July 18, 2024
Miriana Duran receives Magnuson Scholarship
Miriana Duran, a PhD student in the Department of Health Systems and Population Health and research scientist at HPRC, has received the Magnuson Scholarship to support her PhD research to help reduce disparities faced by Latinx communities in Washington! Her research focuses on the mental health impacts of Seattle’s FreshBucks program, which provides lower-income residents with money for produce. Duran aims to explore the program’s potential mental health benefits and how it might foster a sense of belonging and social support through partnerships with community organizations and local retailers.
As a medical doctor in Mexico, Duran recognized the necessity of addressing the root causes of her patients’ ailments. “I started becoming frustrated when I realized that I didn’t have the skillset to help my patients deal with broader things like social determinants of health,” said Duran. “I felt that the public health field would give me the opportunity to have an impact at that greater scale.” Since then, Duran’s public health training has given her the tools to develop culturally sensitive interventions for Latinx communities that help address these root causes. Learn more about Miriana and her research below!