Chile: Santiago, Society and Health Research Center (CISS) - Universidad Mayor

The overarching mission of the Society and Health Research Center (CISS) is to advance well-being at the individual, social, and institutional levels in a context of global demographic, epidemiological, technological, and environmental change. To pursue this mission, the goals of the center are to conduct world-class interdisciplinary research with real-world implications, train new researchers, and disseminate evidence to broad audiences. Our research strengths are grouped into three clusters: (1) social and life-course determinants of health and aging, (2) social relationships and cohesion, (3) and institutions and regulation from a cross-national and comparative perspective. To study these issues, we use mixed methods and embrace the new opportunities arising with an era of big “cells to society” data.

This is a Mailman School of Public Health (MSPH) site. Global Pop works in coordination with the MSPH Office of Field to offer these opportunities.

Columbia University Faculty Liaison: Carly Hutchinson, PhD, MA
Site Mentors: Esteban Calvo, PhD, MPH; Estela Blanco, PhD, MPH, MA; José Miguel Cabezas, PhD; Álvaro Castillo Carniglia, PhD, MSc; Antonia Díaz-Valdés Iriarte, PhD, MSW; Nicolás Montalva, PhD; Teresita Rocha-Jiménez, PhD, MA; Diego Palacios, PhD; Sergio Peña-Neira, PhD

Research opportunities available at this site:
Summer Research Projects, Scholarly Project, and Research Year

Thematic Research Areas at this site:
Health Systems and Health Governance, Social Determinants of Health, Epidemiology, Ageing, Education, Migrant health, Mental Health, and Cross-national health

Global Pop funds students from the following CUIMC Schools at this site:
VP&S and MSPH

Language requirement:
Prefer students with a knowledge of Spanish

Potential activities that could be carried out by students at this site:
Literature Review, Interview tool development, Interviewing/Surveying, Attend regular Team/Site meetings, Data collection, Data monitoring, Data analysis, Program monitoring and evaluation, Manuscript writing, Summarizing/Disseminating results, Formulation of recommendations/policy guidance, and Community outreach

Other requirements or information:
This site offers on-site orientation upon arrival.
CISS Website
Calvo Lab's Website

About Projects with CISS in 2024

Project #1 Title: Fragmented journeys: The impact of COVID-19 and the restrictive migration policies in the new geographies in Chile (PI: Carte, Co-PI: Rocha-Jimenez).

Project #1 Description: The student will work on the abovementioned project, analyzing and working with qualitative data on migration and new migration trajectories in Chile and the South American region. The project is in the early stages of data collection, so this opportunity may depend on the availability of the data.

Project #1 Requirements: Intermediate Spanish speaking and reading, as all the in-depth interviews are in Spanish, and experience in qualitative analyses.

Project #2 Title: Climate Change and Maternal Health

Project #2 Description: Students will work with Dr. Estela Blanco on projects broadly related to climate change (extreme temperatures and air pollution) and maternal and child health in Chile. For example, student may work on a project related to changes in number and intensity of heat waves in the neighborhoods of the Santiago Metropolitan Region over a 10-year period. Another example is participating in a team creating a dynamic model of air pollution to assign exposure to fine particulate material or ozone during pregnancy.

Student Participation: In-person

Travel Location: Santiago, Chile

Number of Students: 1- 2

Chile: Santiago, Society and Health Research Center (CISS) - Universidad Mayor

About Projects with CISS in 2024

Mentored Research Projects in 2023

Mentored Research Projects in 2022

Mentored Research Projects in 2020