ProfessorAlina Rodriguez

Professor Rodriguez first joined Imperial College School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics on a prestigious VINNMER grant by Vinnova - Sweden’s Innovation Agency and is presently a visiting professor. She holds a PhD in Psychology from Uppsala University, Sweden, where she is still affiliated. Professor Rodriguez contributes to post-graduate education in epidemiology and public health. She supervises PhD students and mentors’ post-doctoral fellows.

Professor Rodriguez incorporates epidemiology, public health, and psychology to identify causal risk factors for mental health problems in mothers and children. She leads and collaborates on prospective pregnancy-offspring cohorts using a life course approach. She studies preventable maternal lifestyle factors such as stress, depression, and obesity in pregnancy as well as health behaviours such as diet and physical activity. The child outcomes of interest are neonatal health, childhood growth and obesity, neurodevelopmental problems including symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and adolescent mental health and wellbeing.

Professor Rodriguez is a member of multi-disciplinary networks including: EArly Genetics and Lifecourse Epidemiology (EAGLE) consortium and the Cognition & Behaviour Working Group; Early Growth Genetics (EGG) consortium, consisting of European, Australian, and American cohorts to examine the genetics of growth and psychiatric outcomes; and Global Burden of Disease (GBD) is the premier epidemiological consortium and provides up-to-date analysis for global, regional, and national health policies. She is also a part of new Earth Observation Network of Excellence and the Youth Mental Health Group at Imperial - a College-wide network.

Professor Rodriguez is recognised by the British Psychological Society as a Chartered Psychologist, a legal title that reflects the highest standard of psychological knowledge and expertice. She is a full member of the Division of Academics, Researchers & Teachers in Psychology - DARTP; Division of Neuropsychology - DoN; Division of Clinical Psychology - DCP; and a member of the Faculty for Children, Young People and their Families (CYPF).