ABOUT LINDA LARA JACOBO

I was born and raised in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, where I saw firsthand how environmental conditions shape the health of communities. These early experiences sparked my commitment to toxicology and environmental health.

Today, I am proud to serve as a toxicologist and Assistant Professor of Environmental Health in the School of Public Health at San Diego State University Imperial Valley (SDSU IV), where I specialize in Toxicology, Health, Environment, and Sustainability. My work sits at the intersection of toxicology, environmental science, and public health, grounded in the belief that the lived experiences of communities are central to advancing knowledge and equity.

My research examines how chemical and biological contaminants in water, soil, and air affect human and ecosystem health. My lab combines molecular toxicology, environmental health and wastewater-based epidemiology to study emerging contaminants, antimicrobial resistance, and their links to disease risk, within a One Health framework that connects human, animal, and environmental health. I pair laboratory science with community-based and participatory approaches, so that research findings translate into action and better health protection for the communities most exposed.

Through collaborative work, I am committed to building a solidarity-based academy that connects environmental health science with public health practice, and academic research with community leadership. At the heart of my work is a vision of healthier, more just, and more resilient futures for communities facing environmental and social stressors.

I hold a Ph.D. in Water Sciences, with an emphasis in toxicogenomics, from the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) in Quebec, Canada; an M.Sc. in Life Sciences, with an emphasis in environmental toxicology, from the Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE) in Mexico; and a B.Sc. in Biological and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, with an emphasis in toxicology and pharmacology, from the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC). I completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Ontario Tech University in Canada, where I developed LC-MS and proteomics methods to track COVID-19 and other diseases through wastewater.