Executive Committee
12th Houston Global Health Collaborative Conference - 2024
HGHC Executive Committee Bios
Abbas Karim
Abbas Karim completed his Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology at the University of Houston in 2022 and is currently a second year medical student at the UTMB John Sealy School of Medicine in Galveston, TX, pursuing his M.D., with a Scholarly Concentration in Global Health. His specific career and research interests include global surgery, surgical capacity-building, plastic & reconstructive surgery, global health diplomacy, and the provision of emergency/trauma surgical care in post-conflict and post-disaster regions.
Previously, Abbas has worked with Harris County Public Health as a member of the Medical Reserve Corps throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, led global health-focused student organizations, served at free clinics for migrant and underserved populations, and conducted both clinical and global health research.
He is greatly excited to apply the skills and knowledge he has gained thus far toward creating an enriching, engaging HGHC 2024 Conference that furthers global health education, research, and service.
Lorena Macias-Navarro
Lorena Macias-Navarro is a second year doctoral student at the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. Her research interests focus on finding science-based solutions to address nutrition-related diseases with a focus on the intersection between food, policy, and health.
Prior to joining UTHealth, Lorena was appointed by former Mexican President, Mr. Enrique Peña Nieto, as Executive Secretary of the Science Advisory Council. During her tenure as a science diplomat, she acted as a liaison between the scientific community in Mexico and the Office of Science, Technology, and Innovation of the President.
Lorena is a Food Engineer from Universidad Iberoamericana and holds a Master’s degree in Food Policy from Tufts University. She has also been a visiting scientist at the Nutrition Department at the University of Arizona, the Nutrition for Health and Development Department at the World Health Organization, and the T.H. Chan School of Public Health at Harvard University.