Camila Corvalán, MD, MPH, PhD

CamilaDr. Corvalán obtained her PhD in 2008 through an International Nutrition Foundation/Ellison Medical Foundation (INF/EMF) Doctoral Fellowship at Emory University. Her thesis, "Can we adapt nutrition assistance programs to prevent childhood obesity in developing countries?" was completed under the advisement of Dr. Reynaldo Martorell. Dr. Corvalán also has an MPH and MD from the University of Chile.

Since the INF/EMF Fellowship, Dr. Corvalán has obtained a permanent position in the School of Public Health of the School of Medicine of the University of Chile, where she teaches a Master's level course on the Epidemiology of nutrition-related chronic diseases. She is also currently under a Wellcome Trust Training Fellowship working under the supervision of Dr. Ricardo Uauy (Professor at the Institute of Nutrition and Food technology (INTA), University of Chile, and current INF President). As part of this fellowship she is studying how growth during the first two years of life and the timing of adiposity rebound (that is the age at which BMI increases after its nadir at 18-24 months) relates to fatness and physical maturation at 7 years of age in a cohort of low-income children of a Chilean preschool welfare program. Dr. Corvalán and her team at INTA are following a cohort of 1000 Chilean children. These are the same children that were studied at age 4 as part of her doctoral dissertation. Data is being collected on anthropometry, body composition, and skeletal maturation and of several other metabolic and inflammatory indicators. Dr. Corvalán will link this information to the BMI and linear growth data that they already have available from these children to assess the relationships between early growth and adiposity and physical maturation.

This year, Dr. Corvalán will spend four months at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) working with Dr. Bianca De Stavola analyzing the cohort study data. She is also working to translate findings of the cohort study into actions to prevent childhood obesity among Chilean children.

Dr. Corvalán's cohort study in action
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Dr. Corvalán's Publications

Journal Articles

  • Santos JL, Kain J, Dominguez-Vásquez P, Lera L , Galván, Corvalán C ,  Uauy R .Maternal body mass index and feeding attitudes: association with weight status of Chilean preschool children Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2009 Dec 29;6(1):93. [Epub ahead of print]
  • Corvalán C., Uauy R., Kain, J., Martorell R. Cardio-metabolic and inflammatory correlates of obesity in low-income preschool children Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Jan;91(1):166-74. Epub 2009 Nov 18.
  • Corvalán C., Uauy R., Stein AD, Kain, J., Martorell R. Impact of growth on cardio-metabolic status at 4 years of age Am J Clin Nutr. 2009; 90(3):547-55.
  • Corvalán C, Kain J, Weisstaub G, Uauy R. Impact of early diet and growth patterns on obesity and cardiovascular risk indices in young children from developing countries Proc Nutr Soc. 2009;68(3):327-37
  • Kain J, Corvalán C, Lera L, Galván M, Uauy R. Accelerated growth in early life and obesity in  preschool Chilean children” Obesity (Silver Spring). 2009;17(8):1603-8
  • Gutiérrez-Gómez Y, Kain J, Uauy R, Galván M, Corvalán C Estado nutricional de preescolares asistentes a la Junta Nacional de Jardines Infantiles de Chile: concordancia entre indicadores de obesidad y obesidad central  Archivos Latinoamericanos de Nutrición. Arch Latinoam Nutr. 2009 Mar;59(1):30-7
  • Uauy R, Corvalán C, Dangour A. Rank Prize Lecture: Global nutrition challenges for optimal health and well-being.  Proc Nutr Soc. 2009;68(1):34-42.
  • Corvalán C., Uauy R., Flores R., Kleinbaum D., Martorell R. Reductions in the energy content of meals served in the Chilean National Nursery School Council Program did not consistently decrease obesity among beneficiaries. J Nutr. 2008; 138(11):2237-43.
  • Corvalán C., Dangour AD.,Uauy R. Need to address all forms of childhood malnutrition with a common agenda. Arch Dis Child.2008 May; 93(5):361-2
  • Uauy R, Kain J, Mericq V, Rojas J, Corvalán C. Nutrition, child growth, and chronic disease prevention. Ann Med. 2008; 40(1):11-20.
  • Gregory CO, Corvalán C, Ramirez-Zea M, Martorell R, Stein AD. Detection of cardio-metabolic risk by BMI and waist circumference among a population of Guatemalan adults. Public Health Nutr. 2008 11(10):1037-45
  • Corvalán C., Gregory CO., Ramírez_Zea M.,Martorell R., Stein AD. Size at birth, infant, early and late childhood growth, and adult body composition: a prospective study in a stunted population. Int J Epidemiol. 2007;36(3):550-7
  • Uauy R, Rojas J, Corvalan C, Lera L, Kain J. Prevention and control of obesity in preschool children: importance of normative standards. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2006 ;43-3:26-37
  • Corvalán C., Bustos P., Amigo H., Rona R Socioeconomic determinants of asthma in Chilean young adults Am J Public Health. 2005; 95:1375-1381

 
Technical Notes

  • Corvalán C. Avoiding the nutrition transition “trap” in Latin America. SCN news No32: 'Double Burden of Malnutrition: One Agenda' 2006
  • Corvalán C. Technical Note: Nutrition Transition in Latin America. World Hunger Series 2007 United Nations World Food Program 2007 – Stanford University Press

Book Chapters

  • Luis Moreno, Wolfgang Ahrens and Iris Pigeot editors. “Childhood Obesity Epidemiology” Springer Link. Albala C and Corvalán C Chapter: Epidemiology of Obesity in children in South America. In press
  • Paris M., Sánchez D., Dr. Daniel Beltramino y Dr. Copto A. editors. “Meneghello Pediatric Textbook “6th edition. Mena P, Corvalán C, Uauy R Chapter: Long term effects of early nutrition: role of the pediatrician in the prevention of chronic diseases of the adulthood. In press
  • Elizabeth Waters, Boyd Swinburn, Ricardo Uauy, Jaap Seidell editors. “Preventing childhood obesity: Evidence, policy and practice”. Blackwell.  Juliana Kain, Camila Corvalán, Ricardo Uauy. Chapter X: Developing Country Perspectives on Obesity In press
  • Elizabeth Waters, Boyd Swinburn, Ricardo Uauy, Jaap Seidell editors. “Preventing childhood obesity: Evidence, policy and practice”. Blackwell. Andrea Sanigorski, Camila Corvalán, Ricardo Uauy. Chapter X: The practicalities of working in multiple early childhood settings. In press
  • Amigo H, Busto P y Erazo M. editors. “Mapuches children: growth, nutrition and Health” University of Chile, 2001. H Amigo, Corvalán C, Bustos P Chapter 6: Determinants of growth deficit.