Esperanza Diaz

Professor Esperanza Diaz serves as Head of the Pandemic Centre and Professor at the University of Bergen's Department of Global Health and Community Medicine. She also holds a 20% position as senior researcher at the University College of Western Norway. A medical doctor with a degree from Spain (1995) and specialist in general medicine in Norway since 2003, Diaz has established herself as a leading researcher in immigrant health since 2008.

Her research interests span migrant health, pandemic response, primary care, health disparities, and cross-cultural clinical encounters. Diaz has written over a hundred peer-reviewed articles on immigrant health and published the book 'Migrant Health: A Primary Care Perspective.' Her work particularly focuses on Syrian refugee health, examining chronic pain, mental health, medication use, and healthcare utilization.

Since 2020, Diaz has led the Pandemic Centre, an interdisciplinary center with representatives from all seven faculties at UiB. Her recent publications (2023-2025) demonstrate a strong focus on cultural factors influencing pandemic responses among immigrants, discrimination and health outcomes, and Syrian refugee health. Her research consistently examines how social inequality manifests during public health crises.

Professor Diaz currently leads the NFR-funded 'Integration for health' project (2023) and is involved in multiple collaborative projects including 'EqualPart' and the upcoming EU-funded UniHealth project. She teaches migration and health topics and has developed her own PhD courses in these areas.

The Pandemic Centre under Diaz's leadership provides significant opportunities for interdisciplinary research on pandemic response, particularly regarding vulnerable populations. Her work bridges clinical practice, academic research, and public health policy, with strong emphasis on translating research findings into practical healthcare improvements for immigrant communities.