Alba Rodríguez Juan is a PhD Candidate at the University of California, Riverside (UCR). She earned her degree in Psychology from the University of Valencia, Spain, and completed a master’s in Yoga Studies at Loyola Marymount University with the support of a two-year Fulbright scholarship. Alba has worked as a mentor, counselor, and yoga teacher in different settings, including hospitals and academic institutions. Currently, she works as a Teaching Assistant in the Department for the Study of Religion at the University of California, Riverside (UCR). She is also the International Student Affairs Officer of the Graduate Student Association (GSA), and serves as a Co-Chair for the Yoga Studies Unit at the American Academy of Religion (AAR).

Her research focuses on South Asian philosophical and religious traditions, particularly the continuities and discontinuities between traditional and contemporary Jain ethical and meditation practices. She is currently writing her dissertation on the yoga-related writings of Yaśovijaya, widely regarded as the last great philosopher of Jainism—a profoundly influential yet underexamined figure.

Throughout her life, Alba has also participated in various international projects centered on human rights, blending academic and social work. She has volunteered with organizations such as Psychologists Without Barriers, Friends of the Saharawi People, Bona Gent: Friends of People with Intellectual Disabilities, and at the LA Venice Family Clinic.