UNICEF Mexico | Nutrition Chief

Mauro joined UNICEF Mexico in April 2020 as the head of the Nutrition area.

He holds a Bachelor's degree in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Turin (Italy), a Master's in Public Health from the University of Edinburgh (Scotland), and a specialization in Nutritional Epidemiology from the University of Bordeaux (France).

Mauro has worked with civil society organizations and the United Nations and has over 15 years of international experience in health and nutrition issues across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In recent years, Mauro's work has focused on developing and implementing multisectoral plans to reduce the triple burden of malnutrition, social and behavior change programs, and improving food environments for children and adolescents.

M. en F. Alejandro Chávez-Casillas
DIANUI | Consultant

Alejandro is a Pharmaceutical Chemist and Biologist (QFB) from the Facultad de Estudios Superiores, Cuautitlán, UNAM; holds a Master’s in Finance, and is currently a Doctoral Candidate in Innovation and Social Responsibility at Universidad Anáhuac, Campus Norte. He completed a specialty in High Direction (AD2, ADIT, ADEA) at IPADE.

He serves as General Director of Vitanui SA de CV and is the Founder of Dianui AC, Dianui Educación Continua SC (DEC), and Instituto Vitanui AC. He is a member of the Academic Council for the Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition and Food Science at Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City, and also serves on the Board of Directors for the Mexican Center for Philanthropy, CEMEFI AC, and the LIF Newton Fund at the University of Oxford.

Alejandro has established numerous collaborations with public, private, and social organizations on educational and social projects, including partnerships with institutions like UIA, INCMNSZ, INSP, EDN–ISSSTE, IMSS, Academia Mexicana de Medicina, Academia de Cirugía, INP, AMMFEN, TEC de Monterrey, and Universidad Anáhuac, among others.

In 1997, he was the National President of ATAM AC, Section 29 of the Institute of Food Technologists, and since 1998, he has organized congresses on diverse topics related to child nutrition. These events include “The Importance of the Life Cycle Approach in Maternal and Child Health,” “Nutrition Education” with Universidad Iberoamericana, “Breastfeeding at Work and Public Areas,” and “Social Responsibility and Nutrition” with Universidad Anáhuac, among others.

He has coordinated three consultations with Mexican presidential candidates through the “National Summit on Food Health” in 2000, 2006, and 2012.

In addition to creating various awards to foster innovation in health and nutrition, such as the “Philanthropic Linkage Award for Child Nutrition” and the “National Showcase of Healthy Creativity,” Alejandro is actively involved in social initiatives to support child nutrition. Among these initiatives are the “Código L” award, which recognizes workplaces that support breastfeeding women, and “Nutribus: Your Transportation to Health,” aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles in primary schools.

Dr. Salvador Espino y Sosa
Instituto Nacional de Perinatología | Consultant

Dr. Salvador Espino is the Deputy Director of Clinical Research at the Instituto Nacional de Perinatología, where he coordinates the clinical care and research group focused on fetal mortality. He is an SII-level C researcher and holds Level I recognition in Mexico’s National System of Researchers (SNI), with research interests in preeclampsia and postpartum hemorrhage.

A specialist and subspecialist trained at the Instituto Nacional de Perinatología, Dr. Espino conducted his doctoral research on nitric oxide synthases in collaboration with Dr. Guadalupe Estrada’s team in the Immunobiochemistry Laboratory. His master’s project in education, completed under Dr. Enrique Gómez Sánchez, focused on procedural competency-based educational strategies. He previously served as Director of Education at the Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica.

Dr. Espino is a gynecologist and obstetrician with a subspecialty in Maternal-Fetal Medicine, a Master’s in Medical Sciences, and a Master’s in Medical Education. He has extensive experience in clinical practice, teaching, and clinical research. His clinical master’s thesis at the Instituto Nacional de Perinatología involved research on predicting preeclampsia using maternal cerebral artery flowmetry.

