Kiara Cruz, MPH
Senior Research Analyst, National Birth Equity Collaborative
Kiara Cruz is a birth equity researcher and patient advocate. She has expertise in working with communities to apply evidence-based practices to public health to benefit Black and brown communities, implementing trauma-and-resilience informed systems to maternity care networks, and conducting qualitative research to illuminate the relationships between the social determinants of health and birth outcomes. She is currently a Senior Research Analyst on the Research and Strategy Team at NBEC.
Kiara Cruz, MPH (she/her) is a birth equity researcher and patient advocate. She has expertise in working with communities to apply evidence-based practices to public health to benefit Black and brown communities, implementing trauma-and-resilience informed systems to maternity care networks, and conducting qualitative research to illuminate the relationships between the social determinants of health and birth outcomes. Ms. Cruz is currently a Senior Research Analyst on the Research and Strategy Team at NBEC. She is leading the NBEC team in building relationships with community partners for pilot testing of the respectful maternity care training and patient reported experience measures and overseeing the day-to-day activities of the research team. Ms. Cruz has published on the ways in which medical training and practice socializes medical professionals toward biased care and treatment. Ms. Cruz earned her Master of Public Health in Maternal & Child Health from Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, where she is now a doctoral student in Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology. In addition to work, Ms. Cruz loves reading, traveling, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.