About

María Elena García is an associate professor in the Comparative History of Ideas and the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. She is also Joff Hanauer Honors Professor in Western Civilization (2018-2020). García received her PhD in Anthropology at Brown University and has been a Mellon Fellow at Wesleyan University and Tufts University. Her research focuses on Indigenous and intercultural politics in Peru, as evidenced by her first book, Making Indigenous Citizens: Identities, Development, and Multicultural Activism in Peru, published by Stanford in 2005. Her work on indigeneity and interspecies politics in the Andes has been featured in multiple edited volumes and journals such as Anthropology Now, Anthropological Quarterly, International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Anthropology, Latin American Perspectives, and Latin American and Caribbean Ethnic Studies. Her second book project, Culinary Spectacles: Gastro-Politics, and Other Tales of Race and Species in Peru, is under contract with the University of California Press and examines the intersections of race, species, and capital in contemporary Peru.

Research topics

• Sociology
• Political Science
• Art
• Philosophy
• Anthropology
• Literature
• Epistemology
• Archaeology
• Ethnology
• History
• Botany
• Biochemistry
• Gender studies
• Medicine
• Traditional medicine
• Food science
• Chemistry
• Law
• Biology
• Aesthetics

Selected publications

• Community Health Worker-Led Diabetes Empowerment Education: Practice-Based Evidence and Participant Highlights and Recommendations from the HEART ATX Project in Austin, Texas

  American Journal of Health Education · 2026-05-12

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Patient-reported outcome measures for technology assessment: A comparison between three-dimensional conformal and intensity-modulated radiotherapy in prostate cancer

  World Journal of Clinical Oncology · 2026-03-23

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND Technological innovation in radiotherapy demands evaluation not only through dosimetric or clinician-reported outcomes, but also through patient-centred measures. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) provide a unique insight into how advances such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) affect daily functioning and quality of life, compared to conventional techniques. Despite the clear dosimetric benefits over three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT), evidence on whether IMRT translates into superior patient-reported outcomes remains inconsistent. PROM-based assessment offers a robust framework to evaluate the real clinical value of radiotherapy technologies and their impact on long-term quality of life in localized prostate cancer. AIM To compare 3D-CRT and IMRT using PROMs and to examine the influence of image-guided techniques on outcomes. METHODS The observational study compared two independent cohorts of localized prostate cancer patients followed for five years: (1) 92 were treated with 3D-CRT (2003-2005); and (2) 106 with IMRT (2013-2019). PROMs were assessed using the expanded prostate cancer index composite and short form-36 health survey before treatment and annually, via centralized telephone interviews. Propensity score-weighted Generalized Estimating Equation models were constructed with adjustment for baseline differences. Within the IMRT cohort, a multivariate regression explored associations between image guidance, fractionation, and dose escalation and urinary outcomes 12 months post-treatment. RESULTS Both radiotherapy techniques were associated with sustained high long-term health-related quality of life, according to patient-reported data. Significant differences between modalities emerged from the second year or third year post-treatment in the expanded prostate cancer index composite urinary, bowel, and sexual domains. Patients treated with IMRT reported better trajectories in mental health (short form-36 health survey) compared with those treated with 3D-CRT. Within the IMRT cohort, the use of Cone-Beam Computed Tomography-based image guidance and reduced planning margins (≤ 5 mm) was associated with improved preservation of urinary continence (P = 0.048). Conversely, higher equivalent dose in 2-Gy fractions doses (> 78 Gy) and hypofractionation (≥ 3 Gy/fraction) were associated to greater short-term deterioration in urinary incontinence (P = 0.030) and irritative/obstructive symptoms (P = 0.006). CONCLUSION PROMs reveal the real-world impact of radiotherapy advances from the patient’s perspective. IMRT improved urinary and bowel outcomes, supporting PROMs as valid tools for technology assessment and patient-centred treatment optimization.

  PublisherDOI

• Liver morphometry and histopathology effects in Astyanax lacustris exposed to lambda-cyhalothrin pyrethroid insecticide

  Toxicology Reports · 2025-01-20 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Lambda-cyhalothrin (LC) is a pyrethroid insecticide employed to manage various arthropods as an alternative to persistent insecticides with minimized toxic effects on birds and mammals. However, LC causes oxidative and neurotoxic damages in fish Danio rerio . Effects of LC in morphology of liver of fishes are scare. We aimed to establish the lethal concentration (LC 50 96 h) of pyrethroid LC for Astianax lacustris . Then, we compare liver responses of sublethal doses of LC (i.e. 10.30 µg/L) for acute (i.e 1- and 3-days post-exposure - dpe ) and chronic (i.e 6 and 12 dpe ). We sought to identify pathological changes and compare liver histometric remodeling in fish subjected to acute and chronic toxicity tests. For this, liver histological changes were evaluated using the degree of tissue changes (DTC), followed by histomorphometric techniques determining structural volumetric density, glycogen cell density, and morphometry of hepatic tissue. We observed high hepatocellular injuries in exposed fishes. The main injuries included leukocyte infiltration, hyperemia, and pyknotic nuclei, especially 6 dpe. Hepatic glycogen storage decreases at 6 and 12 dpe showing metabolic damage. Both, density and volume of decreases after LC exposure in all exposure time. However, sinusoidal density increases after LC exposure, suggesting vascular hyperemia. These results show morphophysiological effects of LC at 10.30 µg/L in acute and chronic exposure represented by decreased glycogen storage, structural density, and volume of hepatocytes, in addition to a higher degree of histological changes. • Pyrethroid insecticide cause morphometrics and histopathological alteration in liver of fish. • Pyrethroid exposure is cytotoxic. • Long term exposure at low concentration promote tissue damage. • Pyrethroid can alter homeostasis of Neotropical fish.

