contribution, Parraga focused on the data analysis when the STARx questionnaire was translated from English to Arabic to make the tool more culturally inclusive.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cThe research encompasses the role of a clinician and how they can be an advocate for their patients by really listening to not just the patient, but also their families, and by being culturally competent,\u201d Parraga said.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">UNC and mentorship<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Parraga\u2019s journey into research was made possible through the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/omsr\/resources-for-students\/research-programs\/carolina-medical-student-research-program-cmsrp-1\/program-overview\/\">Carolina Medical Student Research Program (CMSRP)<\/a>, where she was paired with Dr. Ferris as a mentor.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Dr. Ferris has modeled what it means to be a physician who advocates for her community. She has also supported Parraga by helping her secure funding and connecting her with a broader professional network.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cPierina is one of the most brilliant and dedicated students I have ever mentored,\u201d Ferris said. \u201cHer drive to learn and be the best provider and researcher is amazing. Her empathy and cultural sensitivity are wonderful. What a pleasure to work with her!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Parraga also credited Dr. Evan Dellon, director of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/omsr\/omsr\/\">Office of Medical Student Research<\/a>, for helping her navigate the world of academic research and opening doors through the CMSRP.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Thanks to these experiences, Parraga is now considering a future that blends clinical care with public health.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cUNC has been absolutely great,\u201d Parraga said. \u201cSeeing how these programs have really influenced me, I think a Master of Public Health is where I&#8217;m headed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Parraga\u2019s research story is still unfolding, but it\u2019s a reminder of what\u2019s possible when medical students are supported, mentored and encouraged to follow their passions. At UNC, Parraga has found more than just a path forward. She\u2019s found a purpose.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pierina Parraga has participated in a number of research projects. The Carolina Medical Student Research Program helped Parraga find mentorship and her purpose in pediatric public health.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":117964,"featured_media":5934,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"layout":"","cellInformation":"","apiCallInformation":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5933","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","odd"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Meet Pierina Parraga: UNC medical student blending compassion, culture and clinical research | Medical Doctorate Program<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Pierina Parraga has participated in a number of research projects. 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