Tiffany Sanchez, PhD Named Director of ColoradoSPH Latino Public Health Initiative

Tiffany Sanchez, PhD, has been selected as the program director for Colorado School of Public Health’s (ColoradoSPH) Latino Public Health Initiative and will guide the next phase of the initiative’s vision, research portfolio, and programming—strengthening community partnerships and addressing critical public health issues impacting communities across Colorado.

A nationally recognized environmental health scientist, Sanchez is an assistant professor of Epidemiology at ColoradoSPH whose research explores the impact of environmental exposures on health outcomes. Originally from New Mexico, her passion for public health began while volunteering at cleft palate clinics in the Four Corners Region. She earned her PhD in Environmental Health Science at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and was an assistant professor at Columbia prior to joining ColoradoSPH in 2024.

"I’m honored to lead this initiative not just as a public health professional, but as someone who understands the power of representation. What excites me most is the incredible potential for building stronger collaborations - between our School of Public Health and the communities we serve, among experienced leaders and emerging student voices, and within different sectors working toward the same goal,” she said. 

In Colorado, Latinos account for 21% of the state’s population. In the metro Denver region, there are more than 608,000 Hispanic residents, according to the Colorado Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. As program director, Sanchez will support the school’s efforts of meeting the public health needs of varying communities through outreach, collaborative research projects, student engagement, and efforts to shape future public health strategies that reflect and respond to the needs of Colorado. 

“The Colorado School of Public Health is central to providing community-centered public health leadership,” said Dean Cathy Bradley, PhD, MPA. “Dr. Sanchez’s appointment strengthens our capacity to meet the urgent health needs of communities and ensure our public health workforce responds to the people we serve.”