Maria received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master’s Degree in Human Development and Psychology from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a Medical Degree from George Washington University. She completed residency training in Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins. After working for a decade in clinical practice in Baltimore, she now focuses on public health teaching and advocacy on children’s environmental health. Maria came to the children’s environmental health space as a co-creator of the “Docs in the Park Program”, an alliance of Baltimore City professionals across sectors of recreation, health, education, and environmental advocacy whose mission was to promote outdoor physical activity and connection to nature. She has recently served as President of the Maryland Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Since 2021, she has enjoyed working as a Consultant in UNICEF’s Healthy Environment for Healthy Children Programme. Joined the Board May 2024.