Dr. Ivana Parker
Assistant Professor, J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida
Dr. Parker is excited to leverage her unique training at the intersection of biomedical engineering, Immunology and Infectious Disease, and Global Health to answer important research questions that will alleviate the global HIV burden.
About Dr. Parker
Dr. Parker is passionate about pursuing research that will have a global impact. She is committed to alleviating health disparities for those most vulnerable populations using her research influence. Mentoring and Outreach are key components to her research program and she participates in numerous global education and outreach initiatives.
Dr. Parker is a Fulbright scholar, whose work at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, where there is a very high burden of HIV, has strongly influenced her research perspectives. Dr. Parker is passionate about global health and engineering solutions that can be effective in a global context. She is also passionate about increasing equity in education and outreach. In her free time, Dr. Parker juggles her family of 5 and is passionate about creating safe spaces for working mothers to recharge and pursue their dreams.
Dr. Parker is a mom, wife, and global adventurer. She has been intentional about bringing her family along for the ride! She enjoys cooking, eating, a good dance class, and exploring.
Education
2018 – 2020 Fulbright Scholar, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine University of Cape Town, South Africa
2016 – 2018 American Society for Microbiology (ASM)/CDC Post-Doctoral Fellow in Infectious Disease and Public Health Microbiology Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA
2009 – 2015 Ph.D. in Bioengineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA
2005 – 2009 BSc. In Mechanical Engineering (Cum Laude), University of Florida, USA
Awards
2023 Clinical and Translational Science Institute KL2 Awardee
2022 Careers through Mentoring in Omics and Data for Early-Stage Investigators (Career MODE R25GM143298), Awardee
2021 – 2022 Global Fellows Awardee, University of Florida International Center
2020 Featured in ‘100 Inspiring Black Scientists in America’ as a Rising Star, Cell Mentor
2018 – 2019 Fulbright Scholar Award, University of Cape Town
2018 Rising Star in Biomedical Engineering, MIT
2016 – 2018 ASM/CDC Infectious Disease and Public Health Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centers for Disease Control
2014 Whitaker International Summer Grantee, Cape Town South Africa
2011 – 2014 Graduate Research Fellow, National Science Foundation
2010 – 2011 NIH Cell and Tissue Engineering Training Grantee, Georgia Institute of Technology
2009 – 2014 Facilitating Academic Careers in Engineering and Science Fellow, Georgia Institute of Technology
2004 – 2012 Gates Millennium Scholar, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
