About Sara.
Originally from Medellín, Colombia, I'm a scientist and writer at the intersection of population health, behavioral health, and non-communicable disease prevention and control.
I use my interdisciplinary training and expertise in mixed-methods research to inform evidence-based health innovation, products, and services. I excel at identifying consumer needs, translating data into actionable insights, and designing culturally targeted solutions from an equity lens. As a writer, I aim to promote health communication through multisectoral collaborations and art.
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How did I get here?
I pride myself on having an interdisciplinary education in Cognitive Science, Psychology, and Global Health, as well as complementary training in Social Network Analysis and Implementation and Dissemination Science.
I have been conducting population health research since 2014. As a global health researcher, I am an expert in mixed methodologies and analysis. I value quantitative and qualitative data for their strengths and unique contributions and leverage their combined use to inform data-driven decisions. But, I confess that qualitative research has a special place in my heart. Working in under-researched areas with diverse and underserved populations, qualitative interviews and focus groups offer a way to connect with people beyond a number to understand the nuances of their experiences. My skills in qualitative research have earned me distinction among colleagues and mentees, and they have primarily informed my contributions to the field of translational genomics.
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After years of experience working with vulnerable populations, including Latinx, Black, Indigenous, immigrants, and people with low health literacy, my work unequivocally centers on cultural sensitivity and health equity. As such, understanding the needs of different populations, I value the importance of diverse and multidisciplinary teams and strive to foster collaboration between the community, academia, medical professionals, artists, and the public and private sectors.
What I once considered a problem has become one of my greatest strengths. My insatiable curiosity and natural ability to learn push me to explore a wide range of health topics with genuine enthusiasm and dedication. While I started my years in research in human development and social relationships, I have also worked on the effects of childhood experiences on adult physical health by measuring CRP and IL6, addressed anxiety disorders in one of the first CBT-based mHealth interventions, and used descriptive epidemiology to evaluate the health burden and attributable burden of cardiovascular diseases in Latin America and the Caribbean. Most recently, I worked on translational genomics and health equity in cancer care, exploring the influence of emotions on health, developing culturally targeted interventions for behavioral change, and advancing narrative health communication research, among others.
During my time at Lombardi, I collaborated in developing novel interventions leveraging digital, telehealth, and health education to improve knowledge and activate behavioral change. Seeing the potential of applied science to improve decision-making with tangible impacts on health, I started exploring ways to add my skills and expertise outside of Academic research, particularly in the Health Tech & Health Communication sectors.​​
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I aim to promote equitable science-based and data-driven health innovation and improve health communication through art and literature.
