Member of IRET-UNA (Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances, National University of Costa Rica), a WHO/PAHO Collaborating Centre and part of the International Networks on Occupational and Environmental Health

Former Vice-Rector of the National University of Costa Rica

Dr. Marianela Rojas Garbanzo is a psychologist with a master’s degree in Occupational and Workplace Health and a PhD in Biomedicine, with a focus on Public and Occupational Health, from Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona.

With over 25 years of academic experience, she has become a regional leader in occupational health, psychosocial risk factors, epidemiology and social determinants of health, particularly in Latin America.

She served as Vice-Rector of the National University of Costa Rica and coordinated the SALTRA Regional Programme (Health, Labour and Environment in Central America), leading multicentre research on informal work, labour conditions, pesticide exposure and health inequalities.

A committed educator and policy contributor, Dr. Rojas has developed graduate programmes, supervised theses in Costa Rica and Spain, and co-authored over 35 scientific publications. She collaborates with IRET, a WHO/PAHO Collaborating Centre, and participates in multiple editorial boards and international academic networks on occupational and environmental health.