Title:

Epidemiologist,
Slone Epidemiology Center

Assistant Professor of Epidemiology,
Boston University School of Public Health

Education:

Lic., 1995, University of Costa Rica School of  Biology
M.Sc., 1999, University of Costa Rica School of Biology
Sc.D., 2006, Harvard School of Public Health

Research Interests:

A major interest of Dr. Ruiz-Narváez’s research is the elucidation of the genetic basis of human complex diseases, as well as the integration of the assessment of gene-environment interactions to uncover potential mechanisms of development of disease. Dr. Ruiz-Narváez’s past research has involved the study of genetic variation on genes involved in lipid metabolism to assess whether naturally occurring variation interacts with dietary intake and other life-style factors to affect risk of cardiovascular heart disease (CHD). Because CHD, as well as presence of CHD risk factors, varies between different ethnic groups part of Dr. Ruiz-Narváez’s research has been focused on the disentangling, by using ancestral informative markers, of the effects of genetic ancestry and lifestyle, such as diet, on the risk of CHD on the admixed population of the Costa Rican Central Valley. His current research, as part of the team of the Black Women’s Health Study, involves the finding of genetic variation associated with risk of different diseases such as breast cancer, type-2 diabetes, and obesity. By focusing on genomic regions identified through genome-wide scans, it is possible to identify causal alleles involved on the development of disease and to assess whether this genetic variation modifies the effect of non-genetic factors on the risk of disease.