Maya Magarati (Indigenous Magar from Nepal’s Himalayas), PhD is a research assistant professor in the Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, housed in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in the University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine. She also serves as the Associate Director of Community Collaboration in Research in Seven Directions A Center for Indigenous Public Health as well as a preceptor for Nepal with UW Indigenous Wellness Research Institute’s NIH-funded LUNA International Indigenous Health Research Training Program. She has 13 years’ experience in community-based participatory research (CBPR) with diverse Indigenous communities including Tribal Colleges and Universities. Her Indigenous equity- , and cultural strength-centered scholarship addresses risk and protective factors in substance use, mental health, STI/HIV, and environmental health prevention as well as data sovereignty. Maya received her B.S. in Nutrition & Dietetics in Australia, an M.A. in Sociology under the Fulbright program, and then a Ph.D. in Sociology from the UW. Prior to attending graduate school, she worked with UNICEF Nepal advancing community nutrition and health. She serves on the Board of Directors at The Mountaineers. She loves natural landscapes and engaging in outdoor activities.
