Alex Ortega, PhD, an epidemiologist and health services researcher, is Professor and Director of the Center for Population Health and Community Impact in the Dornsife School of Public Health at Drexel University. Ortega is known for his research and public advocacy in improving the health and well-being of Latino youth and families in the United States, especially those who are undocumented or are otherwise disenfranchised. He has directed NIH, AHRQ, and foundation-funded research in a variety of sites and contexts, including Puerto Rico, New England, and Southern California. His observational and intervention research have been in a variety of areas focused on Latino health and health care, including: access to and use of health services for youth and families, the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on population health and health disparities, mental health services and psychiatric epidemiology, and community-engaged interventions to improve food environments in urban food swamps.

This is the fourth in a series of Health Equity Lectures sponsored by the Schools of Public Health, Nursing and Social Work.

Reception to follow.