1) Biopsychosocial determinants of obesity/cardiometabolic risk; 2) Stochastic models in the epidemiology of chronic diseases; 3) Role of nutrition/exercise on cognitive and educational outcomes; 4) Decision-Science Approach to Health-Behavior Change

Supervision of MSc dissertations

2019. Title: Validity Assessment of Abdominal Ultrasound for Diagnosis of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Young Adults from a Birth Cohort. Student: Carmen Gloria Güichapani Oyarzún. Program: MSc in Nutrition & Food Sciences (Clinical Nutrition: Adults). Institution: Universidad de Chile. Dissertation: March 2019. Cum Laude

2018. Title: Status of iron and calcium and their association with nutritional status in adolescents of mid-to-low socioeconomic level. Student: Carmen Gloria Güichapani Oyarzún. Program: MSc in Nutrition & Food Sciences (Pediatric Clinical Nutrition). Institution: Universidad de Chile. Dissertation: May 2018. Cum Laude

2018. Title: An economic evaluation of supplementation with calcium, vitamin D, zinc, and iron on bone mineral density and vitamin D status in adolescents from Santiago: a cost-effectiveness study. Student: Verónica Román Egúsquiza. Program: MSc in Nutrition & Food Sciences (Health Promotion). Institution: Universidad de Chile. Dissertation: March 2018. Cum Laude

2018. Title: Lifestyles in Chilean adolescents of medium-low socioeconomic level and their relationship with academic behavior. Students: Angélica Torres Sepúlveda. Program: MSc in Nutrition & Food Sciences (Health Promotion). Institution: Universidad de Chile. Dissertation: March 2018.

2017. Title: Academic performance in obese children and adolescents: Association with the magnitude of obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome. Estudiante: Yanina Rodríguez Letelier. Program: MSc in Nutrition & Food Sciences (Pediatric Clinical Nutrition). Institution: Universidad de Chile. Dissertation: July 2017.

2017. Title: Can overnutrition modify the expression of the insulin resistance phenotype in adolescents with a family history of T2DM? Student: Valeria de Toro Navarrete. Program: MSc in Nutrition & Food Sciences (Pediatric Clinical Nutrition). Institution: Universidad de Chile. Dissertation: June 2017. Cum Laude

2016. Title: Metabolic and cardiovascular profile of children under 10 years of age attending an obesity clinic. Student: Trigal Mora Rodríguez. Program: MSc in Nutrition & Food Sciences (Pediatric Clinical Nutrition). Institution: Universidad de Chile. Dissertation: December 2016. Cum Laude

Supervision of research stays (postgraduate level)

2018. Brianna Reid. PhD student of Developmental Psychology from the University of Minnesota's Institute of Child Development. During her 6-months-stay in my lab, she conducted research on the Santiago Longitudinal Study as part of her training to obtain a doctoral minor in Epidemiology from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. She completed her PhD in 2020 and she is currently a STAR T32-funded postdoctoral fellow at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

2017. Evaline Cheng. MD student at the UC San Diego School of Medicine. At the time of her stay in my lab, Dr. Cheng was a 2nd year MD student. During her 9-months-stay in my lab, she conducted epidemiological research in the Santiago Longitudinal Study resulting in two research papers, one of them as lead author. Now she is a 2nd year resident at the UCLA Internal Medicine Program.

2016. Elissa Kim. MD student at the UC San Diego School of Medicine. At the time of her stay in my lab, Dr. Kim was a 3rd year MD student. During her 9-months-stay in my lab, she conducted epidemiological research in the Santiago Longitudinal Study resulting in one research paper. She then joined the Pediatrics Program of UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital (UCH) in Denver, as a resident fellow.

Supervision of research stays (pregraduate level)

Since 2015 I have served as a mentor for the University of Michigan Minority Health and Health Disparities International Research Training Program (MHIRT). This is a collaborative program involving US universities and the NIH Fogarty International Center. The program provides funds for international summer research experiences to qualified students from institutions across the United States. Fellowships aim to provide research training in social sciences, behavioral sciences, and public health.

2015. Kamaria Washington, 3 months stay, University of Michigan School of Kinesiology
2017. Kristal del Valle, 3 months stay, University of Michigan School of Public Health
2018. Isabella Rios, 3 months stay, University of Michigan School of Public Health
2019. Kimberly Fitzgerald, 3 months stay, University of Michigan School of Public Health.

Throughout my academic career, I have made a special effort to transfer my work at the university to non-academic audiences through participation in seminars, congresses, symposia, and courses organized by INTA. Since mid-2020, I served as Assistant Director for Community Outreach & Science Communication at INTA-Universidad de Chile. The following is a selection of the community outreach and knowledge transfer activities I have developed since moving back to Chile :

• 2014 to date. Professional Development Course on Childhood Obesity: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and therapeutic approach. Organized by INTA's Directorate of Community Outreach & Science Communication, University of Chile. The course is given three times a year.
• Speaker at conferences, seminars and simposia organized by the following Chilean universities: Universidad de la Frontera (Temuco) (2019), Universidad del Desarrollo (Santiago) (2018), Universidad de Atacama (Copiapó) (2015) and Universidad de Talca (2013, 2014).
• Speaker at conferences organized by the following Chilean scientific societies: Chilean Society of Cardiology (2017) and Chilean Society of Pediatrics (Adolescence Branch) (2016).
. Involvement in outreach activities organized by the Chilean Society of Endocrinology and Diabetes (SOCHED) and the Chilean Nutrition Society (SOCHINUT).
• Consultant to the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education (JUNAEB) on integrating the relationship between academic performance and healthy lifestyles in public policy design. The Ministry of Education has recognized my leadership on this issue by incorporating changes in the basic education curricula, including this relationship in the Natural Sciences books.
• In 2020, Editorial Santillana chose me to be part of the 'Protagonistas de la Ciencia' section in the 3rd-grade Natural Sciences book within the Healthy Food Unit. The section highlights Chilean scientists' work and gave special attention to my work on the impact of diet quality on school performance. I consider this recognition of particular relevance as it denotes an actual contribution of my work to support policymaking.
• Since 2017, I collaborate with Cinco al Día Chile by giving workshops on healthy lifestyles and school performance to public schools in rural areas, including the districts of Melipilla, María Pinto, and Curacaví, as part of the activities of the Colación BKN program. These workshops are aimed to teachers, parents, and students.
• Since 2019, I have been a technical consultant of Cinco a Día Chile to support the assessment of school health intervention in the Santiago Metropolitan Region. Cinco al Día Chile is an advocacy organization that was instrumental for the WHO to declare 2021 as the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables (IYFV2021). Very much of my work as a consultant served to raise awareness of and directing policy attention to the nutritional and health benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption.
• Since 2017, I have worked with several municipal corporations, through the health and education departments, to encourage parents and teachers to promote healthy lifestyles through their impact on school performance. Particularly, I'd like to mention the collaboration with the municipal corporations of María Pinto, Curacaví, Melipilla, and Estación Central. In 2019, I was invited by the Municipal Corporation of Melipilla to give a conference on the importance of healthy eating and physical activity in academic performance in the celebration of World Food Day.