The applied nature of the Infectious Disease Epidemiology Ecology Lab (IDEEL), at the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, has a direct impact on the health and well-being of millions of individuals around the globe, while also having an immediate effect on health policies at all levels. Jessica Lin, MD, MSCR, calls it science in the service of clinically relevant population public health.
“When students join our group, they’re not just joining a single project, they’re entering a unique community,” said Lin. “They get to see all of the intersecting projects, many using the same methods or overall approach, but are perhaps different pathogens or in different countries, under different PIs.”
One of these students is Nefer Batsuli, an MPH candidate in applied epidemiology who has been working with Peyton Thompson, MD, MSCR, a pediatrician in infectious diseases with the IDEEL Lab. Batsuli spent five weeks over the summer, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), for her practicum. This was her second visit to the country.
“I got to spend five weeks working alongside a hard-working team dedicated to minimizing infectious disease transmission, and consequently improving the nation’s public health,” said Batsuli.
The experience gave her a realistic perception of what a career in global health could look like.
Batsuli worked on hepatitis B virus (HBV) prevention research with Thompson, who is collaborating with the DRC’s Patrick Ngimbi to pave the way for virus-free generations in sub-Saharan Africa. Batsuli’s role was to ensure data quality and completeness, develop reports on the significance of community health workers in this effort, and document effective strategies for patient retention and follow-up.
She says working in-person was invaluable, especially being able to “witness how pregnant mothers are educated on HBV at the clinic and celebrate with the local team when babies are reported as not having contracted HBV.”
In 2022, Batsuli spent two weeks in the DRC working on a global health security project. Being of Congolese origin, the experience was especially memorable because it was her first time meeting her grandparents.
Following are two reflections about her experiences in the Congo, blogs written for the Gillings School of Global Health.
À la prochaine, Democratic Republic of the Congo!
Joy and Complexity in the Congo