Advancing Health Research and Care in Urabá, Colombia: Strengthening Capacities in Mental Health, Infectious Diseases, Sexual and Reproductive Health, and Trauma

with Dr. Amanda Maestra and Dr. Sara Valencia from University of Antioquia, Colombia and Dr. Stephanie Yanow from UAlberta

Tuesday, January 21, 2025, 12 - 12:50 pm via Zoom


This presentation builds on the foundational work conducted by Dr. Amanda Maestre and Dr. Stephanie Yanow on gestational malaria in Córdoba, highlighting its significance in advancing health research and care in northern Colombia. Additionally, it will introduce an initiative by the University of Antioquia aimed at strengthening capacities in mental health, infectious diseases, sexual and reproductive health, and trauma care in the Urabá region. The program integrates lessons from existing research and adopts a community-centered approach to address health disparities through intersectoral collaboration, resilience-building, and evidence-based interventions tailored to the region's unique challenges.

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Dr. Amanda Maestre, MD, PhD is Professor at the School of Medicine, Universidad de Antioquia, is an expert in immunoparasitology and tropical medicine with over two decades of experience in research and teaching. Her work focuses on malaria, particularly gestational and placental malaria, with an emphasis on genetic variability and infection complexity in Colombian endemic zones. With a PhD from Glasgow University and a postdoctoral fellowship at the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in India, she has led groundbreaking studies on immune mechanisms and diagnostic methodologies. Dr. Maestre continues advancing global health initiatives with the University of Alberta.  

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Dr. Sara Valencia, PhD is a Biologist with a PhD in Science and Technology Studies from the University of Edinburgh. She is the Leader of Innovation at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Antioquia in Colombia, and is the former Director of the Center for Education and Research on Health in Bogotá. With over a decade of experience, Her work includes the study of health innovation policies and their impact on biomedical innovation across Latin America, including Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico. Sara has led initiatives that bridge science, education, and public health, resulting in transformative policies and programs. 

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Dr. Stephanie Yanow, PhD is a Professor in Global Health within the School of Public Health and cross-appointed in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Alberta. She trained at McGill, University College London (PhD), and Caltech. She spent 8 years working at the Alberta ProvLab in diagnostics and in 2015 became a full faculty member in the School of Public Health. She leads a research program on malaria in pregnancy. Together with her partners in Kenya, Colombia, Ethiopia, the US and Australia, she is developing a novel vaccine approach to protect pregnant women in Africa from the devastating consequences of malaria infection. Her work is also focused on understanding the cellular and molecular host-parasite interactions that mediate the pathophysiology of placental malaria.