Our People

Dr. Kulaga’s passion for people, science, and the environment has led her to a myriad of academic and professional achievements, testaments to her adventurous spirit, determination, and most of all, her love for life.

Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Vivian graduated from the Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Toronto, with high distinction in her Honours Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Biology. Determined to make a difference, she then decided to pursue the study of Toxicology, what she believes to be the most meaningful interface between people’s health and our environment.

While pursuing her PhD at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, she also volunteered at their prestigious Motherisk program, offering advice to physicians, pharmacists, and most importantly, expectant mothers, regarding the safety of medications and exposures during pregnancy and breast-feeding.

Her commitment to the health sciences, her strong work-ethic, and her desire to give back to society has resulted in a valuable contribution to the medical and scientific community. Dr. Kulaga has authored 11 articles published in peer-reviewed medical journals, and she has been invited to present her work at various international scientific conferences and meetings.

Vivian is also quite the sports enthusiast! She has been devoted to the practice of Ashtaga Yoga since 1999, Taichi since 2002, Rock-climbing since 2007, and is a second-level brown belt in Karate (Wado-Ryu style). She's even dabbled in circus acrobatics!

An avid traveller, back-packer and adventurer, Vivian has visited over 19 countries and her love of culture has led her to speak 4 languages (English, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish). After completing her PhD in Biomedical Toxicology and Pharmacology from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Vivian backpacked for over a year through South America by herself. During that time she visited countries such as Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Venezuela, and Colombia. She even lived for over 2 months with Native Indians in the Brazilian Amazon, refining her Portuguese and learning about traditional herbal medicine from the tribal Shaman!

Her travels and adventurous spirit led her to Colombia, and her passion and determination to the formation of Colombia World, a company dedicated to giving you the best of what Colombia has to offer!

Click here to see a list of Dr. Kulaga's publications

• Kulaga, V., Shor, S., & Koren, G. (2010) Correlation between drugs of abuse and alcohol by hair analysis: Parents at risk for having children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Alcohol, 44(7-8), 615-621.
  
  
• Kulaga, V., Gareri, J., Fulga, N., & Koren, G. (2010) Agreement between the fatty acid ethyl ester hair test for alcohol and social workers' reports. Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, 32(3), 294-299.
  
  
• Shor, S., Nulman, I., Kulaga, V., & Koren, G. (2010) Heavy in utero ethanol exposure is associated with the use of other drugs of abuse in a high-risk population. Alcohol, 44(7-8), 623-627.
  
  
• Kulaga, V., Pragst, P., Koren G. (2009) The fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) hair test: Emerging technology for the diagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD): Dosages des esters éthyliques d'acides gras (FAEE) dans les cheveux: Une nouvelle aide pour le diagnostic du syndrome d'alcoolisme fœtal. Ann Toxicol Anal., 21(2): 61-65
  
  
• Kulaga, V., Pragst, F., Fulga, N., & Koren, G. (2009) Hair analysis of fatty acid ethyl esters in the detection of excessive drinking in the context of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, 31(2), 261-266.
  
  
• Kulaga, V., Velazquez-Armenta, Y., Aleksa, K., Vergee, Z., & Koren, G. (2009) The effect of hair pigment on the incorporation of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE). Alcohol and Alcoholism 44(3), 287-292.
  
  
• Garcia-Algar, O., Kulaga, V., Gareri, J., Koren, G., Vall, O., Zuccaro, P., et al. (2008) Alarming prevalence of fetal alcohol exposure in a mediterranean city. Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, 30(2), 249-254.
  
  
• Kulaga, V., Caprara, D., Iqbal, U., Kapur, B., Klein, J., Reynolds, J., et al. (2006) Fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE); comparative accumulation in human and guinea pig hair as a biomarker for prenatal alcohol exposure. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 41(5), 534-539.
  
  
• Kulaga, V. (2006) Cognitive processing speed among children exposed to fetal alcohol. J FAS Int 4:e3.
  
