Epidemiology

Born in Valparaiso, Chile and raised in New York City, Mr. Luna completed a dual degree in Bio-Genetics/Development and Spanish languages at Dartmouth College before attending the Mailman School of Public Health. Recognizing the current domestic and global challenges in healthcare, he interned in Washington D.C. at the National Cancer Institute’s Medical Oncology Branch, and obtained an MPH in Health Policy and Management before entering the doctoral program for Infectious Disease Epidemiology.

Along the way, Mr. Luna was selected as a Federal Service Student Ambassador—whose important role is to link federal agencies such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid to university campuses. After all, the federal government needs to fill 193,000 mission critical jobs in the next two years. Since Columbia’s public health students are highly sought after to fill the gap, Mr. Luna provides valuable insight and offers workshops to students to ensure a smooth transition to their careers.

“I have been able to hold seminars, lectures, and writing workshops to give Mailman School students the insider perspective on what it takes to get through the hiring process. Among the highlights this semester was the ability to fly in a Department of Health and Human Services Recruiter to speak on campus, enabled exclusively with Partnership for Public Services funding.”