Jorge Gonzalez Mejia

Jorge Gonzalez-Mejia MPH, is a PhD candidate in Epidemiology, with close to five years of experience as a Health Scientist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. His work focuses on diabetes and cardiometabolic outcomes across the lifespan, with areas of interest intersecting behavioral factors, psychosocial exposures, and epigenetic influences.

He completed his BA and MPH at the University of Virginia with a concentration in Research in Practice. Prior to Emory, he worked with the Center for Public Health Genomics at UVA Health, supporting genetic risk studies for diabetes for the Virginia PrIMeD Project. During the program, he has received numerous fellowships including the Gates Millennium, ORISE, and Centennial and Laney Graduate fellowships. He is also a T32 NHLBI Predoctoral Trainee part of the Multidisciplinary Research Training to Reduce Inequalities in Cardiovascular Health (METRIC) Team.

His current work examines the intra- and intergenerational effects of physical activity on diabetes risk and cardiometabolic health, aligning with priorities in lifestyle changes that aim to optimize health and long-term wellness. He is mentored by Shakira Suglia, ScD, a professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Co-Director of Graduate Studies. Their collaborations have focused on projects related psychosocial and epigenetic influences on cardiometabolic outcomes among Hispanic/Latino populations.

As a researcher with experience in disease surveillance, applied research, data analytics, quantitative analysis, clinical research, and project management, Jorge aims to translate scientific insights in cardiometabolic health into actionable solutions across public health and research innovation, thereby bridging the gap between research and real-world applications across academia, industry, and government.