Victoria Orrego

Victoria Orrego is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies, School of Communication, University of Miami. Her research addresses health disparities in HIV prevention and maternal health through community-engaged approaches with vulnerable populations.

Her expertise spans health communication campaign design, communication channel selection, formative evaluation methodologies, application of communication theories, and audience segmentation for tailored messaging. She focuses on culturally responsive interventions for marginalized communities including work on organ donation, substance abuse, and maternal health disparities.

Dr. Orrego currently leads a UM CHARM & CTSI-funded project addressing COVID-19 misinformation among Latinos living with HIV and previously completed a UM CFAR pilot grant engaging Guatemalan comadronas for HIV prevention. She participates in an interdisciplinary team researching HIV prevention through infant male circumcision in Zambia.

Her work establishes sustained partnerships with community stakeholders, health providers, and local staff across eight years of field research in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala, emphasizing culturally tailored intervention development through collaborative community engagement.