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She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Communication Design from the University Center for Art, Architecture and Design of the University of Guadalajara, and has training as an Emergency Medical Technician through the Mexican Red Cross. She subsequently obtained a Master’s degree in Processes and Graphic Expression for Architectural and Urban Design and a Ph.D. in Occupational Health Sciences from the University of Guadalajara. This academic background has enabled her to develop a cross-disciplinary perspective on the relationships between the built environment, working conditions, and human health. Her professional and academic trajectory is characterized by interdisciplinary training that integrates design, architecture, the built environment, occupational health, and scientific research, with a particular interest in the relationship between environmental conditions in indoor spaces and human health. Her training in prehospital care and her experience in the healthcare sector further complemented this trajectory, particularly through her work with hospital environments. This convergence of architecture, health, and occupational safety led her research toward examining the influence of the physical and environmental characteristics of buildings on their occupants.
During her doctoral studies, she conducted the research project entitled “Sick Building Syndrome and Psychosocial Risk Factors among Healthcare Personnel in a Hospital Environment in Mexico,” within the University of Guadalajara’s research area on Psychosocial Conditions and Mental Health at Work. The project examined the relationship between indoor environmental conditions and the health of healthcare personnel, particularly within hospital settings. As part of this research, she developed and contributed to the validation of a specific instrument for detecting Sick Building Syndrome in hospital environments. This research resulted in the SEEKARA Scale, ultimately comprising 58 items and five dimensions addressing physical, chemical, and biological agents; ergonomic factors; psychosocial factors; and physical and psychological symptoms. The findings of this work were published in the Revista Colombiana de Salud Ocupacional in 2023.
Her academic work also includes the study of the theoretical foundations of Sick Building Syndrome from an environmental psychology perspective, addressing the interaction between individuals and their built physical environment. This research line strengthened her interest in understanding buildings not merely as architectural objects, but as environmental systems capable of influencing the well-being, health, and performance of their occupants. Her work has maintained a strong connection with healthcare architecture. In this field, she has emphasized the importance of factors such as ventilation, lighting, circulation, spatial distribution, and indoor environmental conditions in promoting more appropriate hospital environments for patients, healthcare personnel, and accompanying family members.
Her current research trajectory focuses on Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and its relationship to occupational health, particularly in workplace environments. From an interdisciplinary perspective, her work seeks to contribute to the recognition, assessment, and control of environmental factors present in indoor spaces, as well as to the development of technical criteria for identifying potentially harmful conditions for occupants. Her work addresses a common and fundamental issue: the relationship between the built environment and human health. Her professional profile combines practical experience, scientific training, and applied research, with a focus on generating knowledge that can be translated into prevention strategies, assessment methodologies, and improvements in the environmental conditions of workplaces, particularly healthcare environments.
Awards and Distinctions
She has demonstrated outstanding academic performance throughout both of her graduate programs, achieving academic excellence during her master’s studies and receiving an Honorable Mention upon completion of her doctoral degree. Her academic trajectory has been characterized by dedication, responsibility, and the ability to integrate knowledge from different disciplines in the development of research projects with practical applications and significant social relevance.
Her research work is particularly distinguished by its focus on the relationship between the built environment, indoor environmental conditions, and the health of occupants. During an academic research placement, she developed a Mexican Official Standard (Norma Oficial Mexicana, NOM) proposal for the Secretariat of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS), aimed at the identification, recognition, assessment, and control of environmental conditions in indoor workplace environments. As part of its development, she conducted a meta-analysis addressing the problems associated with biological risks and other factors present in physical workplace environments, integrating scientific evidence and technical criteria into the structure of the different sections comprising the proposed standard. The project is currently under review by the Secretariat.
Another significant contribution of her work relates to the healthcare sector and hospital architecture. In this area, she developed and contributed to the validation of an instrument designed to assess the presence of Sick Building Syndrome and psychosocial risk factors among healthcare personnel in hospital environments in Mexico. This work represents a relevant contribution by comprehensively addressing the interaction between the physical and environmental conditions of indoor spaces, psychosocial factors, and workers’ health.
She has also developed educational, health-promotion, and awareness-raising activities concerning the importance of environmental conditions in physical workplace environments. These initiatives have been directed both at faculty and administrative personnel at the University Center for Art, Architecture and Design and at staff working in a recently opened private hospital. In developing these programs, she incorporated actions related to occupational safety, environmental protection, and sustainability, seeking to translate research-based knowledge into real-world contexts and contribute to risk prevention and the promotion of healthy workplaces.
Her trajectory is particularly distinguished by its interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary character, resulting from an academic and professional background that brings together multiple fields of knowledge. Her areas of expertise include art and design, architecture and urban planning, health sciences, occupational health, biostatistics, psychosocial intervention, occupational safety and hygiene, prehospital medicine, environmental management, and sustainability. This convergence of disciplines has enabled her to approach complex problems from multiple perspectives and develop proposals that connect scientific research with the specific needs of workplaces and their occupants.
Overall, her trajectory demonstrates a strong capacity for conducting applied research, integrating interdisciplinary knowledge, and developing proposals with potential impact in the fields of occupational health, architecture, the built environment, and indoor environmental quality. Her work also reflects a sustained commitment to social responsibility, risk prevention, and the creation of conditions that promote the health and well-being of people in their workplaces.
