Dr. Mariana Herrera Diaz is a Microbiologist from Colombia. She holds a master's in Basic Sciences and a Ph.D. in Epidemiology. She is currently working as a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at the University of Manitoba, after receiving, in October 2023, the CIHR Research Excellence, Diversity, and Independence (REDI) Early Career Transition Award.

Dr. Herrera Diaz's research interests include Sexually Transmitted and Blood-borne infections (STBBI), respiratory infections, and microbiome in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. Her primary research area is focused on investigating whether drug use contributes to changes to the microbiome of the gut, genital, and upper respiratory tract in people living with HIV or experiencing homelessness. She also examines the association between changes in the microbiome, the risk of new STBBI, and antiretroviral treatment outcomes.

Mariana collaborates with a transdisciplinary team that includes indigenous peer leaders, individuals with living experiences, and experts in epidemiology, immunology, and infectious diseases. She has explored various algorithms to improve the capacity to interpret studies of complex biological processes by combining clinical, transcriptomic, and socio-demographical information and applying statistical and epidemiological methods.