Maya Rao

Maya Rao, M.P.H, is a Senior Center Specialist in the Sumner M. Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness (RGC). In this role, she helps identify research opportunities and secure funding to study evidence-based public health interventions for climate-sensitive hazards affecting at-risk communities. In addition, she supports the management of research projects, analysis and dissemination of findings, and coordination of learning and capacity building events hosted by the RGC and its partners. 

Maya is passionate about using data to drive impact in global health and sustainable development. She brings a breadth of experience in program evaluation, health promotion, research coordination, and humanitarian assistance through her prior work with Plan International, Catholic Relief Services, the CDC, and the University of California San Francisco. Her career has taken her across Africa, Latin America and Asia, from supporting humanitarian programs in Sudan, Ethiopia and Mali to strengthening nutrition and disaster risk reduction initiatives in the Dominican Republic and the Philippines. Maya’s commitment to global service began in the Peace Corps, where she spent two years in Madagascar partnering with local organizations and health clinics on community-led initiatives. She holds a Master of Public Health in Global Health from Emory University and speaks both French and Spanish.