ABOUT LINDA LARA JACOBO

"Transforming research through collective inquiry, borderland solidarity, and environmental health."

BIOGRAPHY

I was born and raised in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico—a vibrant border city where the rhythms of daily life are shaped by resilience, cultural exchange, and the ever-present dynamics of the Mexico–U.S. border. Growing up in this space taught me to see the border not as a line of division, but as a place of connection, complexity, and community. These early experiences shaped my deep commitment to environmental science, public health, and the well-being of borderland communities.

Today, I am proud to serve as an Assistant Professor in the School of Public Health at San Diego State University Imperial Valley (SDSU), where I specialize in Health, Environment, and Sustainability. My work sits at the intersection of environmental science and public health, grounded in the belief that the lived experiences of communities.

My research explores how environmental conditions and the management of natural resources influence health outcomes, especially in cross-border and transregional contexts. I focus on the broader structural and ecological determinants of health, using community-based and participatory approaches that honor collective knowledge and the power of local action.

Through transdisciplinary and collaborative work, I am committed to building a solidarity-based academy—one that connects public health with environmental science, and academic research with grassroots leadership. At the heart of my work is a vision of more just and resilient futures for communities facing the compounding challenges of environmental and social stressors.

I hold a Ph.D. in Water Sciences from the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) in Quebec, Canada; an M.Sc. in Life Sciences from the Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE) in Mexico; and a B.Sc. in Biological and Pharmaceutical Chemistry from the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC). I also completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Ontario Tech University in Ontario, Canada, where I continued to expand my work on health and environmental issues across regions and borders.