María Alejandra Gutiérrez Torres, MD, MSc

Dr. María Alejandra Gutiérrez Torres is a medical doctor from Colombia whose work reflects a deep commitment to health and peacebuilding. She earned her M.D. from the Universidad de los Andes, where she also completed a major in Government and Public Affairs, minors in Business and Political Science, and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Peacebuilding. Dr. Gutiérrez's multidisciplinary background underpins her unique perspective on child development and health as integral components of peace cultures, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Dr. Gutiérrez has served as a Parenting in Crisis Specialist with Fundación Apapacho, where she collaborates with Parenting for Lifelong Health at the University of Oxford to address the needs of families in crisis situations, including those crossing the Darién Gap. She is also a Research Associate at Global Doctors for Choice, advancing global health equity, particularly in sexual and reproductive rights. Her role as a Research Fellow at Yale centers on the intersection of health and peacebuilding, with a special emphasis on how child-rearing practices shape peace cultures. With the mentorship of Dr. Angélica Pongutá and Dr. James Leckman, she advances the understanding of how families and children play transformative roles in societal peacebuilding.

Additionally, Dr. Gutiérrez has held consultant roles, such as with the University of Texas at Austin, where she worked on examining physical punishment's impact on child development in low- and middle-income countries. Her work is further underscored by her active participation in several esteemed research projects, including studies on malaria and public health challenges, which she conducted in collaboration with Harvard Medical School and other global health organizations.

Through her research, Dr. Gutiérrez aims to promote health equity by exploring multidimensional approaches to child development. She is particularly interested in pursuing further research to examine early childhood development's role in fostering resilient and peaceful communities in LMICs.