Joyselynn Pitalua

Title: Laboratory Technician

Tribal Affiliation: White Mountain Apache

Location: White Mountain ApacheWhiteriver, AZ

Biography

Joyselynn is a member of the White Mountain Apache Tribe from her mother’s side and is Mexican from her father’s side. Joyselynn joined the Center for Indigenous Health in August of 2022. She works as a Laboratory Technician with the Infectious Disease team on several studies that aim to evaluate and elevate public health in Native communities, including the Active Bacterial Surveillance Study, the SuNA Study, the Pneu-Care Study, the GAS Pharyngitis Study, and the Shield Staph Study.

Prior to joining the Center, she had split her time between working with inventory and repairing chainsaws for almost four years. During this time, she worked with locals, small businesses, first responders, and government agencies in Arizona, New Mexico, and a couple from California. Joyselynn is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration through Southern New Hampshire University. In her spare time, she enjoys listening to loud music, turning mundane activities into adventures, and being around friends and family.