Dr. Herrera is an accomplished professor and researcher in public health nutrition. She is an adjunct professor at Simmons University. As a researcher, faculty, and consultant for many organizations, she has been the principal investigator and has been involved in grant writing, dealing with scientific personalities, and managing the cooperation with agency leaders of high-level international organizations. Furthermore, she has interacted with politicians, entrepreneurs, and philanthropic personalities.
She has been involved in research on food security and the first 1,000 days in emergency situations as well as in successful implementations of initiatives for nutrition education, cooking in emergency times and developed strategies for sustainable kitchens in low-income communities. She has a strong experience in working with women of fertile age, pregnant and lactating women within emergency and disadvantaged environments.
Dr. Herrera is a current member of the Nutrition cluster of the Humanitarian actions in Venezuela (OCHA-UNICEF) and is a consultant for the World Food Program. Dr. Herrera has been and continues to be the leader of national and international organizations. She is currently the Chair-elect of the Latinos and Hispanics in Dietetics and Nutrition (LAHIDAN) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and was the Chair of the Global Food Security Task force of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the Directive Council of the Bengoa Foundation for Food and Nutrition, and the Venezuelan Health Observatory (both in Venezuela). Former positions include, Chair of the Council on Research of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (USA), and President of the International Affiliate of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and a member of the International Council of the Latin American Society of Nutrition (SLAN).
Dr. Herrera has been a spokesperson for the Venezuelan organizations she represents and has interacted with global relevant media such as the Wall Street Journal, India Financial Times, CNN International, CNN in Spanish, America’s Quarterly, the Voice of America, BBC, Al Jazeera London, and many more.
Dr. Herrera is a recognized national and international lecturer. She has more than 100 peer reviewed published articles, and several book chapters written in the past 10 years.
She testified as an expert on maternal and child nutrition at the Organization of American States in 2019. In 2017, she was the recipient of the prestigious “Excellence in Public Health/Community Nutrition Award,” from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and in 2018 she was awarded the “Outstanding Dietitian of the Year” by the International Affiliate of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. In 2019, she was recognized as Co-Presenter of the Wimpfheimer-Guggenheim International Lecture on Food and Nutrition in Disaster and Humanitarian Relief: Lessons learned from Syria and Venezuela, and in 2022 she was recognized as the Trinko awardee within the LAHIDAN group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
In 2020, she was the recipient of the Lya Imber de Coronil Merit Award by the Venezuelan Society of Paediatrics and she is a correspondent member of the Society. She was also elected as a national member number 30 of the Venezuelan National Academy of Medicine. She continues her work in her native Venezuela, Latin America and the US. Dr. Herrera is native in Spanish, is fluent in English, and has conversational skills in French and Portuguese.
Education
- MD, Universidad Central de Venezuela
- Master in Nutrition, Universidad Simón Bolívar
- PhD, Human Nutrition and Public Policies, Universidad Simón Bolívar
Area of Expertise
International Nutrition, Food Culture and Society, Research
Professional Affiliations & Memberships
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Latin American Society of Nutrition
Community Engagement
Consultant for the World Food Programme
Research and/or Special Projects
- Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health (ELANS)
- Venezuelan Report Card on Physical Activity of Children and Youth
Presentations
- 2024: ELANS Lessons Learned and future directions (Medellin, Colombia) October 2024, FINUT conference
- 2025: Reframing food security policies in Latin America, where a culture of peace is needed. (Athens, Greece) Nutrition and Growth Conference February 2025
Recent Awards
- Recognized as a correspondent member (number 30) of the Venezuelan Academy of Medicine (ANM) 2023
- Recognized as the LAHIDAN Distinguished Trinko Service Award 2022, by the Latinos and Hispanics in Dietetics and Nutrition (LAHIDAN) MIG Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
- Recognized as a correspondent member of the Venezuelan Society of Puericulture and Pediatrics (SVPP) 2021