Meet Our Mitacs GlobalLink Interns
Luisa Leão Novacki
Mitacs Globalink Research Intern, Summer 2026
Luisa is a sixth-year Medicine student at the Federal University of Paraná, Brazil, working in the M4 and Aging Lab under Dr. Michael Kalu.
She supports a project adapting diabetes self-management resources for Black individuals through reflexive thematic analysis, community feedback synthesis, and manuscript preparation.
She plans to combine clinical practice, research, and global health through medical residency and graduate studies in Health Sciences or Global Health.
Sofía Quintero Vargas
Mitacs Globalink Research Intern, Summer 2026
Sofía is a fifth-year student at Universidad Autónoma de Manizales, currently supporting two research projects in Dr. Michael Kalu’s lab.
Her work includes a scoping review on virtual reality for mobility assessment and prevention among older adults and a project examining physical activity participation among Black older adults living with hypertension.
She contributes to literature reviews, data management, and other research activities based on the needs and stages of each project.
Juan Felipe Rincon Pinilla
Mitacs Globalink Research Intern, Summer 2026
Juan is a fourth-year Sociology student from Universidad Nacional de Colombia and is currently an Erasmus student at Universidad de Oviedo.
He supports a mixed-methods project examining the unmet care needs of Black older adults in Canada, with a focus on thematic analysis of qualitative interviews.
Juan plans to pursue graduate studies in Health or Public Health. His research interests include health inequalities, violence, identity, marginalized communities, health equity, and social justice.
