Dr. Ieda Maria Ávila Vargas Dias is a Professor at the Department of Public Health at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Nurse, specializing in pediatric and neonatal nursing, and a master's degree in public health from the University of São Paulo. She has a doctorate in nursing from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and a postdoctoral degree from the Tor Vergata University, Italy. She works at undergraduate and graduate levels, coordinated the Ethics Committee for Research with Human Beings, the Advisory Committee of the Dean of Research, and was a member of the Postgraduate Sectorial Council. She is a Fellow of the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research-FAIMER. A public health researcher, she participates in an international cooperation research project with King's College London.

Prof. Ieda Maria Ávila Vargas Dias is interested in the areas of research in permanent education, public health, public health policies, vulnerable populations, traditional populations, climate change, and sustainability. His current research focuses on: a) strengthening the system of primary care for indigenous health with the integration of community health agents; b) the impact of climate change on mental health in indigenous communities in South America.