  PublisherDOI

• Stereotactic radiosurgery practice patterns for brain metastases: A survey by the SRS_SBRT_SEOR (Spanish Society of Radiation Oncology) Working Group

  Reports of Practical Oncology & Radiotherapy · 2025-10-03

  articleOpen access

  Background: This study evaluates practices and preferences in treating intact brain metastases with stereotactic-radiosurgery (SRS) among members of the SEOR-SRS_SBRT working group, focusing on clinical protocols, equipment usage, and treatment parameters. Materials and methods: A survey conducted via Google Forms targeted 149 group members, with responses collected from one representative per institution between April and May 2024. Respondents included radiation oncologists from Mexico, Argentina, Portugal, and Spain, and data analysis covered demographics, equipment, treatment protocols, immobilization techniques, dose schedules, image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), and prescription criteria. Results: Out of 149 members, 28 institutions responded. Most participants (64.5%) had over 10 years of experience. Single-fraction-SRS was practiced by 64.5%, while fractionated SRS-SRT was used by 96.8%. Linear accelerators (C-Linac) were the primary equipment (86.7%). Specific protocols for brain metastases were reported by 80%. SRS was preferred for 1-3 metastases (93.3%), while whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT) was used for > 10 metastases (70%). Considering the type of stereotactic localization, frameless systems were employed in 69% while rigid-frames were used in 31% of cases. The most common immobilization technique was a reinforced mask (50%). Planning computed tomography (CT)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) slice thickness ≤ 2 mm was standard, and automatic registration was applied in 69%. Doses of 21-23 Gy were common for lesions < 1 cm, while < 20 Gy was typical for 2-3 cm lesions. Margins for single-fraction SRS were 1 mm in 50% of cases. IGRT verification used cone-beam CT (64.5%) and surface-guided radiation therapy (35.5%). Conclusion: The findings reveal variability in SRS practice, particularly in immobilization, dose prescriptions, and IGRT methods, emphasizing the need for standardized guidelines to optimize patient outcomes and adapt treatments to institutional resources and patient-specific factors.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• 1368 Phytotherapy and Pre-Probiotics as a Potential Approach to Improve Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Prostate Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy

  Radiotherapy and Oncology · 2025-05-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Heat-induced F&lt;sub&gt;0&lt;/sub&gt;-fluorescence rise is not an indicator of severe tissue necrosis in thermotolerance assays of young and mature leaves of a tropical tree species, Calophyllum inophyllum

  Photosynthetica · 2025-02-27 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access

  In heating experiments with leaves, the temperature at which dark-level F₀ chlorophyll <i>a</i> fluorescence begins to rise, T_crit, is widely used as an indicator of photosystem II thermotolerance. However, little is known about how T_crit correlates with irreversible leaf tissue damage. Young and mature leaves of the tropical tree species <i>Calophyllum</i> <i>inophyllum</i> were heated stepwise from 30 to 55°C, at 1°C min^-1. T_crit was 47°C in young leaves and 49°C in mature leaves. Contrary to the higher T_crit in mature leaves, heating to 55°C elicited greater tissue damage in mature than in young leaves. Young and mature leaves heated to their respective T_crit or T_crit + 2°C exhibited no or little tissue necrosis after 14 d of post-culture. It is concluded that measurements of the temperature-dependent F₀ fluorescence rise underestimate the thermal thresholds above which significant irreversible leaf damage occurs.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• 21284. BIOMARCADORES GLIALES Y NEUROINFLAMATORIOS EN LA FASE PRECLÍNICA DEL CONTINUUM DE LA ENFERMEDAD DE ALZHEIMER

  Neurology Perspectives · 2024-11-01

  articleOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Evaluation of Modeled Smoke Plumes of Wildfires in the Argentinian Patagonia, Against Satellite Observations

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2024-01-01

  preprintOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• 2 Tasting Sovereignty: Love and Revolution in Peru

  2023-03-16 · 1 citations

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Morfología polínica de las especies de Caiophora (Loasaceae) en Argentina

  Lilloa · 2023-12-12

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Se describe la morfología del polen de las 17 especies de Caiophora (Loasaceae) registradas para Argentina y se considera su posible valor taxonómico en la delimitación de estas entidades. Las observaciones y mediciones de granos de polen acetolizados y no acetolizados se llevaron a cabo bajo microscopía óptica (MO), mientras que para microscopía electrónica de barrido (MEB) se usaron granos no acetolizados. Los resultados demostraron que las especies analizadas presentan granos de polen prolatos a prolato-esferoidales, pequeños a medianos; exina reticulada con muros entrelazados en diferentes niveles con paredes lisas, microgranuladas o microperforadas. A nivel MEB se observan diferencias interespecíficas con respecto al grosor de las paredes y el diámetro de los lúmenes.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Curt R. Rom

  University of Arkansas at Fayetteville

  40 shared

• Alisha L. Ruple

  University of Arkansas at Fayetteville

  26 shared

• Christopher Vincent

  Florida Department of Citrus

  26 shared

• John R. Clark

  26 shared

• Ana G. Ortiz-Quezada

  25 shared

• Funchess Hall

  Clemson University

  25 shared

• Luis Cisneros‐Zevallos

  Texas A&M University

  25 shared

• Hazel Y. Wetzstein

  Purdue University West Lafayette

  25 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Anthropology

  Brown University

• M.A.

  Wesleyan University

• M.A.

  Tufts University

Awards & honors

• Joff Hanauer Honors Professor in Western Civilization (2018-…