ACET, Inc., is excited to welcome Dr. Trisha Netsch Lopez, who came back to ACET this year as a Data Coordinator after receiving her Ph.D. in Medical Anthropology.
Trisha always knew that she was interested in Anthropology. Since her mother was a nurse practitioner, she basically grew up in a medical/clinical environment. She credits this upbringing as to why she was able to narrow her focus from Anthropology, to Cultural Anthropology and, eventually, to Medical Anthropology.
Apart from her studies, Trisha has also held a long fascination with other languages. She likes how they require her to think differently and, as a researcher, allow her to be able to consider other perspectives. Trisha believes that there are a variety of different ways to live and that we should value those differences.
Her interest in Medical Anthropology and her desire to learn Spanish led Trisha to participate in a study abroad program in Ecuador where she interned at the clinic Jambi Huasi. Owned by the Indigenous Federation of Imbabura, the clinic aims to increase healthcare access by providing services from biomedical doctors and indigenous traditional medicine practitioners. This dual healthcare system inspired her doctoral dissertation work on culturally appropriate healthcare policies in Ecuador. She completed that work in partnership with the Ministry of Public Health and the AMUPAKIN midwifery association.
While she’s held other positions at ACET in the past, such as Graduate Intern and Junior Research Associate, Trisha now works in the role of Data Coordinator. Though the company has doubled in size since her first position, she’s still able to enjoy the variety her work brings and is excited to be back working with such a close-knit and conscientious team.
In her free time, Trisha loves to go camping, traveling, gardening, and listen to audiobooks.
