Ana Lucia Rodriguez de la Rosa Ph.D.

I currently work as a Research Scientist at the Human Nature Lab at Yale University. I am passionate about social networks and global health. My research agenda includes the intersection between community health knowledge, mental health, Human Flourishing, and how these relate to our social ties.

I mostly work in resource-limited settings and utilizing community centered mixed methods.

The HNL, led by Nicholas Christaskis, brings together a wonderful group of scientists and students from multiple fields (and walks of life) with a similar commitment to truth and sound science. It is a joy to be part of a scientific environment that fosters creativity and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

In my current position, I also have the opportunity to mentor early-career scientists (including high school, and postgraduate, and undergraduate students). I collaborate with more than 15 scientists and professionals at Yale and beyond.

My work at the HNL however is two fold. Aside from research, I also lead the implementation and dissemination strategies in our “Lab in The Field” projects in Honduras. I serve our team in the processes of research design, data collection, implementation, and fostering our international collaborations/alliances.

In the past twelve years, I have had the privilege of visiting more than 20 countries and studying on three continents. These opportunities allowed me to conduct research and experience first hand the realities of fieldwork in global health.

Before starting my Psychology Ph.D., I completed two Master’s degrees – one in Development & Culture and the other in Sociology & Demography – and a Bachelor’s in Political Science.

I was honored to hold leadership roles in innovation, science, and policy across sectors, including the Colombian government, non-profit organizations, and academia. Thanks to these experiences, I grew my skills in research design, project management, and research oriented public policy implementation, all of which became critical to my ongoing commitment to translational science and sustainable partnerships in global health.

My professional experience on education, culture and development projects outside academia was critical to my commitment with science communication and to keeping a mindful perspective on the gap between research and practice/policy, particularly. I have kept a continued engagement with diverse stakeholders, working on community centered dissemination and science communication processes.

Most of the world’s population, facing pressing health and development challenges, are also scientifically inexperienced (limited contact with research; low exposure to scientific institutions). In building new knowledge in these settings, scientific practices also shape participants’ relationship with the power of knowledge and data. This realization has influenced my values and commitment to high-quality research, along with timely socialization of study findings in the context where they belong.

Awards & Honors

I have received 8+ awards from national and international institutions such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Complex Systems Society, and the American Psychological Association.

My dissertation work was awarded the Provost Award for Student Engagement with community-based organizations. I also graduated as a “Worlds Ahead Graduate” – Ph.D. and MSc. in Psychology.

Research Agenda

In connection with my work on networks and health, I am also developing methodological papers related to survey methods and social network assessment in community settings.

Dissemination & Science Communicationion

I am committed to bridging the research practice/policy gap and also in the socialization of scientific results in diverse formats. Knowledge can benefit the communities we serve when we share science in a culturally responsive language and creative tools that participants can relate to.

In my current position, I have led two international dissemination conferences among our Yale and Honduras teams, with more than 100 participants in diverse roles and stages of career, to specifically share the science of our social network science in the developing world. I have also represented our Lab in multiple meetings and talks with local stakeholders, international organizations, and the government.

My favorite co-author

Baru has been “co-authoring” my life – and work since 2017. He loves being in the field and the Lab environment alike.