Dr. Espino has co-authored national clinical practice guidelines for the Mexican Ministry of Health on preeclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage, and thrombosis in pregnancy. He is a lead instructor for the national PHS obstetric emergencies course and teaches Evidence-Based Medicine for the Master’s program in Clinical Nutrition at the Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública. He serves on the Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee for the Mexican College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (COMEGO) and the Clinical Research Committee of the Mexican Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology Colleges (FEMECOG). He is an active member of both COMEG and the National Academy of Medical Education, a reviewer for Ginecología y Obstetricia de México, and part of the Editorial Committee for Perinatología y Reproducción Humana.

Dr. Luis Ortiz Hernández
Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Xochimilco | Consultant

Dr. Luis Ortiz Hernández holds a degree in Nutrition and a Ph.D. in Collective Health Sciences. He is a professor in the Department of Health Care at the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Xochimilco (UAM-X), teaching in the Human Nutrition Bachelor’s program and serving as a mentor in the Doctorate of Biological and Health Sciences at UAM and the Graduate Program in Health Sciences at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM).

His research focuses on understanding socioeconomic inequalities in health, diet, and nutrition; developing tools to assess nutritional status, physical activity, and fitness levels among schoolchildren and adolescents; and adapting person-centered strategies to encourage healthy habits. Dr. Ortiz Hernández holds a Level II Investigator recognition in Mexico’s National System of Researchers (SNI) from the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT).

Dra. Martha Kaufer Horwitz
Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas | Consultant

Dr. Martha Kaufer Horwitz holds a degree in Nutrition and Food Science, a Master’s in Sociomedical Sciences, and a Ph.D. in Health Sciences. She is a Level II Investigator in Mexico’s National System of Researchers, a member of the National Academy of Medicine, and a Fellow of The Obesity Society. Currently, she is affiliated with the Obesity and Eating Disorders Clinic at the National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition Salvador Zubirán (INCMNSZ). Dr. Kaufer also serves as the Secretary of the Research Committee at INCMNSZ and is a member of the Ethics Committee at Universidad Iberoamericana.

She has extensive experience in academia, teaching at institutions such as the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) and Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City, and has supervised theses at the undergraduate, master's, doctoral, and specialized levels.

Dr. Kaufer is a certified nutritionist by the Mexican College of Nutritionists, with a specialty in Clinical Nutrition Research, and holds an international certification in Obesity from the World Obesity Federation. She is a founding member and past president of the Mexican College of Nutritionists and the Mexican Association of Nutrition, and an active member of several professional societies, including the Mexican Society of Nutrition and Endocrinology, the Latin American Nutrition Society, The Obesity Society, and the American Society for Nutrition.

She serves as an associate editor for Cuadernos de Nutrición and is on the editorial boards of Archivos Latinoamericanos de Nutrición, the Mexican Journal of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Nutrition, the Mexican Journal of Nursing, and the Gaceta Médica de México. Dr. Kaufer has co-edited several books, including Medical Nutriology, Obesity: Perspectives for Understanding and Treatment, and Dietary and Physical Activity Guidelines in the Context of Overweight and Obesity for the Mexican Population. She is also the author of Matters of Weight: A Guide to the Rights and Wrongs in Nutrition, along with numerous scientific and public outreach articles.

Dr. Reynaldo Martorell
Rollins School of Public Health | Consultant

Originally from Honduras, Dr. Reynaldo Martorell holds a Ph.D. in Biological Anthropology from the University of Washington in Seattle. He currently holds the Robert W. Woodruff Chair in International Nutrition at the Department of Global Health, Emory University, Atlanta. Previously, he served as a professor of nutrition at Cornell and Stanford Universities and began his career at the Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP) in Guatemala.

Dr. Martorell's research focuses on maternal and child nutrition, growth and development, the short- and long-term effects of early malnutrition on physiological functions, micronutrient deficiencies, and the emerging global incidence of obesity and chronic non-communicable diseases. His studies highlight the critical importance of nutrition during the first 1,000 days of life (pregnancy and the first two years) in shaping adult health and human capital. His current research projects are based in Guatemala, Mexico, Vietnam, and India.

