Xóchitl Castañeda

Xóchitl Castañeda is the Founding Director of Health Initiative of the Americas (HIA) at the School of Public Health, University of California (UC) Berkeley. A medical anthropologist by training, Castañeda was educated in Mexico and completed three post-doctoral fellowships: UC San Francisco, Harvard, and Amsterdam University. Since 2008, she has served as a professor on Migration and Health at various UC campuses. Her fundraising efforts are significant, as she has received over 100 grants, from private entities, and state and federal agencies. Her leadership to improve the health and the quality of life of underserved populations is widely recognized. In 2020, she received the National Health Award, under the “Without Borders” category. In 2019, she received the Othli Award, one of the most prestigious distinction presented by the Mexican Government to a person who have positively affected the lives of Mexican nationals in the United States. Castañeda has over 200 publications and has served as a consultant for more than 40 national and international institutions. She has also served in the Boards of Directors, and other honorable membership positions of 20 organizations and programs including, the California Wellness Foundation; California Immigrant Policy Center; and CDC National Diabetes Education Program. Her vision has led to the creation of nationally recognized programs such as Binational Health Week and the Ventanillas de Salud at Latin American Consulates.