M. (Macarena) Lara

I'm a scientific researcher interested in nutrition, health inequalities, public health interventions and epidemiology.
I have worked with children, adolescents and adults cohorts in different countries. My research experience stretches across all phases of a scientific study including study design and planning, training and supervision of data collection, field work, instrument design and validation, data analysis and interpretation, manuscript preparation, knowledge translation and dissemination of results. I also have experience with evidence synthesis through conducting and supervising numerous systematic reviews.

2011 - 2015:
University of Chile, Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health.
PhD in Public Health
Thesis: “Socioeconomic changes and blood lipids levels: a cohort study in adults”
Effect of education on blood lipid levels, BMI, energy intake and physical activity mediated by change in income, in young adults
followed over 10 years.

2009 - 2010:
University of Chile, Faculty of Medicine, School of Postgraduate Studies.
MSc in Nutrition
Thesis: “Tracking of nutritional status post-menarche in two ethnic groups”
Comparison of weight, height, BMI, waist circumference and body fat percentage from menarche to three years post-menarche
between indigenous and non-indigenous adolescents from the Araucanía Region of Chile.

2004 - 2008
University of Chile, Faculty of Medicine, School of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Nutritionist, Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics

2020:
Lara M, Labrecque JA, van Lenthe FJ, Voortman T.
Estimating reductions in ethnic inequalities in child adiposity from hypothetical diet, screen time, and sports participation interventions.
Epidemiology. 2020 Jun 12. doi: 10.1097/EDE.0000000000001221.

2019:
Jiménez A, Molina L, Lara M.
[Association between motivation and study habits in higher education].
Journal of Psychology and
Education, 2019 Jan 2, 14(1), 50-62.

2018:
Lara M, Amigo H.
Association between education and blood lipid levels as income increases over a decade: a cohort study.
BMC Public Health. 2018 Feb 27;18(1):286. doi: 10.1186/s12889-018-5185-3.

2017:
Lara M, Bustos P, Amigo H.
Change of post-menarche anthropometric indicators in indigenous and non-indigenous adolescents from Chile.
Am J Hum Biol. 2017 Sep 10;29(5). doi: 10.1002/ajhb.23006.

Anderson I, Robson B, Connolly M, Al-Yaman F, Bjertness E, King A, Tynan M, Madden R, Bang A, Coimbra CE, Pesantes MA,
Amigo H, Andronov S, Armien B, Obando DA, Axelsson P, Bhatti ZS, Bhutta ZA, Bjerregaard P, Bjertness MB, Briceno-Leon R,
Broderstad A, Bustos P, Chongsuvivatwong V, Chu J,Deji,Gouda J, Harikumar R, Htay TT, Htet AS, Izugbara C, Kamaka M, King
M, Kodavanti MR, Lara M, Laxmaiah A, Lema C, Taborda AM, Liabsuetrakul T, Lobanov A, Melhus M, Meshram I, Miranda JJ,
Mu TT, Nagalla B, Nimmathota A, Popov AI, Poveda AM, Ram F, Reich H, Santos RV, Sein AA, Shekhar C, Sherpa LY, Skold P,
Tano S, Tanywe A, Ugwu C, Ugwu F, Vapattanawong P, Wan X, Welch JR, Yang G, Yang Z, Yap L.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27108232Indigenous and tribal peoples' health (The Lancet–Lowitja Institute Global
Collaboration): a population study.
Lancet. 2016 Jul 9; 388(10040):131-57. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)00345-7.

2015:
Amigo H, Lara M, Bustos P, Muñoz S.
Postmenarche growth: follow-up study among indigenous and non- indigenous Chilean adolescents.
BMC Public Health. 2015 Jan 31;15: 51. doi: 10.1186/s12889-015-1389-y

2015:
Pienovi L, Lara M, Bustos P, Amigo H.
[Fruit and vegetable intake, and blood pressure. A population research].
Arch Latinoam Nutr. 2015 Mar; 65(1):21-6.

2012:
Lara M, Bustos P, Amigo H, Silva C, Rona R.
Is waist circumference a better predictor of blood pressure, insulin resistance and lipoprotein levels than body mass index?
BMC Public Health. 2012 Aug 10; 12:638. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-12-638

2012:
Amigo H, Bustos P, Vásquez S, Ortiz J, Lara M.
Socioeconomic status and age at menarche in indigenous and non indigenous Chilean adolescents.
Cad Saude Publica. 2012 May; 28(5):977-83.

2011:
Lara M, Amigo H.
[Which type of intervention is best at reducing weight in obese and overweight adults? A systematic review and meta-analysis.]
Arch Latinoam Nutr. 2011 Jan; 61(1): 45-54.

2010:
Espinoza I, Muñoz C, Lara M, Uribe JP.
[Oral health habits in dental students at the University of Chile].
Rev. Clin. Periodoncia Implantol. Rehabil. Oral. 2010 Abr; 3(1): 11-8.

 

2020:
University Arturo Prat of Chile, PhD in Educational Sciences
Professor and thesis director

2016 - 2020:
University Arturo Prat of Chile, International Postgraduate Program
Methodologist and Professor in the International Master’s Education Program

2014 - 2015:
University of Chile, Faculty of Medicine, School of Postgraduate Studies
Assistant professor

2019 - 2020:
Erasmus MC, Netherlands Institute for Health Sciences (NIHES)
Scientific researcher

2011 - 2015:
National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research (CONICYT): Scholarship for National Doctorate N° 21110244 –
award for PhD funding.

2009 - 2010:
Tuition scholarship for postgraduate students in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Chile with high academic
performance.

International experience:

2015:
Federal University of Pelotas: Centre of Epidemiological Research. Pelotas, Brazil

2014:
McGill University: Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health. Montreal, Canada