Meet the Nicaragua Team

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  • picture of Damaris López and the Nicaraguan Team against a green plain wall.

    Damaris López and the Nicaraguan Team

  • picture of Damaris López holding a computer in her lap, against a green plan wall.

    Damaris López

  • a group picture of Dr. Brooks and ASOCHIVIDA. The team is standing in front of the ASOCHIVIDA entrance.

    Dr. Brooks and Dr. Amador with ASOCHIVIDA

  • Dr. Brooks and Dr. Amador presenting. Dr Brooks is making gestures with his hands while Dr. Amador is holding a microphone. Both are standing against a white wall.

    Dr. Brooks and Dr. Amador presenting at a health conference in Chinandega, Oct 2019

  • a picture of Nicaraguan Team. woman on the left is typing on a computer, the woman next to her is looking at her phone, the next woman is standing while taking notes, the men next to her is sitting down while taking notes, the woman next to him is sitting down while taking notes. they are all around a table.

    Field team preparing for their day

  • Damaris López and Dr. Scammell are standing in front of a car looking at the camera and smiling.

    Damaris López and Dr. Scammell


Magaly Rosario Amador Sánchez – Database Analyst

Information Systems Engineer, graduated from Universidad Católica Redemptoris Mater, Nicaragua. She developed an Epidemiological Surveillance System for the epidemiology area of the Nicaraguan Ministry of Health. She is in charge of the entry and maintenance of the Case and Control study databases on Genetic Susceptibility to Chronic Kidney Disease in Nicaragua.

Juan José Amador Velázquez (MD, MPH) – Nicaragua Primary Investigator

Dr. Amador Velázquez is the Principal Investigator for Nicaragua on the MANOS, Genetics, CURE, JOVENES studies. Juan José is a medical epidemiologist with extensive experience working with the Ministry of Health in Nicaragua, serving as the General Director of Epidemiology at the national level from 1991 to 2008. He has worked to combat epidemics and improve health outcomes internationally through projects with the World Health Organization (WHO) Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), among others. Juan José also is very involved in non-governmental organizations, including founding and serving as President of the Association of Ex-Japanese Scholars in Nicaragua, and 11 years of experience collaborating with Asociación de Chichigalpa por la Vida (ASOCHIVIDA).

Damaris López-Pilarte (ER (Nursing), MPH) – Nicaragua Study Manager

Damaris has led the BU CKDnt field team operations in Nicaragua since 2010, serving as an expert on questionnaire development and data collection. She is a co-author of multiple Boston University investigations concerning Mesoamerican Nephropathy (chronic kidney disease of non-traditional causes). Damaris has extensive experience in epidemiological surveillance systems, project coordination, and program management, focusing primarily on communicable diseases. She has worked for the Nicaraguan Ministry of Health (MINSA) at the local, regional and national levels and is a co-author on MINSA publications.