Focus
Alcohol, mental health, stress and coping, culture, Latino/a immigrants, health disparities
Biography
Dr. Mariana Sanchez brings over 20 years of experience conducting longitudinal and community-engaged health research across various life stages, including youth, young adults, and adults. Her program of research aims to advance understanding of the cultural and contextual factors that influence health-related behaviors, with particular attention to substance use and its associated outcomes among Latino/a populations.
Her work has largely focused on exploring how cultural, psychological, and social influences including stress and experiences related to relocation—shape patterns of substance use and emotional well-being among Latino/as. Dr. Sanchez has had continuous NIH funding over the past 15 years and served as an investigator on 9 projects supported by the National Institutes of Health.
Additionally, she is a co-investigator on the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD Study®), a landmark investigation supported by multiple NIH Institutes. The study tracks the biological and behavioral development of over 11,000 children from ages 9–10 through early adulthood across 21 U.S. sites. Dr. Sanchez contributes expertise related to cultural influences on health during the early stages of life.
Dr. Sanchez directs FIU’s Health Disparities Initiative (FIU-HDI), a program that trains doctoral students across multiple disciplines to conduct meaningful, community-based research addressing communicable and chronic conditions among underserved communities in the U.S. and the Caribbean. Lastly, Dr. Sanchez is the Director of FIU’s Population Health Initiative (PHI). This university wide initiative supports and fosters interdisciplinary team science research and education approaches to advance population health and promote healthy living, longevity, and quality of life for all. Her long-term goal is to ensure that findings from her work inform the development of research-based strategies that address key social and contextual health factors and foster improved well-being among Latino/a populations and other communities with unmet needs.
Education
- Florida International University, Doctorate of Philosophy in Social Welfare
- Florida International University, Master of Social Work
- Florida International University, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
Publications
Sanchez, M., Saavedra, L., Lozano, A., Morgan-Lopez, A., & Amaro, H. (2024). Promising intervention and measurement directions for substance use treatment research among Hispanic/Latinos. Current Addictions Report, 11(3), 492-500.
Sanchez, M., Robledo, M., Fernández, A., Diaz, V., Barton, A., Wang, W. (2023). C. Sociocultural influences on alcohol expectancies in early adolescence: Findings from the ABCD study. Health Psychology: Official Journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association, 42(12), 842–855. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0001290
Johnson, S. A., Cano, M. Á., De La Rosa, M., Rojas, P., Romano, E., & Sanchez, M. (2023). Perceived Stress and Depressive Symptoms Among Recent Latino/a Immigrants: The Moderating Effects of Emotion Regulation and Dispositional Mindfulness. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 34(3), 884-909.
Sanchez, M., & Amaro, H. (2022). Cumulative exposure to traumatic events and craving among women in residential treatment for substance use disorder: The role of emotion dysregulation and mindfulness disposition. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1048798. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1048798
Sanchez, M., Westrick, A., Wang, W., Barton, A., Penn, A. Galvez, G., Novoa, O, Lee, I., Cano, M. Á., Rojas, P., E. Romano, E., De La Rosa, M. The Shifting Context of Immigration for Recent Latino/a Immigrants Over the Past Decade: Findings from an Established Immigrant Receiving Community in the U.S. (2022). International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 90, 108-115, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2022.08.003
Sanchez, M., Romano, E., Wang, W., Barton, A., Ali, B., Villalba, K., & Westick, A. (2022). Pre- and post-immigration factors associated with cigarette use among young adult recent Latinx immigrants during their initial year in the U.S. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 48(1), 17–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/00952990.2021.1913601
Balagopal, G., Davidson, S., Gill, S., Barengo, N., De La Rosa, M., & Sanchez, M. (2021). The impact of cultural stress and gender norms on alcohol use severity among Latino immigrant men. Ethnicity & Health, 1–19. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/13557858.2021.1880550