María Paola Jiménez Villamizar
About me
María Paola Jiménez-Villamizar is a psychologist and PhD in Health and Sport Psychology from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Her research focuses on mental health and well-being in academic settings, digital assessment tools in Latin America, and community-based interventions addressing stigma and social determinants of health. She has led epidemiological studies with Afro-descendant communities in Colombia and developed innovative programs promoting adolescent mental health, such as Tejiendo Redes. With a strong background in epidemiology, social intervention, and health psychology, she integrates scientific rigor and social commitment to advance equity, well-being, and human development.
María Paola Jiménez-Villamizar is a psychologist and PhD in Health and Sport Psychology from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), where she defended her doctoral dissertation in 2025 on the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the post-pandemic challenges faced by university students. She also holds postgraduate training in epidemiology and social intervention, which has allowed her to integrate quantitative and community-based methodologies into her academic and research work.
Academic and professional experience
She has served as a faculty member in undergraduate and graduate programs at Colombian universities such as Universidad Sergio Arboleda, Universidad del Magdalena, Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia, Universidad EAN, and INFOTEP. She has taught courses in educational psychology, family health, statistics, and assessment, and has contributed to the curricular design of new graduate and specialization programs.
Her research has focused on:
• Mental health and well-being in academic contexts (burnout, engagement, daytime sleepiness).
• Distribution of mental health services and suicide rates in Colombia.
• Community-based psychoeducational intervention programs, such as Tejiendo Redes in Taganga.
• Epidemiological studies with Afro-descendant communities in Magdalena, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Colombia.
Academic production and networks
Her academic production includes scientific articles, book chapters, and presentations at national and international conferences. She leads the Human Behavior Measurement Research Group (Semillero de Investigación en Medición del Comportamiento Humano), affiliated with the CICOSVIDA research group, where she organizes academic fairs such as Expodatos and training cycles in data analytics. She also participates in networks such as ASCOFAPSI and in collaborations with institutions in Spain, Mexico, and Chile.
Recognitions
• Distinction in her doctoral defense (2025) at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, for the relevance and novelty of her research.
• Institutional recognition at Universidad Sergio Arboleda (2025) as Best Full-Time Faculty Member.
• Awards from Universidad del Magdalena (2022 and 2021) for her contributions as a mentor at CIE and for high-impact scientific publications.
Professional vision
María Paola combines scientific rigor with social commitment. Her career is characterized by the integration of research, teaching, and community engagement, with a strong focus on equity, well-being, and human development, establishing herself as a reference in the articulation of mental health, education, and social transformation.