  
• Kulaga, V. (2005) Prevalence of alcohol consumption among women poses a significant health risk for the unborn population. J FAS Int 3:e6.
  
  
• Boutet, I., Ryan, M., Kulaga, V., McShane, C., Christie, L. A., Freedman, M., et al. (2005) Age-associated cognitive deficits in humans and dogs: A comparative neuropsychological approach. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry 29(3), 433-441.
  
  

O.J. brings over 12 years of business analysis and IT consulting experience to Colombia World, and has been an integral contributor to the formation of the company. Born in Toronto, Canada and raised in the Philippines, O.J. has acquired an adaptability that has made him embrace the challenges of developing international business practices and marketing strategies, and of working in a foreign country. O.J joined Colombia World speaking 3 languages, making it easy for him to immerse himself in a new culture and learn yet another language!

During his years as a consultant, O.J. picked up a lot of skills and was able to diversify his abilities to include radically different areas such as application development, project management, database design, information management, and business process design. O.J.’s impeccable aptitude for growth and his meticulous attention to detail is evident in his work and all throughout this website.

Apart from being a really nice and easy-going guy, O.J. also enjoys being active. He loves volleyball, working out, and has a new found addiction to circus acrobatics! If it were up to O.J. there would probably already be a Colombia World circus – but we haven’t ruled out anything yet...

When not at his desk, his other office is the kitchen, where his culinary skills are nothing to joke about! He has already adapted his recipes to the local ingredients, all while learning about and enjoying Colombian cuisine. He's always happy to introduce his new Colombian friends to the culinary repertoire that his travels and multicultural upbringing have given him.

A man of many talents, O.J. works hard behind the scenes to ensure that your visit to our website is seamless, and more importantly, that your trip to Colombia is a safe, happy, and memorable one.

Jhon grew up among the green mountains of Colombia's beautiful coffee growing region, an environment that fostered within him a passion for nature, environmental protection, and his community. With degrees in Professional Tourism and Recreational Services, and in Tourism Administration and Cultural Heritage Management, Jhon has gained valuable experience in the areas of tourism operations, human resource management, financial planning, structured knowledge management, and product and service development of recreational and tourism programs.

A proud Colombian, Jhon has devoted his life to community work and tourism, to share with the world what he loves most, Colombia. Jhon cares deeply about social and environmental issues, and his kindness and passion are evident through his volunteer work. Jhon is an active volunteer and leading member of a local community-based organization, the “Cooperativa Multiactiva Defensores del Medio Ambiente”. The organization is dedicated to developing ecologically-focused and sustainable tourism programs dedicated to the preservation and protection of the sanctuary of fauna and flora of the Otún Quimba area. The organization is also involved in the development of various community projects that benefit local residents.

Level-headed, pro-active, and resourceful, Jhon is our solutions expert, resolving any potential issues long before they become problems. Jhon manages our logistics implementation with skill, accuracy, and experience, ensuring that every minute of your itinerary runs smoothly.

It is Jhon’s generous nature and exemplary integrity, that enrich the quality of his work and those privileged enough to work with him.

We couldn’t do it alone!

Colombia World works with many professionals that are the absolute best in what they do.

• We hire only the most experienced bilingual guides to accompany you to the most fantastic destinations Colombia has to offer.
• We contract specialized local guides with intimate local knowledge when travelling to unique destinations.
• We care about your safety and hire only experienced instructors when participating in extreme sports or other adventure activities.
• We hire only the best in transport professionals to ensure your comfort and safety, and work with restaurants and hotels with proven positive track records.

Our staff works behind the scenes to make your tour run smoothly and seamlessly. We care about our employees, our business partners, as we do our customers, to us they are all part of our Colombia World family.

We do this because we want to make your Colombian vacation truly spectacular, so you can appreciate all that we love about this country, its people, and the environment!