Gisela Leija is a doctoral student in the Couple and Family Therapy Program at Michigan State University, Department of Human Development and Family Studies. Her research is centered on creating and implementing culturally informed interventions with an emphasis on sexual health education in Latino communities. Specifically, she is interested in exploring how gender scripts (i.e. machismo and marianismo) play a role in gender-based violence and dictate expectations of sexual behavior. She is committed to working with diverse and underrepresented communities of color and is an advocate for the dissemination of culturally sensitive interventions in both clinical and community-based settings. Her dedication to these underserved communities has resulted in funding from SAMHSA as Fellow in the Minority Fellowship Program for two consecutive years. Gisela is also a bilingual family therapist and is conducting her clinical practicum at the MSU Couple and Family Therapy Clinic.