Dr. Liliana Aguayo is a transdisciplinary researcher who investigates the childhood origins of disparities in cardiovascular disease (CVD) and aspires to make a meaningful contribution to reduce the burden of both obesity and CVD among disadvantaged and underserved populations. Dr. Aguayo uses an intersectionality framework to investigate the social determinants associated with the early life origins of disparities in nutrition, allostatic load, obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease among underserved and minority populations. Her focus on Latinx and Mexican pediatric minorities has led her to conduct multiple primary data collection studies with Hispanic/Latinx adult women and their children in Mexico and the U.S. 

By training, Dr. Aguayo completed a Master of Public Health/Doctor of Philosophy in Community Health (MPH/ PhD) dual degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as a fellow of the USDA Illinois Transdisciplinary Obesity Prevention Program (I-TOPP). Upon completion of her graduate training, she completed postdoctoral training in cardiovascular epidemiology as a fellow of the American Heart Association (AHA) at the Northwestern University and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital AHA Children’s Strategically Focused Research Center. She is an experienced qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods researcher; and has extensive skills in bilingual survey research methodology, with over 6 years of experience carrying out primary data collection with Mexican and Latinx populations in Mexico and the US.

Dr. Aguayo’s research has been funded by the USDA, NIH/NIDDK, the NIH-funded Emory Specialized Center of Research Excellence in Sex Differences (SCORE), the NIH/NIEHS K12 Pediatric and Reproductive Environmental Health Scholars-Southeastern Environmental Exposures and Disparities mentored career development program (PREHS-SEED), and several intramural and private sponsors. Currently, she is the recipient of a Career Development Award from the American Heart Association.

In addition, Dr. Aguayo is a recognized leader in the fields of nutrition, obesity, and cardiovascular health. She has held leadership roles at the American Heart Association, the Obesity Society, and the American Society for Nutrition (ASN). Currently, she is the Early Career Representative at the ASN Board of Directors. 

