Dr. Prada is Professor of Economics at Universidad ICESI, and Deputy Director at the Research Center for Social Protection and Health Economics (PROESA) of the same University. He has over 20 years of experience as an applied economist working for both national and international organizations. In Colombia he was Researcher at Fedesarrollo and CEGA; consultant economist for the National Planning Department and the Ministry of Finance; and was Executive Director of CRECE.

In the United States he worked as a Research Associate for IMPAQ International, LLC., where he conducted research for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). While completing his doctoral degree, he also did internships at the School of Medicine, University of Maryland, and was a consultant for the World Bank.

His academic background includes a Ph.D in Public Policy (University of Maryland, Maryland, USA), BA Economics (Universidad Javeriana, Bogota, Colombia) and two master degrees, one in Environmental Economics and Natural Resources (joint degree Universidad de los Andes and University of Maryland) and one in Public Administration (Syracuse University, NY, USA).

He has received several awards and recognitions. In 2002 he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and in 2015 was President of the 4th Congress of the Colombian Association of Health Economics.