Karen Ramirez Suarez

Karen Ramirez Suarez, MD, is an Associate Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Global Health (CGH) and a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Her work spans Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Botswana, focusing on community-driven health equity initiatives for vulnerable populations, particularly women and children. She actively collaborates with Latinx community organizations in Philadelphia including 'Puentes de Salud' and 'Medicos Unidos'.

Her educational background includes:

• Medical degree from Colombia
• Postgraduate degree in Epidemiology

Karen's research integrates environmental health, climate change, and neurodevelopmental outcomes through large-scale longitudinal studies. Her work emphasizes how social determinants and biological exposures impact early childhood development, with specific focus on HIV-exposed uninfected populations and pandemic-related health disparities. She employs community-based participatory approaches to translate research into actionable interventions for underserved communities.

Her publication record demonstrates consistent focus on pediatric health in resource-constrained settings. The 2024 Botswana study pioneers nurse-led neuroimaging protocols for HIV-affected newborns, while the 2021 COVID-19 analysis establishes critical pediatric imaging benchmarks. Both works exemplify her transdisciplinary methodology bridging clinical practice, epidemiology, and global health implementation science across diverse geographic contexts.

Karen contributes to grant development including NIH proposals for the FLOURISH Study, though formal student advising isn't documented. Her research management role in the NIH-sponsored HBCD Study involves strategic partnership development and community recruitment optimization.

She maintains active roles in the Healthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study - the largest U.S. longitudinal neurodevelopment project - and the Botswana-based FLOURISH Study tracking HIV-exposed children. Her community engagement extends through clinical volunteer networks serving Philadelphia's Latinx population, demonstrating integrated academic-community research translation.