Carla Ibarra is a member of the Transgender Advisory Council.
Carla (she/her) is a proud transgender immigrant from the Philippines. She is currently a Health Program Analyst for the Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. She is also a researcher and member of a community advisory board at Brown University School of Public Health, on the NIAAA-funded Alcohol Research Center on HIV (ARCH) at Brown University Pilot Project called “Investigating HIV risk, alcohol use, and stigma among trans women of color” (2P01 AA019072 PI: C.W. Kahler).
Carla is currently a graduate student in the Master of Public Health (MPH) program at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC). Before moving to the United States in 2018, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Consular and Diplomatic Affairs as an academic scholar at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, making her a first-generation college graduate in the family. While finishing her degree, she committed herself to grassroots community organizing with the goal of empowering the youth through education in her home country. She was a National Vice Chairperson of the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines, the largest assembly of student councils and governments in the Philippines.
Recently, Carla is featured along with other young advocates in “The Power of Kindness”, a special short documentary with Lady Gaga, in cooperation with the Born This Way Foundation and Facebook in honor of the World Kindness Day. Carla talked about her journey with mental health and the power of self-love and kindness.
With more than seven years of advocacy and professional experience grounded in advancing trans people's rights focusing on education, immigration, and health, she aims to take on leadership roles in the field of public health in Los Angeles. She relentlessly dedicates herself to the elimination of health inequalities and disparities in underserved communities by completely integrating trans-specific and culturally responsive practices in providing effective overall care.