Gabriela Alvarado

Photo of Gabriela Alvarado
Assistant Policy Researcher, RAND; Ph.D. Candidate, Pardee RAND Graduate School
Washington Office

Education

M.D., University of Costa Rica; M.Sc. in public health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine; M.A. in anthropology, Georgia State University; M.Phil. in policy analysis, Pardee RAND Graduate School

Overview

Gabriela Alvarado is an assistant policy researcher at RAND and a Ph.D candidate at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. She has a masters in public health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, a masters in anthropology from Georgia State University, and a medical degree from the University of Costa Rica.

Prior to joining Pardee RAND, she worked in primary health care delivery, the health nonprofit sector, and state government. Her research interests include women’s health, sexual and reproductive health, adolescent health, social determinants of health, mental health, and the intersection of culture and health.

Research Focus

Recent Projects

  • Access to screening and treatment for Hepatitis C in patients of color living with HIV
  • Integration of primary care and behavioral health care
  • Community-Partnered Policy and Action Stream: Food security in Sitka, Alaska

Selected Publications

Maria Gabriela Alvarado and David A. Schwartz, "Zika Virus Infection in Pregnancy, Microcephaly, and Maternal and Fetal Health: What We Think, What We Know, and What We Think We Know," Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, 141(1), 2017

Gabriela Alvarado and Jorge Benavides-Rawson "From Dengue to Zika: Environmental and Structural Risk Factors for Child and Maternal Health in Costa Rica Among Indigenous and Nonindigenous Peoples," in David A. Schwartz, Maternal Death and Pregnancy-Related Morbidity Among Indigenous Women of Mexico and Central America, Springer, 2018

Honors & Awards

  • Spotlight Award, 2020, RAND
  • Fellows Research Showcase Award Winner, 2020, Pardee RAND Graduate School
  • International Student of the Year, 2017, Georgia State University

Languages

Spanish

Publications