Juan Umaña
He/Him
I am gay and I am a biomedical engineer.//
I am a Biomedical Engineer who enthusiastically supports One Health research. As a Colombian scientist, I am highly motivated to study the social, environmental, and biological drivers that lead to the spread of infectious diseases, especially tropical ones. During my master I worked with biologists, mathematicians, microbiologists, and physicians to develop computational models to evaluate public interventions in rural communities exposed to Chagas disease. This experience shaped my understanding of global health problematics and how much they rely on our distorted relationship with nature.
Growing up without academic or LGTBQ role models forced me to question every single concept of what means to be gay or scientist. I guess we all have been lost several times among stereotypes and expectations figuring this out! However, I see things now as opportunities to hopefully become the role models we didn’t have, and to show that, as in nature, diversity is the strength that moves the world.
On the other hand, there’s nothing I enjoy more than a good movie, camping, food, and dogs!