For most of her career, Dr. Nora Volkow, a 55-year-old neuroscientist, has studied the brain’s inner workings. And as the director of the National Institute on Drug Addiction, she applies her groundwork to expand our understanding of addiction.

Now that a prescription drug abuse crisis is flaming across the U.S., Volkow’s pioneer work is finally gaining more attention. Essentially she’s showing how drug addiction is an actual brain disease, and not the result of a weak personality.

Of particular concern is the disproportionate number of Latinos and African Americans whose lives have been shattered by addiction, and the incarceration to which it often leads. That’s why Volkow’s self-professed obsession is to bring her scientific breakthroughs to mainstream medicine and the general health-care system. Part of the conundrum, however, is that doctors are the legal pushers of the very drugs that are treating pain and harming so many.

It doesn’t help that addiction is starting at younger ages. According to the 2009 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 17 percent of Latino high school seniors were abusing prescription drugs. What’s worse is that doctors who are often at a loss to care for afflicted patients.

The good news is that Volkow is sharing her findings with doctors, giving them treatment tools to heal pain -- without sparking an addiction. When you treat an addict, she has said, you’re giving them -- and their family -- a chance.

When looking at her art, award-winning artist Andrea Arroyo wants you to see something new glowing from within about the women she names her work after: A love for the poder of mujeres.

Ten years ago, Arroyo started painting on canvas for her “Flor de Vida” series, which elevates mythological women -- ranging from classic bad girls like La Malinche and Cleopatra to goddesses like Athena -- to sacred status.

Arroyo never wondered whether she could be successful: She just started making work. As a professional dancer who moved to New York from Mexico City in 1983, she decided one day that she wanted to be an artist. “I started with a series of small-scale painted sculptures of unique NYC characters that caught my attention, including street scenes featuring a shopping-bag lady, a punk kid, a break dancer,” says Arroyo. “They were done in clay, wood, plaster and other mixed media. As a dancer, I felt very comfortable and familiar with the human form in 3-D.” Buyers immediately responded to her familiar, relatable style and haven’t stopped since.

Four years ago, she started creating the simple white drawings on black paper for her “Flor de Tierra, Homage to the Women of Juarez” project. “I wanted to underline the concept that the life of all women is equally precious, and especially to remember a life cut short by violence could have been one of a brilliant poet, visionary or Queen.”

Select paintings from “Flor de Vida” and drawings “Flor de Tierra” are on display at the Treasure Room Gallery in New York City, as part of her “Eternal” exhibit, through Sept. 2, 2011.

Since childhood, Xiomara A. Sosa has felt simpatia for those who suffer. “My parents raised numerous foster kids in our Bronx, N.Y., home,” she remembers. “They all came from broken families, had mental health issues and struggled.”

Sosa quickly noticed that her family wasn’t the only one facing these challenges: Gente from her community were also needlessly dealing with relatives’ mental illness on their own. By her late teens, Sosa was advocating health and wellness treatments and distributing information in her barrio.

After establishing a successful career for herself as a consultant and the president and CEO of the National Society for Hispanic Professionals, Sosa wanted to get back to her advocacy roots. She founded Get-Right.org, as well as the nonprofit Get-Right! organization, as a means of providing information about nutrition, exercise and positive attitude. She’s also collaborating with several community organizations across the U.S. to combat issues as varied as homophobia, bullying, stress and harassment on campus in their areas.

Sosa is getting Latinos the help they need by changing the way they think about counseling. “You’re not a loca if you seek counseling,” she says. “I’m breaking down those barriers and negative stereotyping that are getting in the way.” Healing your mind, she points out, is as important as treating a physical health issue. “If you have a toe infection, you go to the professional to get rid of it,” she says. “You don’t wait for it to spread.”

Lorena Ochoa has always been ahead of the pack. By the tender age of 5, she was already a fledgling golfer. But her passion sport almost came to a halt when the native Mexican fell out of a tree house in her backyard in Guadalajara. The 15-foot fall may have broken both of Ochoa’s wrists, but it certainly had not broken her determination to become the world’s best golfer. Legend has it she thought God had actually given her “magic wrists.”

At age 7, Ochoa had won her first state and national events. She focused on perfecting her game, winning tournaments and championships along the way. Then, at 25, she became the world’s No. 1 golfer, a title she held for three years.

Suddenly in 2010, Ochoa announced her retirement from the Ladies Professional Golf Association. She released a statement explaining that the game had become too easy for her. “It was really clear to see that I didn’t want to be out there,” she said at the time. Though she left the door open for a possible comeback, it has become clear that Ochoa wants to reinvent herself as a family woman and redefine her own definition of success. She has dedicated more of her time to the Lorena Ochoa Foundation, an organization that raises funds for lower-income kids’ education. In late April of this year, the star athlete announced via her Twitter feed that she and her husband were expecting their first child sometime in November.

Photo: Getty Images

When you’re trying to get hired, it all comes down to one thing: the interview. Follow the advice from these experts to land the job of your sueños.

Get Glammed
Wear makeup to accentuate your best features, but don’t overdo it, advises Barbara DesChamps, an image consultant in Nevada City, Calif. Apply foundation to even out skin tones. Use eyeliner, mascara and lipstick to define and complement your features. If your hair tends to get frizzy, get a blow-out the day before. A manicure is a must.

Dress to Impress
Even if you are applying for an entry-level administrative position, dress as if you want to be the CEO, advises Samantha Ettus, a personal branding expert in NYC. This means wearing a business suit and minimal -- but flattering -- jewelry. Complete your look with a pair of pumps.

Do Your Research
Research the employer, their products, their competition and their industry before your interview. After all, you want a career with this company, not just a regular 9 to 5.

Ace Your Interview
Before you meet your potential boss, pop a breath mint first. Shake hands firmly and smile. Highlight your previous achievements and illustrate how you can contribute to the company, suggests Ronald Kaufman, author Anatomy of Success.

Keep Your Cool
If you feel an attack of nervios coming on, gently fold your hands in your lap. Listen carefully to the interviewer and only answer the questions asked of you; don’t reveal personal information or give long-winded answers.