Dr. Karen Mancera-Cuevas has a professional background which includes previously working in leadership positions at academic centers emphasizing clinical, public health, and community-based participatory research at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Northwestern University. Additionally, she has engaged with the public in recent state-wide governmental public health efforts in Illinois. Her more than 25 years of professional experience also encompasses varied non-profit and policy-level settings. Programs developed under her leadership addressed chronic disease health disparities in diverse communities of color, specifically targeting women and children at the community-level.
She has Master’s level degrees in Public Administration (MS) and Health Policy (MPH) from DePaul University and the University of Illinois at Chicago. Additionally, she earned her Doctorate of Public Health (DrPH) from Walden University and is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). Dr. Mancera-Cuevas is Chair-Elect, Program Committee Member and Policy Reviewer for the Public Health Education and Health Promotion Section of the American Public Health Association (APHA), a delegate of the Coalition for National Health Education Organizations (CNHEO), an Associate Editor of Progress in Community Health Partnerships (PCHP), and Regional Committee Trustee for the International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE).
Dr. Mancera-Cuevas is of Colombian/Chilean descent. She enjoys spending time with her family, doing gardening, yoga, and crafting in her free time. She is also a mom of four pets (a cat, dog, and two birds).
