Dr. Coloma has worked in transferring scientific capacity to Latin America since 1993. She has a BS in Biology from the Catholic University in Quito, Ecuador and a PhD in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from the University of California, Los Angeles. She co-funded the Sustainable Sciences Institute (SSI), served on its Board of Directors since 2000 and is its Executive Director since 2008. She is Faculty Researcher (Project Scientist) in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, School of Public Health, at the University of California Berkeley where she has been Co-investigator and Principal Investigator working in close collaboration with Dr Eva Harris for almost two decades.  Dr Coloma works with international field teams in all research aspects: from study design, compliance to implementation and management. Her research has covered dengue and zika studies involving clinical, epidemiological, community-based and information technology for health projects in Nicaragua and Ecuador.  Currently she directs a community based implementation project to mobilize residents against Aedes aegypti, the main vector for Arbovirus transmission,  with the use of ICTs.  In addition, she has served as advisor to Ministries of Health in Central and South America, the Organization of American States, WHO and is currently a member of the Advisory Committee in Health Research for the Pan American Health Organization.