David O Garcia, PhD, FACSM

Biography

Dr. Garcia is an Associate Professor in the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona. He has extensive experience in short and long-term intervention trials in the areas of physical activity, diet, and weight management. He received his training from leading institutions and mentors in the field. Dr. Garcia has designed and implemented trials as a lead investigator focused on reducing obesity-related health disparities among Mexican-origin adults. He is among the first to develop a gender and culturally-sensitive weight loss interventions for Hispanic males. More recently, he has focused on examining the prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and associated risk factors in Mexican-origin and Indigenous communities. He has secured multiple pilot grants to support his research agenda, including an NIH-NIMHD Mentored Research Scientist Development Award to Promote Diversity (K01). He is also the Director and Founder of "Nosotros Comprometidos a Su Salud-Committed to Your Health", a program developed to foster community-engaged research collaborations, service, and education to advance health equity in Southern Arizona. This community-based effort promotes regular access to health communications and information, and opportunities to participate in lifestyle interventions tailored for the Mexican-origin community. Within Nosotros, Dr. Garcia has provided students from diverse backgrounds with numerous opportunities to engage in various stages of research, including over 80 Hispanic students who previously had not trained in lifestyle and health. The outreach and mentoring efforts of the Nosotros team have grounded his work in trust and community relevance. Over 3,500 participants of Mexican-origin descent have participated in his research studies in the areas of obesity and cancer prevention.