Lucas Gillespie is a research study assistant for IREACH and Partnerships for Native Health. He assists on a diet intervention study called Native Opportunities to Stop Hypertension (NOSH), a study called Engaging Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders and Activating Communities to Take Steps (ENACTS) that emphasizes heart-healthy eating and physical activity, and Strong Men Strong Communities, a study that involves reducing risk of diabetes among Native men. He graduated from Pacific Lutheran University in 2016 with a major in Environmental Studies and minors in Global Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies. Prior to working at IREACH, Lucus lived for 2 years in Senegal, West Africa where he served with the U.S. Peace Corps working in the agricultural development sector to design and implement projects to address issues of rural food security. In his free time, he likes to cook, read, and play the piano.