Recognized for his scientific contributions, The Lancet published a feature on him titled “Reynaldo Martorell: Driving Force in Maternal and Child Nutrition” (Volume 382, August 2013). He is a member of the COHORTS collaboration, which integrates birth cohort studies from Brazil, Guatemala, South Africa, the Philippines, and India. Additionally, Dr. Martorell serves on the Executive Board of the Food Fortification Initiative (FFI), Helen Keller International’s Board, and chairs the External Advisory Council of INCAP, among other roles. He is an elected member of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine, the Spanish Academy of Nutrition, the American Epidemiological Society, and a Fellow of the American Society for Nutrition.

His numerous awards include the Gopalan Award from the Nutrition Society of India, the International Nutrition Award from the American Society for Nutrition, the Raymond Pearl Award from the Human Biology Association, the Carlos Slim Award for Health Research, and a special recognition from the President of Honduras for his “Contributions to the Fight Against Hunger and Malnutrition.”

Dr. Martorell has been actively involved in translating scientific knowledge into policies and programs. He has served on committees or as a consultant for the U.S. Institute of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), international organizations (UNICEF, the World Health Organization, the Pan American Health Organization, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Food Programme), and various foundations (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The Wellcome Trust, The Pew Charitable Trusts).

Dra. Rebeca Monroy Torres
Colegio Mexicano de Nutriólogos | Consultant

Dr. Rebeca Monroy Torres is a Certified Nutritionist with the Colegio Mexicano de Nutriólogos since 2008. She holds a Ph.D. in Medical Sciences from the University of Guanajuato and has four master's degrees in Clinical Research, Technological Innovation Management, International Expertise in Toxicology, and Medicinal Plant Development and Research, and is currently pursuing a master’s in Policy and Government.

She is a Level 1 National Researcher with CONACYT and a professor and researcher at the University of Guanajuato's Department of Medicine and Nutrition, where she pioneered the “Environmental Nutrition and Food Security” Laboratory named after her research line. Dr. Monroy is part of the Translational Biomedicine Academic Body and founded the State of Guanajuato’s University Observatory on Food Security and Nutrition (OUSANEG) and the scientific outreach journal REDICINAySA. She is also a member of the International Persistent Organic Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) for a toxic-free world and has contributed to the United Nations Committee on World Food Security, especially on guidelines for food systems and nutrition in 2021.

Dr. Monroy is affiliated with the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World and the association 10,000 Women United for Mexico. She is the author of Guide for Developing Health Research Projects in a Sustainable Era and served as President of the Ethics and Research Committee at the Maternal and Child Specialty Hospital from 2019 to 2022, holding a registry with CONBIOÉTICA.

Dra. Alicia Parra Carriedo
Universidad Iberoamericana | Consultant

Dr. Alicia Parra Carriedo holds a Bachelor's degree in Nutrition and Food Science, a Master’s in History of Thought, a Ph.D. in Clinical Nutrition, and a Ph.D. in Human Development Sciences. She has been a certified nutritionist by the Colegio Mexicano de Nutriólogos since 2000 and holds a SCOPE Certification (Specialist Certification of Obesity Professional Education) from the World Obesity Federation. She is an active member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the International Association for the Study of Obesity, and the Asociación Mexicana de Nutrición Clínica y Terapia Nutricional (AMAEE).

Dr. Parra served as the coordinator of the Nutrition Clinic at Universidad Iberoamericana for eight years, is a founding member of the university's Research Ethics Committee, and is currently the Director of the Department of Health at Universidad Iberoamericana.

Mtra. Julieta Ponce Sánchez
Centro de Orientación Alimentaria | Consultant

Julieta Ponce Sánchez is a Mexican nutritionist with a degree from Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, a Master’s in Quality Systems Management, and a specialization in Human Rights from Universidad de Castilla La Mancha. She is a doctoral candidate in Human Rights through the National Human Rights Commission’s inter-institutional program, focusing on the Right to Breastfeeding. She has completed additional certifications in Comprehensive Obesity Management (Universidad Iberoamericana), Field and Rural Anthropology (Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia), Public Policy Analysis (UAM), and Food Systems in Latin America. She is also a graduate of the Strategic Litigation in Human Rights program at the UNAM’s Instituto de Investigaciones Jurídicas.

