About me

¡Hola! I am Paulina Pérez-Duarte Mendiola, MD, MSc, PhD!

I am a clinical paediatrician and medical anthropologist. My career has focused on improving the holistic outcomes of children’s health and addressing healthcare inequalities.

I completed my Pediatric Residency at Children’s Hospital of Mexico Federico Gomez (HIMFG), where I later joined the Emergency Department.

As a university professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), I taught undergraduate and postgraduate medical students. I hold a Master’s degree in Medical Anthropology from University College London (UCL) where my research focused on the profound impact of ‘Play’ on sick-children’s development, learning and healthcare experiences.

I have presented at conferences and published articles promoting the use of an anthropological approach to paediatric-healthcare, hospitalised children’s human rights and the role of the Health Play Specialists (Child-Life Specialists) in the United Kingdom.

In my role as a ‘Play and Health’ researcher, I recently finished my PhD at the PEDAL Hub (Play in Education, Development and Learning), within the University of Cambridge. The main aim of this doctoral research was to capture children’s perspectives regarding their ‘interactions with Health Play Professionals’.

Recently, as a Research Fellow, I joined ORCHID (Centre for Outcomes and Experience Research in Children’s Health Illness and Disability) at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, where we are focusing on equity of cancer care for children with and without learning disabilities and/or autism.

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Ongoing projects:

Research Fellow at ORCHID (Centre for Outcomes and Experience Research in Children’s Health Illness and Disability), within Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, United Kingdom.

Research project: The Seen & Be Heard Study

Chief investigator: Kate Oulton

Summary: This research aims to identify the challenges and/or facilitators in providing fair and effective cancer care to children and young people with and without learning disabilities and/or Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC). This research will follow the cancer journey of these children and their families through observations (ethnography) and – creative methods – interviews. The results of this study will help improve how cancer care is delivered, advocating for equitable care. Ultimately, the findings will help shape the development of the new Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) Children’s Cancer Centre.
PhD in Education: ‘Play & Health Research’ at the PEDAL Hub, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Dissertation title: Play in Hospital – Through the Looking-Glass: Exploring Children and Young People’s Perspectives regarding their Interactions with Health Play Professionals (Final VIVA 21st of March 2025- Passed with “very few” corrections).

Supervisor: Dr Paul Ramchandani, LEGO Professor of Play in Education, Development and Learning. Faculty of Education.

Co-Supervisor: Dr Iza Kavedžija, Department of Social Anthropology.

Summary: This doctoral research explores the role of play in paediatric healthcare, focusing on children’s perspectives regarding their interactions with all members of the Play Team— Health Play Specialists and Play Workers. Rooted in clinical paediatrics, research, and medical anthropology, this study aims to amplify the voices of hospitalised children and explore the implications for paediatric clinical practice and healthcare professionals’ education. This dissertation draws on creative analogies — Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass — to reframe the hospital experience to a child’s point of view.
Founder and Director of Semana JIM ‘Play in Hospital Awareness Week in Mexico’ (Semana del Juego Intrahospitalario en México), Mexico.

Semana JIM is a virtual space for students and child healthcare professionals who want to:

(1) Learn how to provide child-friendly medical care, in order to improve their paediatric clinical practice.

(2) Inspire other healthcare professionals and younger generations to acquire a ‘Pro-Play’ mindset.

(3) Meet more child-healthcare professionals interested in this innovative area of knowledge and discover new professional opportunities.
Director of Advocacy and Engagement at Pediatric Potential, United States of America.

Collaborate with global organisations to create durable and mutually beneficial relationships to promote paediatric psychosocial care initiatives. Advisory role to the company’s strategy, networking and growth.

Pediatric Potential is a non-political, non-profit organisation committed to strengthening the well-being and resilience of underserved, hospitalised children and families worldwide.
Mentor for Nixi for Children, Barcelona, Spain.

Mentoring existing and future projects developed by Nixi for Children.

“An innovative company that utilises virtual reality to reduce anxiety in paediatric patients. They achieve this by providing children with virtual tours of hospitals, operating rooms and radiotherapy machines before their hospital visits to help familiarise the often unpredictable and sometimes scary hospital environment”.