Valerie Gallardo is a huge health advocate, from fitness to mental health to environmental toxins. Shereceived her BA in Medical Anthropology with a minor in Global Poverty and Practice from theUniversity of California, Berkeley (UCB). She is currently working towards an MPH with a concentrationon community health and her future plans are to pursue an MD in Neurology. She is a firm believer in thedissemination of educational health material. She currently holds positions within the Center forIntegrative Research on Childhood Leukemia and the Environment (CIRCLE) at UCB and the WesternStates Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (WSPEHSU) at UCSF, where her work focuses onresearch translation, community outreach and website development. She is happy to join Because Healthto share her knowledge in environmental health toxins and children's health, among other topics ofinterest, in an easy-to-read, friendly and positive manner. On her spare time, she enjoys cuddling withTubby (her pet cat), reading, running, photography, blogging and practicing self-care.