Micaela Reich, Ph.D., is Associate Professor at the School of Education, Universidad ORT Uruguay. She earned her doctorate in Health Psychology from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain), and her Master´s degree from Universidad Complutense (Spain). She joined Universidad ORT Uruguay in 2015, with previous appointments at Universidad Católica del Uruguay.
Micaela’s research focuses on the psychosocial, cultural, individual, and institutional factors that contribute to mental health and cancer disparities, and on those associated with outcome variables, particularly health related quality of life, and health behaviors in underserved populations. Micaela uses qualitative and quantitative methods to answer various research questions. More recently, with her collaborators she completed a national survey in Uruguay on the influence of knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and emotions, on breast and cervical cancer screening behaviors. Furthermore, they’re working on a thematic analysis to identify factors that promote/hinder body image acceptance, and psychosocial indicators associated with body image among Latina breast cancer survivors at various survivorship stages.
Her research has been funded by The National Agency for Research and Innovation (Uruguay), and other national and international agencies and institutions. In addition, she has been active in governance at the School of Psychology at Universidad Católica del Uruguay, having served as Director of the Department of Cognitive and Health Sciences.
Micaela has served the profession in numerous roles, and has worked extensively with national and international agencies and associations. She has been Associate Editor of the journal Ciencias Psicológicas (published biannually, peer-reviewed and indexed by SCielo, Latindex, and Ebsco Academic Premier), and currently serves as editorial board member and reviewer of numerous international academic journals.
Through the years, Micaela has received several awards for research, teaching, leadership, and service. In addition, She is a member of the American Psychological Association Divisions 17 (Counseling Psychology) and 38 (Health Psychology), and an International Member of the APA.
Micaela participates in several professional and research networks, and serves as professor, research advisor, and committee member (Education Master´s and Doctoral Programs at the School of Education, Universidad ORT Uruguay); Psychology Doctoral Program (Universidad de Palermo, Argentina); Palliative Care Master´s Program (School of Nursing and Health Technologies, Universidad Católica del Uruguay); and research collaborator at the School of Education at the University of Miami, the School of Psychology at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, and the Department of Biological and Health Psychology at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.
Trilingual in Spanish/English/Portuguese, and advanced Italian and French skills.