Susana is a magna cum laude graduate from Loyola Marymount University where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a Chemistry minor. She joined USC University Hospital in 1994 and is presently the Technical Director of the Noninvasive Vascular Lab at USC University Hospital which is accredited by ICAVL (Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Labs) to perform Extracranial Cerebrovascular, Peripheral Arterial, Peripheral Venous and Visceral Vascular examinations. Susana is also the Technical Director of the Vascular Lab at Chapman Medical Center. In 1997, she established a vascular screening program that evaluates patients' risk for abdominal aortic aneurysms, heart disease and stroke, and is working on developing other programs, including one to screen for hypertension.

Susana has 12 years of clinical and instructional experience in the performance of noninvasive vascular examinations, including cerebrovascular, transcranial Doppler, peripheral arterial and venous studies, both by direct and indirect methods, and visceral vascular examinations. Her contributions to vascular technology literature include authoring two chapters in a vascular reference book to be used by physicians, ultrasonographers, and medical students.