Diana Parra Perez

Dr. Diana Parra Perez is an Assistant Professor at the Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis. She serves as Associate Director for Faculty and Scholarship at the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity, and Equity (CRE²), and co-leads the Mindfulness Science and Practice Cluster. As a founding member of the SOMOS WashU affinity group and Scholar at the Institute of Public Health, she bridges academic leadership with community engagement.

• Education: Physical Therapist (Bogota, Colombia), Master of Public Health (Saint Louis University), PhD in Social Work with Public Health concentration (Washington University in St. Louis), Postdoctoral Research in Public Health Nutrition (University of Sao Paulo)

Her research focuses on health equity through culturally grounded programs for Latinx immigrant communities, including:

• Physical Activity & Nutrition Interventions
• Mindfulness & Yoga Adaptation
• Dissemination Strategies
• Cultural Humility Frameworks

Recent projects include the $3.8M CDC REACH grant for Empowered Thriving Communities in St. Louis Promise Zone and leadership in the BRIC Program addressing pandemic-related disparities. Her work integrates non-traditional methodologies like social network analysis and NOVA classification for diet assessment.

Selected Scientific Awards:

• 2024 APHA TV Thought Leadership Film Series participant
• Co-Principal Investigator for NSF ADVANCE AIM for Equity Institutional Grant

Dr. Parra Perez mentors students from underrepresented backgrounds and collaborates with community partners such as Wesley House and Trailnet. She has been featured in media outlets including WashU The Source, Greater Good Magazine, and HEC-TV for her mindfulness work.