Veronica Castillo

Veronica is a pediatrician with a focus on respiratory diseases and has clinical experience in managing patient care in Venezuela. Over the past seven years, she has worked with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and UNICEF on community-driven projects primarily focused on maternal and child health. Her work in these settings has deepened her understanding of the unique health challenges faced by mothers and children, particularly in resource-limited environments.

During her first year in the Master of Public Health (MPH) program, Veronica worked as a Research Assistant at the Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health, supported by the Irving Harris Scholarship, which focused on early childhood. She collaborated on research aimed at tailoring play-based early child development interventions for Latinx families in Chicago. Currently, she is completing her internship with the Illinois policy team at Start Early.

Veronica's interests within maternal and child health include early childhood, specifically incorporating strategies within the first 1,000 days of life into healthcare settings, improving hospital culture to better support maternal and child health, and addressing global health disparities to ensure equitable care for mothers and children worldwide.

She is committed to implementing evidence-based programs that promote equity during the critical first 1,000 days of life. With her background in pediatric care, she enhances her public health expertise to create lasting positive change. Her passion for interdisciplinary collaboration strengthens her ability to address complex health challenges effectively.

Fun Fact: Veronica loves exploring new dessert recipes, especially anything with fruit—even though she doesn’t really like to cook!

University of Illinois at Chicago
Westnedge D, Arellano-Nuñez I, Castillo V, Rothstein JD. Formative Research to Adapt a Responsive Parenting Intervention for Latino/a/x Families of Children in Chicago. Presented at the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA, 2023.

Hospital Jose Ignacio Baldo. Caracas
Complicated pleural effusion in children with pneumonia. July 2013.
Primary progressive pulmonary tuberculosis in pediatric patients. July 2013.
Chronic pulmonary histoplasmosis in toddlers. October 2012.