Dr. Maria Del Mar Rodriguez Berrios

Class of 2014

Dr. Maria Del Mar Rodriguez Berrios has contributed to the advancement of naturopathic medicine through her advocacy, clinical, and research work since her graduation from Sonoran University of Health Sciences (formerly SCNM) in 2014. She recently earned a multiyear Postdoctoral Research Fellowship focused on Health Disparities and Integrative Medicine at academic hospitals in Boston, Massachusetts. She became a trailblazer by being the first and only Latina, Puerto Rican, and licensed Naturopathic Physician (ND) to ever be admitted to and complete this highly competitive and prestigious fellowship.

Throughout her career as a clinician researcher, she has had the opportunity to network and engage with many scientists, clinicians, faculty, and community members. She has created bridges of communication and curiosity about the profession and field of naturopathic medicine on every multidisciplinary forum she has attended, whether she is presenting her research work nationally or promoting integrative medical care and more diversity and inclusion of underrepresented clinicians in academic research as a Latina ND.

Among her broad experience, she was appointed as an Interventionist for the Promotion of Healthy Lifestyles and a Co-Investigator at the main public academic hospital of Puerto Rico, University of PR, Medical Sciences Campus. For several years, she has been educating communities about integrative and naturopathic medicine—offering wellness interventions focused on stress resiliency, food as medicine, and the prevention of cardiometabolic conditions. During her recent fellowship, she was a National Institutes of Health and Susan G. Komen grants recipient for efforts to reduce cancer health disparities and address social determinants of health. Dr. Rodriguez Berrios earned professional certifications in Clinical Research & Translational Sciences at Tufts University’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and Culinary Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

She has contributed to numerous projects and scientific publications, representing the naturopathic medical community and Latina healthcare professionals. Additionally, she collaborated on several CTSI-affiliated programs in Massachusetts, in a dialogue with the U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and was elected to be part of the Women in Medicine & Science Association’s Wellness Committee.

She has also participated in the Harvard Medical School’s Office of Diversity and Community Engagement, Institute of Lifestyle Medicine, and Osher Center for Integrative Health forums since 2015 to present.

Dr. Rodriguez Berrios continues her commitment to serve communities through compassionate, culturally-appropriate, integrative care in her clinical practice and research career.

To learn more about Dr. Rodriguez Berrios’ work, follow her on Instagram: @dra.mariadelmar