Mia Ramirez
With a father who was a Chicano civil rights activist, it’s natural that Colorado native Ramirez and her family grew up with a strong sense of equal rights, equity, and justice.
From a young age, Ramirez was taught the values of servitude, leadership and completing tasks.
She went on to develop a passion for improving her community’s health, reducing health disparities, and addressing the social determinants of health.
With a bachelor’s degree in biology and Spanish from Regis University and a master’s degree in international health and development from Boston University, Ramirez has worked as a public health advisor at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and as a community research and policy analyst for Multnomah County Health Department’s Health Equity Initiative. She has also served internationally at the Pan American Health Organization in Chile to address gender equity at the Chol Chol Foundation, providing micro credit loans to the indigenous Mapuche women.
Currently she is a senior community health specialist at Kaiser Permanente, where she currently oversees programs and activities to increase health access, healthy environments, health knowledge and partnerships in Southern Colorado.
Considering whether to pursue a doctoral education, Ramirez applied to Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program, which offers a five-day summer institute and internships to encourage master’s-level students and health professionals to pursue a doctoral degree and a cancer research career.
Ramirez said the Éxito! Summer Institute inspired and motivated her, with great activities and diverse opportunities to learn, reflect, and network.
“The Summer Institute has given me a confidence booster,” she said.