*Co-authored with a student (BA, MPH/MSPH or PhD) or recent graduate

1. Aguayo L., Bell-Washington T.L., Johnson V.R., Kotz C.M., Lofton H.F., Sibley S.D., Stanford F.C., Toney A.M., White U. (2024) The Obesity Society (TOS) Position Paper on Barriers to Health Disparities Research. In Press
2. Suglia SF, Knox N, April-Sanders AK, Aguayo L., López-Cepero A, Cohall A, Wang S, Wall M, Canino G, Bird H, Duarte CS. (2024) Prevalence of cardiometabolic risk and health factors among Puerto Rican young adults in the Boricua Youth Study - Health Assessment. Ann Epidemiol. 2024; 89:8-14. doi: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2023.11.007. PMID: 37977282. 
3. *Aguayo L., Chang C., McCormack LR., Shalowitz MU. (2023) Parental Determinants Associated with Early Growth after the First Year of Life by Race/Ethnicity. Frontiers in Pediatrics. 2023; 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2023.1213534
4. Gooding H., Aguayo L. (2023). Hard Lessons from a School-based Intervention to Improve Cardiovascular Health in Adolescence. JAMA Cardiol. 2023. doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2023.2244 
5. *Toney A.M., Pineros-Leano M., Perez-Flores N.J., Gomez D., Aguayo L. (2023) “It is in our hands–why wait until you are sick?”: Perceptions about diabetes prevention of Latina mothers in Mexico and the United States. Diabet Med., e15060. doi: 10.1111/dme.15060. PMID: 36751972.
6. Aguayo L., López-Cepero A, Tan X, Estrella ML, Zhong VW. Editorial: Cardiometabolic diseases in understudied populations. Frontiers in Epidemiology. 2023;3. PMID: 37974560 https://doi.org/10.3389/fepid.2023.1160108 
7. *Pérez-Flores NJ, Pineros-Leano M, Damian K, Toney AM, Aguayo L. (2023). Barriers and facilitators of physical activity among Latina immigrant and Mexican mothers living in the US and Mexico: A qualitative study. PLoS One;18(8):e0290227. PMID: 37651357; PMCID: PMC10470970.
8. Aguayo L., Chirinos D., Heard-Garris N., Davis M. M., Stein-Merkin S., Seeman T., Kershaw K. (2022). The Association of Exposure to Abuse, Nurture and Household Organization in Childhood with Four Major Cardiovascular Risks Factors among Participants in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults. JAHA, 11(9), e023244. PMID: 35475340
9. *Pineros-Leano M., Graff N., Aguayo L. (2022) Childhood obesity risk factors by race and ethnicity. Obesity (Silver Spring).30(8):1670-1680. doi: 10.1002/oby.23500. PMID: 35894074.
10. Aguayo L., Beach LB., Davis MM., Kershaw K., Turner B., Felt D., Marro R., Phillips GL. (2021). Someone to talk to: Mentoring relationships are associated with reduced odds of suicidal behaviors among US high school students. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology.5. doi: 10.1007/s00127-021-02144-3. PMID: 34351438
11. Aguayo L., Li., Joyce B.T., Leng J., Zheng Y., Shiau S., Liu H., Wang L., Gao R., Baccarelli A., Hu G., Hou L. (2021) COMT genetic, epigenetic, and genetic-epigenetic interactions associated with macrosomia, in children with and without gestational diabetes exposure. Childhood Obesity.  doi: 10.1089/chi.2020.0327. PMID: 33826421.
12. Aguayo L., Ogolsky, B., Teran-Garcia M., Pineros-Leano M., Wiley A., Lin J., Aguirre-Pereyra R., Schwingel A. (2021) From culture to chromosomes: A mother-child dyadic study of acculturation, telomere lengths and body fat. Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology, 2021;5:100029. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpnec.2021.100029; PMID: 35754453
13. Aguayo L., Pineros-Leano M., Alam R.B., Aguirre-Pereyra R., Schwingel A., and Cunningham, SA. (2021) The Association of Family Nutrition and Physical Activity screening tool with Children’s Working Memory: A Cross-Sectional Study among Mexican Young Children. Children. 8:506. PMID: 34203778
14. Aguayo L., Hernandez I., Yasui M., Estabrook R., Anderson EL., Davis MM., Briggs-Gowan MJ., Wakschlag L., Heard-Garris N. (2021). Cultural socialization in childhood: Analysis of parent-child conversations with a direct observation measure. Journal of Family Psychology;35(2):138-148. doi: 10.1037/fam0000663. PMID: 33871275. 
15. Pool LR, Aguayo L, Brzezinski M, Perak AM, Davis MM, Greenland P, Hou L, Marino BS, Van Horn L, Wakschlag L, Labarthe D, Lloyd-Jones D, Allen NB. (2021). Childhood Risk Factors and Adulthood Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review. Journal of Pediatrics, S0022-3476(21)00087-1. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2021.01.053 
16. Krefman A., Labarthe D., Greenland D., Pool, L., Aguayo L., Juonala M., Kähönen M., Lehtimäki T., Day SR., Bazzano L., Van Horn L., Alonso CF., Webber LS., Pahkala K., Laitinen TT., Raitakari O., Lloyd-Jones D., Allen NB. (2021) Influential Periods of Change in Longitudinal Clinical Cardiovascular Health Scores. American Journal of Epidemiology kwab149. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwab149. PMID: 34010956.
17. Pineros-Leano M., Saltzman J. A., Liechty J. M., Musaad S. Aguayo L. (2021) Maternal depressive symptoms and their association with breastfeeding and childhood obesity. Children, 8(3), 233; https://doi.org/10.3390/children8030233. PMID: 33802965
18. Cuevas, C., Herrera P., Morales G., Aguayo L., Galvez P.E. (2021) Understanding the Food - Family Relationship: A qualitative research in a Chilean low socioeconomic context. Appetite, 156: 104852. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2020.104852
19. Heard-Garris N., Davis M., Estabrook R., Burns J., Briggs-Gowan M., Allen N., Carnethon M., Aguayo L., Wakschlag L., Penedo F. (2020). Adverse childhood experiences and biomarkers of inflammation in a diverse cohort of early school-aged children. Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health, 1, 100006. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbih.2019.100006 
20. *Aguayo L, Khan M, De Leon R Jr, Schwingel A. Use of Geographic Information Systems in Physical Activity Interventions: a Systematic Review. Prog Prev Med (N Y). 2019 Jun 14;4(2):e0022. doi: 10.1097/pp9.0000000000000022. PMID: 31588417; PMCID: PMC6716576.
21. *Jansen T., Aguayo L., Bobbit J., Payne L., Schwingel A. (2019). Diabetes Disparities across Illinois. GIS Snapshots. Preventing Chronic Disease,16: 180154.
22. *Bobbitt J., Aguayo L., Payne L., Jansen T., Schwingel A., (2019). Going the 'extra mile' for disease prevention: Geographical and social factors associated with chronic disease self-management program participation. Preventing Chronic Disease, 16: E25. 
23. *Aguayo L., Olave-Pichon A., Ariza A.J., Binns H.J. (2017). Characteristics of Very Young Hispanic Children Referred for Obesity Management. Global Pediatric Health, 4, 2333794X17739192.
24. Schwingel A., Linares D.E., Gálvez P., Adamson B., Aguayo L., Bobbit J., Castañeda Y., Sebastião E., and Marquez D.X. (2015). Developing a Culturally Sensitive Lifestyle Behavior Change Program for Older Latinas. Qualitative Health Research, 25(2): 1733-46.

