Dr. Hala Madanat is Associate Professor and Chair in the Division of Health Promotion and Behavioral Science at San Diego State University, Deputy Director of the San Diego Prevention Research Center, and Investigator at the Institute for Behavioral and Community Health. She is a medical sociologist with interests in the role of culture, traditions and western influence on health in the global setting. Her research focuses on tobacco prevention, smoking cessation, and the impact of westernization on diet and nutrition. Dr. Madanat has been working on developing nutrition education programs that emphasize health and biological hunger in the Middle East and in immigrant populations in the US. She holds a Ph.D. in sociology, an M.S. in community health from Brigham Young University, and a B.S.c. in biological sciences from the University of Jordan. She is active in the International Union for Health Promotion and Education and American Public Health Association. Dr. Elva Arredondo is an Associate Professor in the Division of Health Promotion and Behavioral Science in the Graduate School of Public Health at San Diego State University and Co-Director of the SDSU-UCSD Joint Doctoral program in Health Behavior. Dr. Arredondo researches the area of health disparities, specifically involving cancer and obesity preventive behaviors. She has a strong interest in the development of theory-driven and culturally appropriate behavioral interventions. Her current research efforts are centered on the cultural influences and psychosocial mediators of preventive practices including cervical cancer screening, physical activity, and dietary practices among underserved groups. She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Duke University. Dr. Guadalupe X. Ayala is a Professor in the Division of Health Promotion and Behavioral Science at San Diego State University, Co-Director of the San Diego Prevention Research Center, and Co-Director of the Institute for Behavioral and Community Health. Her research focuses on the development of interventions to prevent and control obesity, diabetes, and asthma among Latinos through improvements in behaviors, family systems, organizations and communities. Her secondary interests include identifying social and cultural determinants of lifestyle behaviors.