Edna Acosta-Pérez, PhD

Edna Acosta-Pérez, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus. She received her PhD in psychology (2005) and a post-doctoral Master of Science in clinical research (2009) from the University of Puerto Rico and is certified as a Community Based Participatory Researcher. Dr. Acosta-Pérez leads the Community Engagement and Outreach Core of the Hispanic Alliance for Clinical and Translational Research and coordinates the Community Research Initiative of the Puerto Rico Alliance for the Advancement of Biomedical Research Excellence, where she fosters community-academic partnerships and interdisciplinary, translational research. Her work centers on community engagement, implementation science, and health promotion across the lifespan, addressing topics including mental health, asthma, obesity, sexuality, violence, disaster response, and inclusion of vulnerable and minority populations in research. Having joined in January 2026, Dr. Acosta-Pérez is the External Advisory Committee’s newest member. Mississippi INBRE has no doubt her extensive experience in community-engaged research and collaborative program leadership will be a key asset to the program.