A Ph.D. student in Public Health Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, Milena Franco Silva is on a mission to address spatial and health disparities through transdisciplinary research. Her path to public health began in her hometown of Curitiba, Brazil, where she grew up navigating the stark contrasts between the rural landscape of Balsa Nova and the urban environment of Curitiba. Experiencing firsthand how urban design influences access to resources and quality of life, she pursued a degree in Architecture and Urban Planning at Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná.
Her studies took her beyond Brazil—during a six-month exchange at Yokohama National University in Japan, she witnessed the disparities in access to public transportation and healthcare services between Japan and Brazil, further shaping her passion for the intersection of urban planning, public health, and active mobility. Milena deepened her expertise through a master’s degree at PUCPR, refining her commitment to evidence-based urban health interventions.
Now at Washington University, Milena works within the supportive environment at the Prevention Research Center (PRC), where she works alongside experienced mentors. She envisions a future in academia, where she can conduct impactful research on health disparities, climate change, and urban planning while actively engaging with communities to drive meaningful change.
Beyond her research, Milena has a love for music—she once performed at weddings in Brazil, singing and playing guitar. She is also deeply passionate about animal welfare, supporting an NGO in Brazil that rescues and rehabilitates abandoned animals.
With her unique blend of expertise in urban planning and public health, Milena Franco Silva is poised to make a lasting impact on the field, ensuring that cities are designed to promote health equity for all.
Lovely!