Students’ Den: Ana Cecilia Quiroga Gutiérrez, Editor of the Young Researcher Editorials Series

We are happy to host an interview with Ana Cecilia Quiroga Gutiérrez, student Editor of our Young Researcher Editorials (YRE) series! Ana is based the at the Department of Health Sciences and Medicine at the University of Lucerne and her PhD topic is “Health Insurance choice and its relationship with Health Insurance Literacy and other factors“. She has an expertise on behavioral economics, health insurance choice, access to healthcare, health equity and public health. We look forward to your comments! You can find Ana on twitter as well: @anacecyqg!

Tell us a bit about yourself!

My name is Ana Cecilia Quiroga Gutiérrez (I know, quite the telenovela name). I am originally from Monterrey, Mexico. I love reading, discovering new places, live music, hanging out with friends, good food, and being outdoors. I enjoy running and biking regularly, as well as trying different sports and activities. Back in Mexico, I participated in a few national archery tournaments (and won a few medals). I have attempted to play soccer several times, but I quite often end up badly injured. I am very happy to say I have already crossed several items off my bucket list, next one will probably be scuba diving. I studied Nutrition and Wellbeing at the Tec de Monterrey (ITESM) before moving to the USA (Houston), where I lived and worked for a few years. I currently am in the last stretch of my PhD journey at the Department of Health Sciences and Medicine of the University of Lucerne. My research focuses on how individuals make health insurance choices, what factors are associated with those choices, and how they can be improved to benefit people’s pockets and health.

What is your motivation in applying/joining the team?

I first learned the Young Researchers Editorials (YRE) series team was looking for a new member through an email from SSPH+. I thought it was a great opportunity to learn about the whole editing and publishing process; from pre-screening and reviewing to getting familiar with the platforms used. I also saw it as a chance to learn from other PhD students working on different topics and network with the other editors. One of the things I liked the most was the fact that, even though it is supported by the SSPH+, the YRE series is a platform run by and for PhD students.

How has the experience helped you so far?

Having first-hand experience as an editor and reviewer has helped me in a lot of ways. I have learned quite a bit from the peer review and editing process; like how to evaluate revised manuscripts, communicate decisions to editors and authors, etcetera. This in turn, has improved my own communications skills, and helped me when writing and even talking about my own research. Reading about and being in touch with different topics and areas related to public health, has also broadened my perspective and made me a better researcher. It has also been very nice getting to know the other editors and learning about their own journeys and experiences.

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