Alena Valderrama

Alena Valderrama is a Clinical Associate Professor at the Université de Montréal’s School of Public Health, affiliated with the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine and the CHU Sainte-Justine Hospital. Her expertise lies in maternal and child health, autism interventions, and public health practices. She holds a Master’s in Public Health from Université de Montréal and completed residencies in pediatrics and preventive medicine in Peru and Canada.

• Education:
• Master’s in Public Health, Université de Montréal (2006-2008)
• Residency in Pediatrics, Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño, Peru (1998-2002)
• Residency in Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Université Laval (2007-2012)

Her research focuses on maternal and infant health surveillance, breastfeeding support, and population-level interventions for autism. She leads the EntreNous project, a Quebec-based online peer support platform for parents of autistic children. Her work bridges clinical practice, public health policy, and community engagement.

Key research themes include health literacy in autism diagnosis communication, digital health tools for pediatric asthma management, and addressing disparities in maternal health outcomes. She has presented widely at national and international conferences, including the Canadian Association of Health Sciences and INSAR.

Her projects emphasize stakeholder collaboration and evidence-based solutions. Current initiatives include evaluating the EntreNous platform’s impact on social support and autism literacy. She actively contributes to grant applications and policy development in maternal/child health and disability inclusion.

Dr. Valderrama is affiliated with CHU Sainte-Justine, a leading pediatric research center, and collaborates with institutions like Humanov.is and ComSanté on community health projects.