Social Determinants of Cardiovascular Disease Over the Life Course
Drexel-INCAP Training Program
A joint initiative of the Drexel Urban Health Collaborative and the Institute for Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP), this program focuses on developing the research capabilities of trainees and local capacity building in policy-relevant research on the influence of social determinants and place-based factors on CVD risk across the lifespan.
The Drexel-INCAP training program was awarded a 5-year grant from the National Institutes of Health and the Fogarty International Center.
Webinars, journal clubs, and workshops focus on social determinants of health, CVD and lifecourse epidemiology, and research methods.
For more information on the initiative click here
The following events were held in Spanish
Annual Workshops
The Drexel-INCAP program sponsors annual workshops focused on quantitative research designs and methods. The workshops aim to increase the quantitative capabilities of public health professionals and researchers, and illustrate how those skills are used in research.
The 2022 workshop focused on concepts, approaches and applications of regression modeling in public health, while the 2023 workshop focused on statistical programming in the software R.
Introducción al análisis de datos en salud con R (2023)
Introduction to health data analysis with R
The objective of this 3-day course was to help health professionals with backgrounds in public health, epidemiology and biostatistics to improve their skills in data analysis using the free "R" software. R is a very popular programming language and statistical environment for its ability to process large amounts of data and generate high-quality visualizations, making it an essential tool for those seeking to analyze and communicate health data effectively. During the course, the fundamental skills needed to use R were provided, from data import and manipulation to basic statistical analysis and visualization.
Taller de conceptos, abordajes y aplicaciones de métodos de regresión en salud pública (2022)
Workshop on concepts, approaches and applications of regression methods in public health
This course intended for participants to understand the basic principles for the development, implementation and interpretation of statistical regressions, their application in epidemiological research and public health problems, particularly in relation to the study of non-communicable diseases in Latin America.
Monthly Seminars
The Drexel-INCAP program also hosts monthly webinars and journal club meetings on topics of cardiovascular risk factors.
Watch the entire playlist: Cardiovascular Disease Risk Research in Central America:
Below is a list of the most recent seminars with their recordings. For information on future webinars check our events page.
2025
La Epidemiología Neocolonial de la Enfermedad Renal Crónica de Causas No Tradicionales en Comunidades Agrícolas de Guatemala
The Neocolonial Epidemiology of Chronic Kidney Disease of Non-Traditional Causes in Agricultural Communities in Guatemala
Alejandro Cerón
October 2025
Chronic Kidney Disease of Non-Traditional Causes (CKDnT) has emerged as a public health issue in Central America, primarily affecting young agricultural workers without prior chronic conditions. This talk draws on six years of ethnographic research to explore how social, political, and economic dynamics shape understandings of the disease across communities, institutions, and experts.
Monitoreo de la dieta poblacional para el diseño y evaluación de políticas públicas: experiencias de México
Monitoring the population's diet for the design and evaluation of public policies: experiences from Mexico
Carolina Batis
May 2025
Poor nutrition is a leading global health issue. This seminar explores methods for assessing population diets, such as 24-hour recalls and food purchase data, using Mexico’s experience in dietary monitoring and policy evaluation, including taxes on unhealthy foods.
Comprendiendo mejor los Ambientes Alimentarios
Better Understanding Food Environments
Lorena Rodríguez Osiac
April 2025
This talk examines how class, gender, and culture shape people's interactions with food environments in Chile, based on mixed-methods research in two communities with differing poverty levels. It also reviews Chile’s food environment model and policy recommendations to improve nutrition and food access.
Evidencia de Intervenciones Efectivas en Entornos Escolares para reducir obesidad en la Región de América Latina y el Caribe ¿Qué funciona y qué no? recomendaciones para la implementación
Evidence of Effective Interventions in School Settings to Reduce Obesity in Latin America and the Caribbean: What Works and What Doesn't? Recommendations for Implementation
Katherine Curi Quinto
February 2025
This seminar presents findings from a systematic review of effective school-based interventions to reduce childhood obesity in Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighting key challenges, opportunities, and policy recommendations
Ambientes Alimentarios para la prevención de enfermedades crónicas; experiencia de la Ley de Etiquetado y Marketing Chilena
Food environments for the prevention of chronic diseases; experience of the Chilean Labeling and Marketing Law
Camila Corvalán
January 2025
This presentation reviews evidence linking food environments to chronic disease and highlights Chile’s Food Labeling and Marketing Law as a model nutrition policy for prevention.
2024
Exposiciones prenatales y salud cardiometabólica en la infancia y la adolescencia
Prenatal exposures and cardiometabolic health in childhood and adolescence
Martha María Téllez-Rojo
November 2024
This talk highlights how prenatal environmental exposures affect early cardiometabolic health in children and adolescents. We will present findings from the ELEMENT and PROGRESS cohort studies in Mexico City and emphasize the value of long-term research.
