Kathryn Gallardo is pursuing a doctorate in behavioral sciences from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health. She is currently a pre-doctoral fellow at the Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research and her research interests center on issues associated with youth homelessness, particularly HIV and substance use prevention. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of St. Thomas and her master’s degree in social work from The University of Texas at Austin. As a licensed social worker in Texas, she gained direct practice and management experience in housing and homelessness services and worked closely with key community stakeholders in the city of Houston’s effort to implement a coordinated access system and reduce veteran homelessness. In addition to her work with individuals and families experiencing homelessness, she has also worked with veterans, victims fleeing domestic violence, and pregnant and parenting teens. Her experience as a social worker inspires her to work on a macro level to develop and inform policy that improves the health and well-being of vulnerable populations, especially populations experiencing poverty and other social and economic injustices