Complete List of Published Work in My Bibliography (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/liliana.aguayo-markes.1/bibliography/public/)

SELECTED AWARDS

2022- 2025 American Heart Association Career Development Award 

2022- 2024 NIEHS K12 PREHS-SEED: Pediatric and Reproductive Environmental Health Scholars Southeastern Environmental Exposures and Disparities mentored career development program 

2021-2023 NIH-funded Emory Specialized Center of Research Excellence in Sex Differences (SCORE)

2021-2022 Rollins School of Public Health Dean’s Pilot and Innovation Grant

2020-2022 NIDDK: Diversity Supplement to the Study of Dynamics and Health Consequences of Obesity between Infancy and Young Adulthood in the United States 

2018 -2020 American Heart Association (AHA) Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine/ Lurie Children’s Hospital

2016- 2017 Illinois Transdisciplinary Obesity Prevention Program (I-TOPP) USDA-Seed Grant 

Summer 2014 Robert Louis Katz Summer Fellowship. Center on Obesity Management and Prevention (COMP), Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Robert Louis Katz Medical Research Foundation.

2013- 2018 USDA Illinois Transdisciplinary Obesity Prevention Program (I-TOPP) Predoctoral Fellowship. Division of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Illinois. USDA-Training Grant number 2011-67001-30101 

HONORS

2023 Perinatal Research Society (PRS) 2023 National Selection to the Young Investigator Program Scholar, PRS NIH – Mead-Johnson Nutrition Workshop September 27th -29th, 2023

2023 Early-Career Keynote in the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) Sponsored Session at the XXVII Congresso Brasileiro De Nutrologia, Sao Paulo Brazil, September 21st -23rd, 2023

2021 American Heart Association (AHA) Scott Grundy Award for Excellence in Metabolism Research
AHA Epi/Lifestyle 2021 Scientific Sessions

2020 American Heart Association (AHA) Epi-Minority Travel Award
AHA Epi/Lifestyle 2020 Scientific Sessions, Phoenix, AZ

2020 Academic Pediatric Association (APA) RAPID Fellow
RAPID Annual Mentoring and Career Development Conference, Arlington, VA

2019 Nominated as “Rising Star in Health-Related Sciences”
Underrepresented Minority Scholars (URM) Rising Scholars in Health-Related Sciences
Indiana University School of Public Health – Bloomington, IN

2019 Emerging Leaders in Nutrition Science Poster Competition Finalist
American Society for Nutrition (ASN), Nutrition 2019, Baltimore, MD

2018 Research in Diverse Populations Section Poster Award
The Obesity Society Research in Diverse Populations Section. Obesity Week 2018, Nashville, TN

2018 Howard S. Hoyman Award in Recognition to a Great Educator
The Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

2017 Latin American Affairs Poster Award
The Obesity Society Latin American Affairs Section. Obesity Week 2017, National Harbor, MD

2017 Conference Travel Award
The Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

2017 CLACS Graduate Student Professional Development Fellowship
Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, University of Illinois, Urbana – Champaign

2017 President’s Research in Diversity Travel Award
Executive Vice President/ Vice President Academic Affairs
The University of Illinois System

2017 The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB)/ MARC Mentored Poster/ Platform Presenter Award. The Minority Access to Research Careers Program of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Experimental Biology 2017, Chicago, IL, April 22-26, 2017.

2016 Latin American Affairs Poster Award
The Obesity Society Latin American Affairs Section. Obesity Week 2016 New Orleans, LA

2016 Conference Travel Award
The Graduate College at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 

2016 Service Award. In recognition of Service to the Graduate College Educational Equity Programs.
The Graduate College at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

2016 Conference Travel Award
The Graduate College at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

2015 Britta L. and James A. Wolfe Award
College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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