Carina Vance is a Ph.D. student at Tulane University's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Between July of 2016 and July of 2019, she was the executive director of the South American Institute of Government in Health (ISAGS) of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), working directly with the ministries of health of the 12 South American countries with the objective of strengthening government capacities related to health. Between January 2012 and November 2015, she was the minister of public health of Ecuador where she focused on increasing universal access to health and strengthening prevention and health promotion policies. She achieved the implementation of a compulsory Front-of-Pack labelling system for processed foods, as well as the implementation of the National Family Planning Strategy which promoted sexual rights and reproductive rights. She opened 10 hospitals and 50 health centers nationally and led the international accreditation of 30 public hospitals. Carina earned a B.A. in history and political science from Williams College and an M.A. in public health from the University of California, Berkeley. Her research interests include community participation, health systems, equity in health, LGBT populations, nutrition policy, and health in the Latin American region.