Dr. Luz Cumba Garcia

Dr. Luz Cumba Garcia is an immunologist, policy advisor, and award-winning science communicator with over 15 years of experience spanning academia, government, and the private sector. She works at the intersection of science, global health policy, and diplomacy, advancing evidence-informed approaches to international collaboration.

She is an Independent Consultant with Lewis-Burke Associates, where she advises on international engagement and global policy strategy. Her work focuses on providing strategic guidance on collaborative opportunities, helping organizations navigate complex international science and policy landscapes, and delivering actionable insights to support clients’ global initiatives.

She brings a unique combination of deep scientific training, U.S. foreign policy experience, and science diplomacy expertise, with a career spanning the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), global health programs such as the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and international research cooperation initiatives.

Issue Expertise: Global health policy, health systems strengthening, biomedical research policy, international science and technology cooperation, international development, foreign affairs, science diplomacy, science policy, evidence-informed policymaking, capacity building in low- and middle-income countries, science communication, public engagement, and regulatory affairs.

Additional Experience: Dr. Cumba Garcia most recently served as an Advisor for Sustainability at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy, where she supported PEPFAR in advancing sustainable global health policies and strengthening health systems in low- and middle-income countries. In this role, she contributed to policy development, interagency coordination, and technical assistance to country programs, with a focus on long-term sustainability and country ownership.

She is an alumna of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science & Technology Policy Fellowship, during which she served at both the U.S. Department of State and USAID. At the State Department, within the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs’ Office of Mexican Affairs (WHA/MEX), she managed the Environment, Science, Technology, and Health (ESTH) portfolio and advanced U.S.–Mexico cooperation on global health and regulatory issues. Her work included coordinating U.S. government responses to transboundary health threats such as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and supporting bilateral and regional regulatory cooperation. She also contributed to regional initiatives such as the Economic and Health Dialogue of the Americas (EHA), including organizing a regulatory reliance meeting that convened more than 70 delegates from 12 countries.

During her fellowship at USAID, within the Bureau for the Middle East’s Middle East Regional Cooperation (MERC) Program, she supported Arab–Israeli scientific collaboration in a complex geopolitical environment. She served on an interagency review committee, evaluated research proposals, and engaged researchers across the Middle East and North Africa, strengthening her ability to operate in politically sensitive, multicultural contexts while maintaining scientific rigor and development objectives.

Prior to her federal service and current consulting role, Dr. Cumba Garcia served as a Policy Advisor at Lewis-Burke Associates, advising clients on federal policy and international affairs. She is also the founder of SciPolicy Global Strategies LLC, a consulting firm providing strategic advisory, capacity-building, and communications services at the intersection of science, policy, and international affairs.

Her regional experience in Latin America and the Caribbean includes a fellowship with the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI). She is a founding member of the Science Diplomacy Network in Latin America and the Caribbean (DiploCientifica), a member of the Global Young Academy (GYA), and serves on the International Science Council (ISC) Regional Focal Point for Latin America and the Caribbean (RFP-LAC) Partnerships Committee.

Vital Statistics: Dr. Cumba Garcia holds a Ph.D. in Immunology from Mayo Clinic, an M.S. in Immunology from the University of Granada (Spain), and a B.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biology from Universidad Metropolitana in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She is the recipient of the 2020 Science Defender Award from the Union of Concerned Scientists for Spanish-language science communication during the COVID-19 pandemic. A proud Puerto Rican, she is deeply committed to advancing equity, international collaboration, and public engagement in science and policy. She enjoys traveling and exercising.