(Following is a look back at the 3rd Annual Global Health Scholars Symposium. Links to recordings are provided throughout.)
The 3rd Annual Global Health Scholars Symposium brought students, fellows and faculty together from across the School of Medicine.
Myron Cohen, MD, director of the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases welcomed faculty, students and fellows to the 3rd Annual Global Health Scholars Symposium Friday, Feb. 14, recognizing the event’s growing success along with the changing landscape that global health faces.
Dr. Myron Cohen, Director of the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases
“From my point of view, I am hopeful that this moment in time and that of the world’s, will look different at a not-too-distant moment in the future. I feel optimistic because we are just one species, and the idea that you can isolate yourself and live in this country and not be affected by the whole species, is not credible.”
Reflecting on his years of research and discovery, Cohen said it would not have been possible without working in countries around the world.
“The great joy in global health for me has been studying disease that extends outside the United States, going to places where the prevalence is much greater, and having the opportunity to contribute much faster. This has been a great privilege.”
“When you’re working with people all over the world, you quickly see how alike we are. There’s a great sense of humor in people everywhere, and generosity and warmth in every country of the world.”
Dr. Nancy Messonnier, Dean of the Gillings School of Global Public Health
Nancy Messonnier, MD, Dean of the Gillings School of Global Public Health, recognized how integral global health is to the mission and vision of an interconnected global society and economy.
“The field of public health and global health is not for the faint of heart. It has never been an easy place to work, and if you work in this field, one of the things that I think defines you is that you have to be an eternal optimist, even against all odds.”
“Hold on to that thought as we go through this next period of time. If we stick to this thought, we can come out on the other side.”
The following people presented their work–some in person and some remotely from country sites.
Adilene Ramirez, MD / Evaluation and Restructuring of Malnutrition Program in Southeast Guatemala based on novel Weight-for-Age Scheme
Linh Dang, MPH UNC Project-Vietnam / Scaling-up Success: Unveiling Key Determinants for Expanding an Evidence-Based Intervention for People Who Inject Drugs in Vietnam Using Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research
Dorian Ho, BSPH Candidate / Gift-based interventions in HIV/STI research: A systematic review and qualitative evidence synthesis
Vanessa Amabo, MD / Association between maternal HIV infection and Preeclampsia in an intrapartum cohort of a Zambia Women
Rachel Sendor, Epidemiology PhD Candidate / Dengue virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Tapiwa Tembo, PhD Candidate / A digital training package leads to improved clinical outcomes in Malawi’s index case testing program: A cluster randomized controlled trial
Arisa Shichijo Kiyomoto, Maternal and Child health PhD Candidate / Mid-Upper Arm Circumference as a screening tool for identifying underweight adolescents nearing puberty: validity and equity implications in primary school settings in Tanzania
Poster Displays
After the presentations, a selection of posters were displayed and discussed with participants in the lobby of Bioinformatics. Following is the list of topics.
Luis Zambrana, PhD Epidemiology Candidate / Impact of Human Milk Oligosaccharides on Child Development
Takhona Hlatshwako, Health Policy and Management PhD Candidate and Santre Delaney Santre, Undergraduate Biology Major / Prosocial Interventions for Health: A Scoping Review of Benefits, Risks and Risk Mitigation Strategies
Isabela Gerdes Gyuricza, PhD Candidate / Expansion and population genetics of hrp2-/3- P. falciparum in Peru
Katy Waddell, UNC Project-Malawi Research Intern / Suicide Assessment and Feasible Evidence-Based Treatments for Adolescents Living with HIV in Lilongwe: Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Julia Muller, Applied Epidemiology MPH Candidate / Natural history of submicroscopic malaria: progression to patent malaria is associated with parasite haplotype turnover
Emma Sanders, MPH / Studying the malaria transmission reservoir in Bagamoyo, Tanzania: Enhanced gametocytogenesis in schoolchildren and after the rains
Farhang Aghakhanian, PhD / Genomic sequencing of Treponema pallidum strains to improve understanding of syphilis epidemiology in low- and middle-income countries
LIGHTNING TALKS
In the final hour of the symposium, participants chose one of five breakout sessions to hear ‘lightning talks’ and have discussions. A list of topics and participants are listed below.
