Leslie Garcia

Leslie began working at Omni as a Research Associate in June 2023. She is a Technical Assistance Specialist for Virginia’s Substance Abuse Block Grant and State Opioid Response (SOR) prevention projects. Leslie is an experienced non-profit professional with a demonstrated history of working in project management and various phases of research studies.

Prior to joining Omni, Leslie was a Project Coordinator for the Social Environment and Health Program at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, where she coordinated the launch of a transdisciplinary research study on the effects of racial inequalities in sleep deficiencies. She was also part of the project management office at Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, where she served as a Senior Project Associate for three research studies. Prior to leaping into research, she was the Special Projects Manager with the Chicano Federation and the county of San Diego’s San Diego Latino Health Coalition initiative where she launched an emergency public health campaign for lowering COVID-19 infections, collecting data, and distributing resources in the Latino community.

Leslie was born and raised in San Diego and benefited from local nonprofits' educational programs early on. She believes education is essential for progress and is passionate about serving future generations and underserved communities. She is excited to join the Omni Institute, which aligns with her values. In her free time, Leslie enjoys discovering the best food spots and taking walks with her husband and dog, Coco.