Chair and Professor at California State University Dominguez Hills, United States 🎓
Dr. Ricardo Izurieta is a distinguished public health expert with a Doctor of Public Health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, specializing in epidemiology and tropical medicine. He serves as Chair and Professor at California State University Dominguez Hills and previously led the Global Communicable Diseases program at the University of South Florida. Known for his work on infectious diseases and sustainable public health practices, Dr. Izurieta’s career includes numerous fellowships and awards, including honors from WHO and USAID. He is an active member of multiple global health associations and a dedicated educator and researcher advancing global health resilience and disease prevention.
Professional Profile
Education 🎓:
Dr. Ricardo Izurieta holds a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree in Epidemiology and International Health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (2000). He also completed a Post-Doctoral Diploma in Tropical and Infectious Diseases at the Gorgas Memorial Institute and Universidad Cayetano Heredia, Peru (1998), and a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (1995). His educational journey includes a Postdoctoral fellowship in Health Research and Administration at Universidad Central del Ecuador (1992) and a Doctor of Medicine degree from the same university (1986). His commitment to advancing knowledge further includes specialized training in Clinical Tropical Medicine and other focused courses on vaccinology and leadership.
Work Experience 💼:
Dr. Izurieta currently serves as Chair and Professor at the School of Public Health and Health Sciences, California State University Dominguez Hills. Before this, he was a Professor and Director of Global Communicable Diseases at the University of South Florida (USF) College of Public Health (2018-2024), and led the Public Health Scholar Concentration at the USF Morsani College of Medicine (2014-2024). He also served as founding faculty for the Patel College of Global Sustainability at USF, bringing innovative perspectives on public health and sustainability (2012-2024).
Skills 🔍
Dr. Izurieta specializes in infectious disease epidemiology, tropical medicine, and global public health. His skills extend to leadership in health education and research, particularly in implementing public health programs and researching communicable disease prevention.
Awards and Honors 🏆
Dr. Izurieta has received numerous accolades, including the Professional Development Award from USF and a Fellowship Award from the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education. His fellowships with the Gorgas Memorial Institute and the John J. Sparkman Center also underscore his dedication to public health. International recognitions include research grants from WHO/PAHO and the USAID Thomas Jefferson Fellowship, supporting his efforts in health training.
🤝 Memberships:
He is an active member of key professional associations such as the International Society for Infectious Diseases, the American Public Health Association, and the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. His memberships with the Academy of Sciences of Ecuador and the Inter-American Network of Academies of Science reflect his commitment to the global scientific community.
Teaching Experience 👩🏫:
Dr. Izurieta has extensive teaching experience, particularly in epidemiology and public health, shaping future public health leaders through his roles at the University of South Florida and California State University. His teaching emphasizes global health challenges, epidemiological methods, and the importance of sustainability in public health.
Research Focus 🔬:
His research primarily centers on infectious diseases, global communicable disease prevention, and public health sustainability. Dr. Izurieta has contributed significantly to global health through his research on diseases like cholera, advancing diagnostic methods, and improving public health systems for tropical disease management.
📚 Publilcation
- Risk areas for the occurrence of leprosy in border countries of South America – Brazil and Argentina
- Year: 2022
- Journal: PLoS ONE
- Effect of altitude on COVID-19 mortality in Ecuador: an ecological study
- Year: 2021
- Journal: BMC Public Health
- Fostering east-west and north-south bidirectional collaborations: Experiences from the First International Congress on Ecology and Evolution of Global Communicable Diseases held in Quito and the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
- Year: 2021
- Journal: International Journal of Academic Medicine
- Leptospira in river and soil in a highly endemic area of Ecuador
- Year: 2021
- Journal: BMC Microbiology
- The immunologic response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
- Year: 2021
- Journal: Allergy and Asthma Proceedings
- Using Incentives and Nudging to Improve Non-Targeted HIV Testing in Ecuador: A Randomized Trial
- Year: 2021
- Journal: AIDS and Behavior
- “Cancer is in style”: lifestyle change and the perceived impact of globalization on Andean indigenous communities in Ecuador
- Year: 2021
- Journal: Ethnicity and Health
- Ecological and Health Infrastructure Factors Affecting the Transmission and Mortality of COVID-19
- Year: 2020
- Journal: ResearchSquare
- Epidemiology of cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis in Nicaragua
- Year: 2020
- Journal: Parasite Epidemiology and Control
- Plagues, Epidemics and Pandemics
- Year: 2020
- Book Chapter: Advanced Sciences and Technologies for Security Applications
- Quantifying alcohol use among Ecuadorian human immunodeficiency virus positive individuals and assessing alcohol as an independent risk factor for human immunodeficiency virus: A case control study STROBE
- Year: 2020
- Journal: Medicine