Personal Interests:
When I was eleven years old, my family and I moved from a small town to Lima, the capital of Peru. Migration introduced me to the cultural diversity of my country. This interest became explicit in my studies of anthropology and later, my work on gender introduced me to sexual and reproductive health issues. I then decided to undertake post-graduate studies, and I did my Masters in Social Sciences and Health in Argentina. My thesis about men’s sexual pleasure was an attempt to understand this complex dimension of male sexuality.

When I returned to Peru in 2000, I worked as a researcher and consultant on issues such as sexual and reproductive health and male sexuality, by means of analyzing different sexual cultures, sexual identities, health itineraries and HIV/AIDS, as closely related to the sexual and reproductive rights of those most vulnerable and excluded. My experience as a professor and researcher found further space for development at the Post-graduate Programs of two Peruvian academic institutions –Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos and Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia. My position as research advisor in UNICEF-Peru, allowed me to maintain the link between participative research and intervention activities, so that the knowledge obtained can be turned into resources for those individuals.

Academic Interests:
In 2002, I entered the PhD program in Sociomedical Sciences, as this interdisciplinary program between public health and anthropology was of particular interest to me. The presence of professors Richard Parker and Carole Vance was key in my decision to apply to this program, given my wish to work on issues of sexual diversity and citizenship, as well as to integrate the diversity of cultures and sexual and reproductive rights as they affect sexual health promotion and HIV/AIDS prevention.

I am currently interested in studying Peruvian male migrants to New York City in terms of these male sexual cultures, masculinities, and sexual rights. My studies in the Department of Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia University will allow me to contribute to the understanding of health related issues of the marginalized groups of my country, in terms of research studies and teaching activities.