Lab Director
Dr. Miguel Pinedo has an invested interest in better understanding the intersection between migration and health. Though migrant health has become an important facet of health research, migration has rarely been examined as a social determinant of health. Dr. Pinedo’s work addresses this critical area by focusing on how different migration experiences contribute to health disparities, particularly among Latino populations. Specifically, his work investigates how social- and structural-level factors associated with migration to the US; voluntary and forced migration (e.g., deportation); domestic migration within Mexico; and migration to high-risk environments (e.g., settings with increased availability of alcohol and drugs) relate to the epidemiology of substance abuse, HIV risk, and related harms. A large proportion of his work has focused on Mexican migrants residing on both sides of the US-Mexico border, a high-risk region for alcohol and drug abuse and HIV. Overall, his research underscores the importance of migration-related factors in shaping health behaviors, risk practices, and health outcomes.
Prior to joining UT, Dr. Pinedo received his PhD in Global Health from the UC San Diego and completed his postdoctoral training at UC Berkeley. He also previously earned his Master in Public Health from UC Berkeley.