Ana Paula is a dietitian from Mexico with a Master of Public Health degree from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where she concentrated in Social and Behavioural Sciences.

Throughout her academic and professional career, she has been actively involved in conducting research on the social and environmental determinants of health. Her research efforts have been primarily focused on studying programmes and policies that affect young children who live in vulnerable situations in both Mexico and the United States. She is particularly interested in policy evaluation and its impact on poverty, health, and gender inequities to identify gaps and suggest evidence-based solutions to improve the quality of life.

In addition to conducting research, Ana Paula played an instrumental role in coordinating programmes to evaluate, develop, and implement strategies to enhance access to physical activity in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her efforts focused on fostering healthy habits and behaviours that can help mitigate the adverse effects of sedentary lifestyles among the residents of Cambridge. Through her work, Ana has collaborated with a wide range of stakeholders, including community members, public health officials, and local businesses, to devise and implement innovative approaches to promoting physical activity tailored to the community's specific needs and challenges.

Ana Paula is currently working as a research assistant for the Multi-Agency Child Safeguarding (MACS) Evaluation.