Ana Abraido-Lanza
American behavioural psychologist
- 2 min read
- 2 chapters
Explore on Lably
ToursExplore Lably’s 3D toursEarly life and education
Abraído-Lanza was an undergraduate student in psychology at New York University. She moved to the Graduate Center of the City University of New York for graduate studies, where she earned a master's degree and doctorate. Her doctoral research considered the social role identity, support and psychological wellbeing amongst Hispanic women. After graduating, Abraído-Lanza joined the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, where she worked as a postdoctoral scholar in Medical Epidemiology.
Sign in to keep reading
One more chapter is free with a Lably account.
Research and career
Abraído-Lanza was appointed Professor of Sociomedical Sciences at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and oversaw the Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD), which looked to increase the number of people from historically underrepresented groups studying medicine. The program launched a doctoral training scheme in 2008. At Columbia, she was selected as a Provost Leadership Fellow.
Abraído-Lanza joined the New York University School of Public Health in 2018 where she became Vice Dean and Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Her research considers the cultural and structural factors that impact mental and physical health amongst Latino communities, including the Latino mortality paradox - despite their socioeconomic status, Latino people have lower mortality rates than non-Latino white people. Unlike the majority of public health frameworks, Abraído-Lanza considers the positive aspects of culture that give rise to these lower mortality rates. She has shown that structural racism, in particular conditional citizenship and subjective sense of belonging, impacts the health and wellbeing of immigrants.
Abraído-Lanza played integral roles on numerous boards and committees dedicated to advancing the well-being of Latino individuals. Among her notable positions, she served on the Editorial Boards of Health Education and Behavior, the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, the International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, and Preventing Chronic Disease. Additionally, she contributed as a board member to various scientific, professional, and nonprofit organizations, including the Hispanic Serving Health Professions School. Her dedication to community health was further evident through her involvement in influential initiatives such as the Community Task Force on Preventive Services of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Moreover, Anna Abraído-Lanza actively participated in several National Institutes of Health review groups, shaping the direction of research and funding priorities to better address the needs of Latino communities.