Betty Duran-Becerra serves as the Deputy Director of Operations at the Substances and Sexual Health (SASH) Lab at Yale. She graduated with a BA in Psychology from Columbia University in 2018. She then obtained her MPH from the Yale School of Public Health with a focus on Social Behavioral Sciences in 2022.

As a strengths-based public health practitioner, Betty brings experience in program implementation, evaluation, youth engagement, and curriculum development. At the SASH Lab, Betty manages the day-to-day operations of the lab. She leads the Paterson Prevention Project, a community-based participatory research project aiming to develop a substance use and mental health intervention for youth in Paterson, NJ. Betty also oversees the Youth Advisory Board for this project, working closely with youth to advocate for better programs and policies in Paterson.

Betty is passionate about empowering youth through research and developing youth-led programs that highlight their strengths. As part of her MPH thesis and under the mentorship of Dr. Opara, Betty utilized a strengths-based approach to develop a healthy relationships toolkit with the goal of providing Latina girls from Paterson, NJ with the tools to make their own best decisions when it comes to romantic relationships.