Christina M. Pacheco, JD, MPH

Professional Background

Christina M. Pacheco, JD, MPH, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. She has a secondary appointment in Population Health. Pacheco graduated from William Mitchell College of Law in 2008 with her Juris Doctor (JD) and from the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) in 2016 with her Master of Public Health (concentration in Social & Behavioral Health). She is pursuing an interdisciplinary PhD in bioinformatics and public administration at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Pacheco has worked in public health for over 14 years, policy and law for more than 16 years, and social justice and racial reconciliation for over 20 years. She has aided in the development of culturally tailored public health interventions, particularly in tobacco, environmental health, healthy eating, and physical activity.
Ms. Pacheco is a community-based participatory researcher whose interests focus on health inequities faced by Indigenous, Latino, and rural communities. She wants to understand how social impediments (determinants) impact health for Indigenous, Latino, and rural communities.

• BA, Political Science/ Latin American Area Studies, University of Minnesota, Morris, Morris, Minnesota
• JD, Law, William Mitchell College of Law, Saint Paul, Minnesota
• MPH, Social and Behavioral Health, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas
• PhD, Bioinformatics, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri
• Other, Kansas Community Cancer Disparities Network Fellowship, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas

• Board of Directors, Kansas City Indian Center, Member, 2012 - 2012

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Research

Overview

Pacheco is deeply committed to advancing health equity and addressing the unique challenges historically resilient communities face, particularly Indigenous populations. Her multifaceted research portfolio encompasses critical areas such as rural health, Indigenous maternal health, tobacco control, policy surveillance, and environmental health. Drawing from her experiences as an Indigenous Latina, Pacheco's overarching career aspiration is to dismantle systemic barriers to health equity. She is dedicated to fostering genuine community engagement throughout the research process, adhering to a community-based participatory research model that ensures the voices and perspectives of those most impacted are central at every stage, from conception and design to analysis and dissemination.
Pacheco's scholarly contributions extend across various dimensions of public health, focusing on Indigenous populations in the Americas, historically resilient communities in the US, rural communities, and global populations. Her research delves into nuanced topics such as smoking cessation, culturally tailored approaches to health interventions, environmental health disparities, social determinants of health, cancer screening and prevention, maternal health, and HIV/AIDS prevention strategies. Through her interdisciplinary work, Pacheco endeavors to drive meaningful change and promote health equity for all.

• Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health, CDC

• Pacheco CM, Wellever A, Nazir N, Pacheco J, Berryhil K, Faseru B, Barnes C, Daley CM, Choi WS. 2018. Clearing the air: American Indian tribal college students' exposure to second hand smoke & attitudes towards smoke free campus policies.. Journal of American college health : J of ACH, 66 (2), 133-140
• Pacheco CM, Daley SM, Brown T, Filippi M, Greiner KA, Daley CM. 2013. Moving forward: breaking the cycle of mistrust between American Indians and researchers.. American journal of public health, 103 (12), 2152-9
• Pacheco CM, Snyder M, Hollins K, Parisien KR, Scott A, Mirás Neira A, Lee L, Huebener K, Chen Y, Vaccianna R, Potter A, Finocchario-Kessler S, Scheuermann TS. 2026. Pregnancy as a journey of care and connection: Indigenous women's experiences navigating health systems and community support.. Frontiers in public health, 14, 1839105
• Pacheco CM, Scheuermann TS, Gosch K, Hollins K, Crouser G, Finocchario Kessler S, Parisien KR, Snyder M, Lee L, Dombrowski N, Nichols J, DiTeresi RM, Florio KL. 2026. Perceptions of maternal mortality and risk factors among American Indian/Alaska Native respondents in Missouri.. American journal of obstetrics & gynecology MFM, 8 (9), 102036
• Pacheco CM, Bridges K, Ablah E, Collie-Akers V, Ellerbeck E, Morrow E, Honn A, Long N, Love J, Carrillo Martinez C, Knapp K, Miras Neira T, Scott A, Finocchario Kessler S. 2025. Strengthening community voices: implementing Local Health Equity Action Teams (LHEATs) to address health disparities.. Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique, 83 (1), 293