I am an experienced writer, speaker, moderator/facilitator and policy analyst with a history of working in think tanks, the U.S. government, and academia. I am particularly interested in understanding how political and cultural perspectives shape policy approaches to such global issues as HIV/AIDS; maternal and child health; immunization programs; and access to safe drinking water and sanitation. I've lived and worked in Mexico, with considerable work-related travel to Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and South Asia. Trained as a historian of Latin America, I spent the early part of my career teaching at the university level and publishing books and articles on gender relations and public health in early 20th century Mexico. A Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellowship placed me at the U.S. Department of State, where I worked on environmental health issues and the development of foreign policy approaches to pandemic preparedness. At CSIS I have held positions within the Americas Program and Global Health Policy Center, where I oversaw a multi-program project on the influence of the BRICS countries on the global health agenda and directed efforts to better link the WASH and health sectors at the policy level. My more recent work has examined donor country engagement with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and how lower-middle income countries in Central America and West Africa are experiencing the transition away from Gavi support.