PhD Student

Patricia trained as a physician in Mexico before transitioning into population health research, completing an MSc in Community and Population Health Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan. Her MSc research examined how active transportation and the built environment shape physical activity across Canadian cities, with a particular interest in understanding how the environments in which people live and move can support opportunities for healthy, active lives.

Her research interests centre on healthy cities and the ways that transportation systems, urban environments, and public policy shape population health. She is particularly interested in active and sustainable transportation, physical activity, health equity, and the role of the built environment as an upstream determinant of health. Her work aims to bridge evidence and practice by considering how interventions can be implemented in real-world settings and made accessible across different populations.

For her PhD in Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University, Patricia will explore how sustainable transportation interventions can be effectively implemented and scaled to support healthier, more equitable communities.

Outside of research, Patricia enjoys traveling, running, drinking coffee, and spending time with her pets.