From infectious disease threats to rapidly shifting policy landscapes—the work of emerging global health scholars has never been more vital. Resilience is no longer just an aspiration; it is a defining requirement for researchers striving to strengthen health systems, protect vulnerable populations, and advance equity in places where resources are stretched thin. At this year’s UNC Global Health Scholars Symposium, that spirit of resilience was unmistakable.
Eighteen projects were presented from Malawi, showcasing not only scientific rigor but also an unyielding commitment to solutions that honor community realities and respond to the complex pressures shaping public health today. The event was sponsored by the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases and the Gillings School of Global Public Health. Vivian Go, PhD, Vietnam Country Director opened the program and introduced Myron Cohen, MD, director of the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Disease. Read more here.
A Mosaic of Inquiry Across Malawi
Mental health and community reintegration took center stage through work by Hillary Mortensen, Mia Buono, and Alex Zumazuma, who examined community-based rehabilitation for people living with psychosis. Their findings highlighted the promise of nurse-led rehabilitation, the complex goals and needs of caregivers, and the evolving definitions of “recovery” held by patients and community stakeholders.
In infectious diseases, students looked at how Malawi is adapting HIV prevention and care to modern realities. Scholars such as Laura Limarzi‑Klyn, Gomezgani Lukhanda, and Laika Maganga explored systems navigation for PrEP persistence, integration of new implementation strategies into STI clinics, and the peer support needs of adolescents living with HIV. Others—including Shamen Chauma and Clara Lemani—documented how models of care were reshaped during the COVID‑19 era, revealing both fragility and resilience within the health system.
From maternal and child health, Nadia Hussein shared improved outcomes for newborns with gastroschisis, while in implementation science, presenters such as Madeleine Squibb and Emma Aberle‑Grasse examined the ripple effects of U.S. policy changes on HIV service continuity.
And in health equity and gender‑based violence, Dhara Buebel described the launch of a One Stop GBV Center in Lilongwe—an initiative pointing to new ways of protecting and empowering women.
Spotlight: Beyond Survival
Cancer survivorship and long-term health outcomes also emerged as a key frontier. In his oral presentation, John Chapola examined what life looks like after treatment ends for cancer survivors in Malawi—a dimension of health system resilience that often goes unmeasured. His study, “Beyond Survival: Quality of Life Among Cancer Survivors in Malawi,” reframed survivorship not as the end of the cancer journey but as the beginning of a new chapter—one shaped by physical, emotional, and social realities that remain largely invisible in global cancer statistics.
Mentored by Dr. Stephen Kimani, John led a cross-sectional study at Kamuzu Central Hospital between June 2023 and April 2024, enrolling 113 participants: 53 breast cancer and lymphoma survivors in remission for at least a year and 60 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers as controls. Using tablet-based audio computer–assisted self‑interviewing to ensure accessibility for participants with low literacy, his team measured multiple dimensions of health-related quality of life: physical and social functioning, pain, fatigue, sleep, mental health, and emotional well-being.
“Survivors in Malawi are doing better than many expect—but they still carry a disproportionate burden of pain. And they need better support as they work to reintegrate into their communities.”
The study fills a methodological gap: Malawi lacks normative quality‑of‑life data, so including healthy volunteers strengthened the analysis and signaled the need for national benchmarks in future research.
Participating Scholars
- Gladwell Masiye, UNC Project Malawi (Remote)
“Postpartum Depression Among Women Using PrEP During Pregnancy and Postpartum: Preliminary Results from a Cohort Study in Lilongwe, Malawi” - Mia Buono, PhD student in Epidemiology (In-person)
–“Predictors and outcomes of internalized stigma among people living with psychosis and their caregivers participating in a community-based rehabilitation intervention in Malawi”
–“Evaluating the Impact of a Community-Based Rehabilitation Intervention on Quality of Life among People Among People with Psychosis and their Caregivers in Malawi: A Mixed Methods Analysis”
–“Addressing the goals and needs of people living with psychosis in Malawi through community-based rehabilitation: A mixed methods analysis” - Aydin Bandukwala, UNC Project Malawi (Remote)
“Attitudes of law enforcement personnel towards the criminalization of suicide attempts in Malawi” -
Laura Limarzi-Klyn, PhD Hillary Mortensen – “Acceptability of a nurse-led community-based rehabilitation program to improve the ongoing, post-acute care of people living with psychosis in Malawi”
- Alex Zumazuma – “Stakeholders’ Perceptions of Recovery from Psychosis in Blantyre, Malawi: Definitions, Goals, and Interventions”
- Laura Limarzi-Klyn, PhD student in Health Behavior (In-person)
“Early Lessons Learned from a Systems Navigation Intervention to improve HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis persistence among men seeking sexually transmitted infection services in Lilongwe, Malawi (HPTN 112: Njira)” - Gomezgani Lukhanda, (Remote)
“Acceptability and Feasibility of Integrating an Enhanced HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Implementation Strategy into a Sexually Transmitted Infection Clinic in Lilongwe, Malawi – a prospective, observational cohort study” - Shamen Chauma, PhD student in Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases (Remote)
“Qualitative Evaluation of a Differentiated Point-of-care Active Case finding & Management (PAC-Man) Model for the Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV in Lilongwe and Mangochi, Malawi” - Clara Lemani, Demography Fellow (Remote)
“Assessing the Impact of Covid-19 on Access to Family Planning and HIV Services among Women in Lilongwe, Malawi” - Laika Maganga, PhD student at UNC School of Nursing (Remote)
“Peer Support Preferences Amongst Adolescents Living with HIV, Caregivers, and Healthcare Providers in Lilongwe, Malawi” - Nadia Hussein, MD, MPH, NIH UJMT Fogarty LAUNCH Global Health Scholar (Remote)
“Standardizing Care, Saving Lives: Reduced Mortality From Gastroschisis in Malawi” - Madeleine Squibb, PhD student in Epidemiology, and Emma Aberle-Grasse, MPH candidate in Global Health (In-person)
“Preliminary Insights into the Impacts of the US Government Stop Work Order on HIV Care in Malawi” - Ryan Mack, PhD, Fulbright-Fogarty Fellowship in Public Health (Remote)
“Vein-to-Vein Tracking of Platelets from Donor to Cancer Patient” - Melissa Issa-Boube, MD, Fogarty Fellow (Remote)
“The Utility of a Noninvasive Hemoglobin Monitoring (SpHb) Device in African Surgical Patients” - Dhara Buebel, Research Associate, UNC Project Malawi (Remote)
“The Initiation of a One Stop Gender-Based Violence Center in Lilongwe, Malawi”
Altogether, Malawi-focused research painted a portrait of a country—and a community of scholars—advancing global health through resilience, innovation, and deep partnership. Whether improving mental health care through community-based rehabilitation, strengthening HIV prevention and adolescent support systems, addressing maternal and child health challenges, confronting stigma, or reimagining long-term cancer survivorship, each project illuminated a different pathway toward stronger, more equitable health systems.