Laura Vargas

Bio

Dr. Laura Vargas is a dedicated researcher and scholar with a strong focus on public health and social policy. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Her research is funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) and focuses on the mental health and trauma exposure of recent Latinx immigrants in the United States.

As a Provost Postdoctoral Fellow at Penn, Dr. Vargas was affiliated with the Penn Injury Science Center and the School of Nursing. Her research, under the mentorship of Dr. Therese S. Richmond and Dr. Zachary F. Meisel, explored the effects of violence on health service utilization and access, particularly among Latinx populations.

Dr. Vargas has a rich academic background, having received her Ph.D. in Social Policy and Policy Analysis from Columbia University. Her past research includes studying the relationship between violence and healthcare service access in Mexico, as well as the interaction of security and public health policy implementation in Brazil.

In addition to her academic roles, Dr. Vargas is actively involved in various professional and community organizations. She is an advisory council member for the University of Michigan Injury Prevention Center and a member of the Issue Advisory Committee for the Nationwide Public Awareness and Education Campaign aimed at reducing firearm deaths and injuries among youth in America.