María Elena Medina-Mora Icaza, Ph.D.

Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatria Ramón de la Fuente
Mexico City, Mexico

A visionary leader, Dr. María Elena Medina-Mora Icaza continues to demonstrate her unique ability to effectively engage researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and advocates in documenting drug abuse and developing, implementing, and evaluating science-based demand-reduction strategies. She is a leader in United States-Mexico cooperation, having played an active role in the 2010 U.S.-Mexico joint declaration of cooperation and more recently on a collaborative initiative between the U.S. State Department and Mexico to establish a clinical research capability. She also is laying the groundwork for future partnerships with the NIDA Clinical Trials Network and International Program. An internationally recognized epidemiologist, Dr. Medina-Mora has been a member of the World Health Organization Expert Committee on Addictions since 1986 and has worked tirelessly to standardize drug use reporting across countries and cultures. She has served on the boards of numerous national, regional, and international organizations and publications, among them the International Narcotics Control Board and the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission Scientific Advisory Committee. Dr. Medina-Mora is also a talented teacher and administrator whose students and colleagues follow her example in contributing to international drug abuse research.