Federico Andrade-Rivas

I am a PhD student at the School of Population and Public Health, working in the Global Health Research Program under the supervision of Dr. Jerry Spiegel. I was born in Colombia, where I graduated as an Anthropologist and Environmental Engineer. After working in different projects in Colombia, Perú, Ecuador, Mexico, and Costa Rica, I found my passion for broad approaches to explore human health and its connection with nature and ecosystems health. I did my Master in Public Health at the University of Cape Town (South Africa) where I worked at the Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health Research (COEHR). After returning to Colombia, I collaborated for three years in several research projects with Universidad El Bosque and Universidad de Antioquia (Colombia), which motivated me to pursue my PhD at the interdisciplinary environment offered by UBC. I am currently looking at novel ways to understand the interaction between human health and the environment. We are exploring food systems in indigenous communities in Ecuador to better understand how food sovereignty interacts both with human health and the local environments. Beyond studying and conducting research, I am a rock climber, a traveler, and an outdoor sports enthusiast.

Education

• PhD, School of Population and Public Health, UBC (2016-Present)
• Master of Public Health, University of Cape Town, South Africa (2013)
• Bachelor, Anthropology, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia (2009)
• Bachelor, Environmental Engineering, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia (2009)

Research Interests:

• Global Health
• Environmental Health
• Ecosystem approach to health
• Sustainability and human health
• Food systems and human health
• Mixed-methods and interdisciplinary studies

Selected Publications:

Andrade-Rivas, F., & Romero, M. (2016). Misinformation About HIV and Negative Attitudes Toward Homosexuality and Same-Sex Couples’ Rights: The Case of Colombia. International Journal of Public Opinion Research

Thurston, Alyssa, Andrade-Rivas, Federico and Spiegel, Jerry. “A scoping review of community engagement in environmental contamination studies: Considering challenges and approaches for ethical global health research” Ethical Challenges and Issues in Global Health Research (Conference), Montreal, 2016

Andrade-Rivas, F., and Rother, H-A. (2015) “Chemical Exposure Reduction: Factors Impacting on South African Herbicide Sprayers’ Personal Protective Equipment Compliance and High Risk Work Practices” Environmental Research, 142: 34–45.

Rother, Hanna-Andrea., Andrade-Rivas, Federico and DeSouza, Michelle. “When Standard Occupational Exposure Assessments Are Unsuitable – Exposure Observations with South African Herbicide Sprayers.” Occupational and Environmental Medicine 71, no. Suppl 1 (June 1, 2014): A116–A116.

Restrepo-Zea, JH., Silva-Maya, C., Andrade-Rivas, F. and Dover, RV. (2014) “Access to Health Services; Analysis of Barriers and Strategies in Medellín, Colombia.” Gerencia y Políticas de Salud, 13, no. 27.

Selected Awards

• Graduate Global Leadership Fellowship
• Vanier Scholarship
• Friedman Award for Scholars in Health