Maria Cristina is a transdisciplinary scholar who combines Health Sciences (Medicine and One Health, Public, Global and Planetary Health) and Social Anthropology with the intention of comprehensively understand and address the eco-social determinants of health. She uses participatory and engaged research methods grounded on critical theories, to co-produce social policy-driven research and social action towards the transformation of current local and global realities towards an eco-social-just planet.
She holds a Medical Doctor (M.D.) degree from Universidad del Bosque, Bogotá- Colombia (1999), a Master in Public Health (M.P.H) degree (2002) and a Ph.D. in Public Health and Social Anthropology (2012) from Maastricht University-the Netherlands on a participatory ethnography study into global social action toward HIV Prevention in Cartagena, Colombia. She has wide experience in teaching, research and consultant assignments in academic positions in the Netherlands, Spain (EU) and Colombia (SA). She recently joined the team of Collaborating Lecturers at the Open University of Catalonia (UOC) for the Master in Planetary Health Research (2024) and Sustainable Food Master (2025) courses.
Her research work aims at the process of collaborative production of knowledge between scientists and non-scientists grounded on Western and Latin-American engaged research perspectives, and on its value in the construction of participative/inclusive social policy as well as social actions that lead to the transformation of current global health issues and social realities towards eco-social-justice. She has wide experience with qualitative research methods, especially participatory methods to produce evicence for social, environmental and health policy. She created the Qualitative Research Line within the Public Health incubator at the Public Health Research Group at Rosario University- Bogota (2019-2023).
Her teaching fields correspond with her research interests: Public Health and Planetary Health, Social Determinants of Health, Global Health Governance, Qualitative and participatory Research Methods applied to health and policy development, Social Inequalities and Health, Self-power critical reflexivity and power-balance strategies, Critical Perspectives on Public and Global Health among other.