Maternal & Child Health
(Facilitated by Dr. Sylvia Becker-Dreps)
Leah Kamulaza, PhD, Data Analyst Consultant in Genomics / Application Of Machine Learning Algorithms for Predicting Undernutrition in Children Under the Age Of 5 Using ZDHS Dataset
McNeil Ngongondo, Epidemiology PhD Candidate / Growth In HIV-Exposed Uninfected Infants in Malawi and The Impact of Maternal Education
Lester Gutierrez, NEED D43 PhD Candidate / Giardia lamblia infections and its impact on children growth in Nicaraguan birth cohort study
Rebecca Rubinstein, MD, Epidemiology PhD Candidate / Human milk oligosaccharides, rotavirus vaccine immunogenicity and rotavirus gastroenteritis risk in a vaccinated Nicaraguan birth cohort
Erika Gazzetta, MD, MPH, Global Women’s Health Fellow / Gestational diabetes mellitus incidence by HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy in Zambia
Atupele Chisiza, Public Health PhD Candidate / A Cross-sectional study to Determine the Prevalence and Risk Factors of Anaemia in Under-five Children in Zambia
Rehema Simika, Intern MHIRST Program / Evaluating Seroconverters in the Current PrEP Program in Malawi to Determine Risk Factors and Linkage to Care
Charity Nakanga, UJMT Launch Fogarty Fellow / Facilitators and barriers to long-acting injectable Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use among pregnant and breastfeeding women in Lilongwe, Malawi
Martin Kayange, MPH Candidate / Barriers and Facilitators to PrEP Uptake and Adherence among Adolescent Girls and Young Kopp Women Attending Family Planning Clinics in Mulanje District, Malawi: A Qualitative Study
Nasson Nathan Tembo, Nurse, Biostatistician / Changes in HIV Risk Sexual Practices among Young People with Unhealthy Alcohol Use in Rural and Urban Zambia. Findings from a Nested Analysis of the GROW Hopes for Life Community Randomized Trial
Zhuoheng Yin, UNC Project China / Complementing HIV-Related Services: A Qualitative Study on the Adoption of Generative AI Chatbots for HIV Self-Testing Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in China
Chimwemwe Mula, Faculty, MHIRST pilot grant / Assessing The Feasibility and Acceptability of Implementing an Antiretroviral Stewardship Intervention on Male Inpatients at A Referral Hospital in Malawi
Nicolas Teodoro, Global Women’s Health Fellow / Acceptability and Feasibility of Combination Treatment for Cervical Precancer in Women Living with HIV in South Africa
Ye Liu, MSc, Research Assistant: Innovative Financing to Support STI Testing / A Mixed Methods Analysis of Donations to a Pay-it-Forward Program in China
Gifty Marley, PhD, UNC Project-China Postdoctoral Fellow / Pay-it-forward gonorrhea and chlamydia testing: A sequential mixed method RCT among men in China
Lan Li, PhD, UNC Project-China Postdoctoral Fellow / The Emotional Context of Gratitude in a Pay-It-Forward STI Testing Program: A Secondary Analysis of Data from an RCT in China.
Ha Nong Thi Thuy, PhD, UNC Project-Vietnam / Providers experience in implementation of Friendship Bench, a problem-solving therapy-based mental health intervention adapted for people on methadone maintenance treatment who live with HIV in Vietnam
Mutale Sampa, PhD Biostatistics, ARCH Research Fellow / Acceptability and determinants of Differentiated Service Delivery Models among clients on Antiretroviral Therapy in Zambia: A mixed method study
Ke Zhou, PhD Biostatistics, UNC Project-China / Generosity in the STI clinic: A mixed-methods analysis of health professionals in China.
Dalton Craven, MD Candidate, UNC Project-Malawi Research Fellowship / Hodgkin lymphoma treatment patterns and outcome disparities in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review
Meagan Harrington, UNC Project-Malawi Research Assistant / Travel time from cancer center is associated with disparities in non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis among people living with HIV in Malawi
John Chawezi Chapola, Health Policy and Management PhD Candidate / Leveraging Mobile Technology to Enhance the Cervical Cancer Screening Program in Malawi: A Qualitative Study on Barriers, Facilitators, and Stakeholder Perspectives
Melissa Issa-Boube, MSc, MD Candidate, Fogarty Fellow / The Effect of Allogeneic Blood Transfusion on Burn Mortality in a Resource-Limited Setting
Selena Kleber, UNC Project Malawi Intern / The Association Between Stigma and Wellbeing among Kaposi sarcoma and lymphoma patients in Malawi
Malya Sahu,MD, UJMT LAUNCH Global Health Fellow / Factors Associated with Delay to Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis in Zambia
Thomas Holowka, MD, PhD, Infectious Diseases Fellow / Pervasive intestinal carriage with multiple strains of multidrug-resistant Enterobacterales in children admitted for severe acute malnutrition at a Tertiary Hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi
Kelly Carey-Ewend, MD, Epidemiology PhD Candidate / Epidemiology of Plasmodium falciparum and ovale species in Bagamoyo, Tanzania reveals falciparum-ovale antagonism and excess of mixed curtisi-wallikeri infections
Ruthly Francois-Zafka, MD, Epidemiology PhD Candidate / Characterization of the antimalarial drug resistance landscape in a malaria longitudinal study in Kinshasa Province, Democratic Republic of Congo
Wenqiao He, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow / Molecular investigation of recurrent Plasmodium malariae infection in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Lindsay Saber, Environmental Sciences and Engineering PhD Candidate / Mapping microbial hazards in hospital environments: La Paz, Bolivia
Claudia Gaither, Epidemiology PhD Candidate / Spatiotemporal analysis of mining proximity and malaria prevalence in northwest Tanzania
Luis Zambrana, PhD Epidemiology Candidate / Impact of Human Milk Oligosaccharides on Child Development
Leah Kamulaza, PhD, Data Analyst Consultant in Genomics / Application Of Machine Learning Algorithms for Predicting Undernutrition in Children Under the Age Of 5 Using ZDHS Dataset
Rehema Simika, Intern MHIRST Program / Evaluating Seroconverters in the Current PrEP Program in Malawi to Determine Risk Factors and Linkage to Care
Chimwemwe Mula, Faculty, MHIRST pilot grant / Assessing The Feasibility and Acceptability of Implementing an Antiretroviral Stewardship Intervention on Male Inpatients at A Referral Hospital in Malawi
Dalton Craven, MD Candidate, UNC Project-Malawi Research Fellowship / Hodgkin lymphoma treatment patterns and outcome disparities in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review
Thomas Holowka, MD, PhD, Infectious Diseases Fellow / Pervasive intestinal carriage with multiple strains of multidrug-resistant Enterobacterales in children admitted for severe acute malnutrition at a Tertiary Hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi