Page 18 - Cindy Salas Murphy San Diego Woman Magazine

Women of Distinction

indy Salas Murphy is it was great fun. During my
an amazing woman time there I was researching
Cwith a clear focus on HIV. It was at the time when
what she wants out of life. we didn't know much about
Born in California, where HIV. We didn’t know if HIV
she spent a good part of her was transmitted through
life, she was fortunate to have kissing. Everything was new.
wonderful and loving par- It was such a moment for
ents who wanted to give all science because we knew we
they could to their children. had to learn more in order
Cindy’s parents arrived in the to protect our population.
United States in the late 1960s. People were frightened to take
Her dad was from Costa Rica, care of someone with HIV for
her mom from Mexico, and fear they would contract it.
they met in California. “My Our research was focused on
dad suffered an injury when I how the disease was actually
was about eight years old, and transmitted. The beginning
my mom was disabled from of the HIV epidemic was in
the time I was born. It was some ways similar to the start
very difficult when dad was of COVID. It did kill a lot of
injured and hospitalized for people, but, once they learned
three months. I remember more about it and were able to
talking to his neurosurgeon pinpoint how it was trans-
and asking if he was going to mitted, it helped to calm the
be okay and if he would ever caregivers.”
walk again. He told me that Cindy did a lot of research
there was a 50/50 chance, and enjoyed the investigative
which was scary for me. He process of it. “I loved writing
was my playmate as my moth- and gathering the data and
er couldn’t play physically making sense of it. That was
with me like my father. I was
so impressed by the doctor
that I knew I wanted a career Cindy Salas Murphy
helping people.”
Cindy knew she wanted
to help people in some way, FOUNDER & CEO OF WITHHEALTH, INC.
shape, or form around health-
care. “I knew that I wanted By Judith A. Habert
to be a scientist. I wasn’t sure Photos by Dawn Nicoli/Nicoli Productions
exactly the path I would take,
but I thought maybe I would
do an MD Ph.D. I made the immediately got placed into a that research was what she so much fun. Although I did
selection of my universi- microbiology lab and was do- really loved. “I wanted to get find it extraordinarily lonely
ty based on how quickly I ing molecular microbiology. an MD Ph.D. I planned to go at times.” After spending just
could begin doing research. “I was doing research my very to medical school and get a a few moments with Cindy,
I learned of a small school in first year, and in my sopho- research degree. I was really you can tell that she is clear-
Los Angeles called Mount St. more year I was publishing. I enjoying the research aspects ly an extrovert, and she just
Mary's University. They had minored in French to exercise of it. I loved being in the lab loves being with people. She
a lab with NIH funding, and my creative side and knew and knew that I was good at it. had a mentor at the time
they told me they could place it would be perfect since I I was also good at writing, and who suggested that being a
me in a lab my freshman year. loved to travel. When you can have a very inquisitive mind. doctor might not be the right
This was music to my ears. I communicate with natives, it Scientists must be curious, direction for her, instead, she
knew that was where I needed is easier to get closer to them so it worked well for me. As I should run a hospital consid-
to be. When I was accepted, I and experience their country moved along in my research ering all her clinical knowledge
was ecstatic. as if you were a local.” career, I started to feel more and the compassion that she
Cindy majored in Biology Cindy had thoughts of passion for the research. I had for all people. “I thought
and minored in French. She becoming a doctor but found was learning so much and that I had my path all figured

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