Vivienda y salud: más allá de cuatro paredes
Housing and health: beyond four walls
Alejandra Vives Vergara
October 2024
This talk presents findings from the RUCAS study in Chile, which examines how urban renewal in social housing affects living conditions, satisfaction, and health.
La Prevención y el Control del Cáncer Cervical: ¿Cuáles son las piezas que faltan?
Prevention and Control of Cervical Cancer: What Are the Missing Pieces?
June 2024
Isabel C. Scarinci
This webinar will focus on bridging the gap between scientific advances and delivery of HPV-related cervical cancer prevention strategies, as far as vaccination, testing, and follow-up to high-risk populations.
Carga de enfermedad y sistemas de atención para la diabetes tipo 2 en zonas rurales de Guatemala
Disease burden and healthcare systems for type 2 diabetes in rural areas of Guatemala
May 2024
Peter Rolhoff
This talk outlines multisectoral strategies, from food system reform to improved primary care, to prevent and control obesity.
Construcción de un paquete de acciones de política para la prevención de obesidad y ECNT: Experiencia de México
Development of a policy package for the prevention of obesity and NCDs: The experience of Mexico
April 2024
Juan Rivera
This talk explores Mexico’s multisectoral strategies to combat its obesity and diabetes crisis through food system reform and improved primary care.
Desarrollar la capacidad comunitaria para promover la equidad en salud de los latinos
Developing community capacity to promote health equity for Latinos
February 2024
Ana Martinez-Donate
This talk presents a community-engaged research program addressing health disparities among Latinos in Philadelphia through three syndemic-focused interventions and their lessons, strengths, and challenges.
Investigación sobre salud urbana y desigualdades en Madrid
Research on urban health and inequalities in Madrid
January 2024
Mishel Unar
In this seminar, Mishel Unar Munguía presented evidence on how breastfeeding protects mothers and children from disease, boosts IQ, and benefits the environment. She also also highlighted the health and economic costs of suboptimal breastfeeding in Mexico and the urgent need for public policies to regulate infant formula marketing and uphold the breastfeeding protection code
2023
Investigación sobre salud urbana y desigualdades en Madrid
Research on urban health and inequalities in Madrid
December 2023 - Manuel Franco
This talk was given by Dr. Manuel Franco from the University of Alcalá in Madrid, Spain, to explore strategies for interdisciplinary collaboration and effective communication of urban health research. This event was held as part of a collaboration between Drexel University's Urban Health Collaborative and the Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP), funded by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).
¿Por qué importa el contexto para la prevención de la obesidad?
Why does context matter for obesity prevention?
June 2023
Monica Mazariegos
The seminar discussed how and why contextual factors influence obesity, and therefore the importance of considering them when developing interventions to address the complex obesity epidemic.
Hipertensión en Guatemala: Un análisis cualitativo de los modelos explicativo de pacientes, proveedores de salud y actores del nivel central
Hypertension in Guatemala: A qualitative analysis of the explanatory models of patients, health providers and central level actors
May 2023
Juan Carlos Figueroa
The talk focused on a qualitative study that used A. Kleinman's explanatory model to describe how three types of health system actors understand hypertension. The differences and similarities between actors were discussed based on a description of the domains of the model.
Enfermedad cardiovascular y sus desigualdades a través del gradiente de urbanización
Cardiovascular disease and its inequalities across the urbanization gradient
April 2023
Usama Bilal
Cardiovascular disease is the first cause of death in the world. The talk examined how the disease and its risk factors behave across the urbanization gradient, and how social inequalities in its mortality and prevalence vary along this gradient.
Evaluación del concepto y la implementación de un programa para controlar la hipertensión
Evaluation of the concept and implementation of a program to control hypertension
March 2023
Meredith Fort
In this seminar, Dr. Fort presented a mixed methods analysis of a study to improve high blood pressure control within the public primary care system in Guatemala. She reviewed the application of an implementation science model—Pragmatic and Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model, PRISM—to analyze program implementation and context at different stages of the study. During the seminar, she reflected on various topics such as community participation, strengthening the health system, the equity approach, and the integrated presentation of qualitative and quantitative data.
Contaminación del aire y la enfermedad cardiovascular
Air pollution and cardiovascular disease
February 2023
Horacio Riojas
Pollutants present in the air can affect the cardiovascular system through different mechanisms that will be presented in this session. In addition, we will talk about the acute and chronic effects that derive from these exposures and their contribution to the burden of disease. Finally, we will review the benefits that we can achieve in cardiovascular health by reducing concentrations of pollutants as part of building healthy environments.
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Contact
Brisa Sanchez, bns48@drexel.edu
Fernanda Kroker, fkroker@incap.int
The program is funded in part by NIH-Fogarty grant D43TW011971 (Sánchez/Diez-Roux, MPIs).