She is a Peruvian-American social scientist who applies qualitative and quantitative research methods to improve our understanding of people’s knowledge and adoption of preventive behaviors associated with various infectious diseases or health problems.
She is an associate professor in the Department of Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. She is also a research associate at the School of Public Health and Administration at the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, where she directs the “One Health” unit.
Successful experiences
She has led the social science component of several trials to develop and evaluate innovative products for the prevention and control of vector-borne diseases.
She has been the lead social scientist in several interdisciplinary teams to examine the dynamics of vector-borne disease (VBD) transmission, focusing on studying the human side of the vector-environment-human equation, including the measurement (developed instruments) and evaluation of the role of human movement in dengue transmission.
She has explored issues related to participation in zoonotic or vector control programs, ranging from allowing indoor residual spraying at home to participation in dog vaccination programs for rabies prevention.
