Maria Fernanda Parra-Murillo

Maria Fernanda (Mafe) is a doctoral student in the Department of Health Behavior at the UNC-Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. She is a social scientist with a master’s degree in public health and public policy. Before relocating here from Colombia to pursue her PhD, Mafe worked on evidence and advocacy related to Colombian food policies. Over the past six years, she has collaborated with civil society in Colombia, researching the impact of marketing on children’s behavior, the prevention of chronic diseases, and the promotion of equitable access to food. Currently, she is working on evaluating Colombia’s food policies. Mafe has a strong interest in the commercial determinants of health and their effects on the environment and food behavior.

My favorite food-related smell is… cinnamon or oregano.

The first thing I learned to cook was… delicious alfajores, which are two lovely biscuits filled with rich dulce de leche.

My favorite combination of food and drink… is Colombian tamal with warm chocolate.