Julieta serves as Director of Nutritional Intervention at Instituto COA and is a professor at Universidad de La Salle for COA Nutrition and Right to Food topics at IIJ-UNAM. She has co-authored books on food guidance and is an active member of the Alianza por la Salud Alimentaria, Mexico's Breastfeeding Working Group, and the campaign Sin Maíz No Hay País. Her areas of interest include the Right to Food, breastfeeding, children's rights, consumer psychology, and combatting poverty and inequality through nutrition education.

Dr. Juan Ángel Rivera Dommarco
Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública | Consultant

Dr. Juan Ángel Rivera Dommarco is the Director General of the National Institute of Public Health (INSP) in Mexico and a Professor of Nutrition at the School of Public Health of Mexico. He is a member of the Executive Board of the International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI), a member of the EAT-Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems, and a member of the National Academy of Medicine (ANM), the Mexican Academy of Sciences (AMC), the American Society of Nutrition (ASN), and the Latin American Society of Nutrition (SLAN), where he served as President from 2015 to 2018. He was the founding Director of the Center for Nutrition and Health Research (CINyS) at INSP and has served on the Global Steering Committee on Obesity Prevention and the UN High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition.

Dr. Rivera has overseen the nutrition component of Mexico’s National Nutrition Surveys and has led evaluations of several food distribution programs in Mexico. He was an academic member of the National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy (CONEVAL). He also led the multidisciplinary team from the National Academy of Medicine that developed obesity prevention recommendations which influenced Mexican obesity prevention policies.

Dr. Rivera earned his Master's and PhD in International Nutrition from Cornell University. He is the author of over 500 publications, including 311 scientific articles, 135 book chapters, and 67 books. His work has been presented in more than 730 scientific events worldwide and cited over 23,000 times. He is a Level III National Researcher in Mexico’s National System of Researchers and a Medical Sciences Researcher, Level F, in the Coordination of National Institutes of Health and High-Specialty Hospitals.

His research focuses on the epidemiology of malnutrition (including undernutrition and obesity), the long-term effects of early childhood malnutrition, and the design and evaluation of programs and policies to improve population health and nutrition.

Dr. Rivera’s contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including the International Hippocrates Medical Research Award in Human Nutrition (2010), the Scopus Health Sciences Award (2010), the Kellogg International Nutrition Research Award (2009), the GlaxoSmithKline National Research Award (20th edition), the Fred L. Soper Award from the Pan American Health Organization (2003), and the Carlos Slim Health Award (2019) for his research career.

Dr. Felipe Vadillo Ortega
Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica | Consultant

Dr. Felipe Vadillo Ortega holds a medical degree, a Master’s in Molecular Biology, and a PhD in Biomedical Sciences, all from the Faculty of Medicine at UNAM. He completed postdoctoral studies at the University of Pennsylvania and Oregon Health Sciences University. Currently, he is the Director of Research at the National Institute of Genomic Medicine and a tenured full professor at the Faculty of Medicine, UNAM. Dr. Vadillo's career began at the National Institute of Perinatology, where he worked from 1987 to 2009. Between 1999 and 2001, he was the Director of the Department of Health at Universidad Iberoamericana. He also holds an adjunct professorship at the School of Public Health, University of Michigan. His research primarily focuses on the pathophysiology of pregnancy complications, employing molecular techniques and clinical trials.

He has published 190 indexed articles, two books, and 15 book chapters. He has been a Level III researcher in Mexico’s National System of Researchers since 2004. Dr. Vadillo has mentored 60 undergraduate students, 22 in medical specialties, 15 at the master’s level, 17 doctoral candidates, and 2 postdoctoral researchers. He has been a visiting professor at institutions such as the University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan, World Health Organization, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Wayne State University, and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Dr. Vadillo is a full member of the National Academy of Medicine, the Mexican Academy of Sciences, the Society for Reproductive Investigation, and the Preterm Birth International Collaborative, where he serves on the Board of Directors. He is also a member of The Society for the Study of Reproduction and five national scientific societies.

His awards include the Gabino Barreda Medal from UNAM, the Marcos and Celia Maus Award, the Aída Weiss Award, a Fogarty NIH Fellowship, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fellowship, the Glaxo Award, the Silanes Award, the Gen Award (twice), the Kellogg’s Award, the National Nutrition Award from FUNSALUD, and the Gregorio Pérez Award.