Marla Cansino

Former Laboratory Supervisor (June 2015-June 2021), Former Acting Manager (January 2021-June 2021).

Marla has been accepted in the ND Master in Global Affairs program starting in the Fall semester of 2021. We wish her the best and good luck in her new journey.

Marla Cansino is a graduate from the University of Belize and holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology. In the summer of 2015, Marla was selected from a group of University of Belize students, along with Donovan Leiva, to shadow Notre Dame students with their Capstone projects. As a result of their hard work and dedication, Marla and Donovan were hired to be part of Dr. Achee and Dr. Grieco’s research team at the Belize Vector and Ecology Center (BVEC) in Orange Walk Town, Belize C.A.

Marla’s early works have been in the area of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) as an active fellow in GoBelize – a leading non-governmental organization in Belize focusing in leadership in SRH. Her passion for the environment has led Marla to lead various Environmental Awareness Campaigns to educate about the importance of preserving the environment. Marla has always found creative and factual ways of linking Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights with environmental issues making her a youth champion in advocating for sustainable development. Currently, she is now trying to educate people about the link between our Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) and the prevalence of vector-borne diseases as both impact our environment. Currently, Marla is hoping that BVEC and the University of Notre Dame will establish a more solid partnership with GoBelize in research, training and outreach endeavors that will target public health concerns in marginalized populations in Belize.