Zulma Rueda

Dr. Zulma Rueda is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at the Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, and a Canada Research Chair in Sexually Transmitted Infection – Resistance and Control. Her work focuses on epidemiology, biomarkers, and the exposome in tuberculosis (TB) and HIV research, particularly in marginalized populations.

• PhD in Epidemiology, Universidad de Antioquia (2014)
• Medical Degree, Universidad de Antioquia (2006)

Dr. Rueda's research addresses latent TB diagnosis, HIV-TB interactions, and TB transmission in prison populations. She has developed novel statistical methods for analyzing complex biological data and emphasizes translating research into public health policy. Her work spans Colombia and Canada, with collaborations in Manitoba's Indigenous communities and international HIV/TB cohorts.

Notable awards include her Canada Research Chair Tier 2 (2020), Summa cum laude distinction for her PhD thesis (top 1%), and recognition for improving prisoner health in Colombia. She has contributed to 49 peer-reviewed papers and six book chapters, mentored students in Colombia and Canada, and co-led the AllTogether4IDEAS team to study genetic and environmental exposures affecting health outcomes.

She advocates for marginalized populations, evidence-based policy, and work-life balance for researchers. While not currently accepting graduate students, she has supervised first-author and senior-author publications by trainees.