Category: Training-Education-News

Robert (RJ) Williams, MD, an infectious disease fellow working with the Infectious Diseases Epidemiology and Ecology Lab (IDEEL), has been building a research program that bridges clinical medicine, epidemiology, and global health, to improve the outcomes for children with severe malaria. As part of the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Postdoctoral Fellowship...

Michael Maizel, finishing his first-year of medical school, describes how his undergraduate research in global eye‑health began with Dr. Emily Gower, expanded to studies about vision impairment among adolescents in Tanzania with Dr. Joy Noel Baumgartner, and continued with “Unite for Sight” in Ghana. He hopes to become an ophthalmologist who advocates...

The UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases contributed to the 2026 Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) Conference in Washington, D.C., April 9.  Two global health fellowships were highlighted for their impact on global health research training, ethical leadership, and international collaboration. The UJMT D43 Program and...

When epidemiology graduate student Nilkanth (Neil) Calimlim-Khot talks about his interests, his professional and personal experiences naturally intersect. As a study coordinator for HIV research with incarcerated individuals through the UNC School of Medicine’s Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, and an injury epidemiologist at the N.C. Office of...

Laika Maganga, a PhD candidate at the School of Nursing and UJMT Fogarty Fellow, is doing her dissertation research in Malawi, drawing on her family roots while centering the lived experiences of young women to take on HIV stigma and support healthier futures.   How has your training and clinical work...

Omar Zepeda is a PhD student studying at the University of Costa Rica and a fellow of the Nicaraguan Emerging and Endemic Diseases (NEED) program. He is mentored by Filemon Bucardo, PhD. At the recent 4th Annual Global Health Symposium Zepeda presented his findings on the Zika and Dengue viruses...

At the Fourth Annual Global Health Scholars Symposium, three student researchers working in China showcased a forward‑looking portfolio of studies focused on digital health, HIV prevention, and community‑engaged sexual health interventions. Their work showed how technology, behavioral insights, and innovative service models can transform the landscape of HIV and STI...

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...

Cedra Ali, a senior Honors student in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, presented her research at the 4th Annual Global Health Scholars Symposium in February. She was the only undergraduate presenter at the event, which primarily featured doctoral trainees, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty researchers from all over the globe....

When Alexia Dayan Lecaros Zavalla, a 23-year-old medical student from Lima, Peru, arrived in Chapel Hill in October, she was greeted with an opportunity that would help to shape her future. In her sixth year at Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, one of Peru’s most prestigious private medical schools, Lecaros was...

The UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases (IGHID) provides learners at all levels the opportunity to do global health research. This includes Master of Public Health (MPH) students at the Gillings School of Global Public Health. Many of these students are mentored by IGHID investigators leading research in...

Talha Khan spent the summer in Munich at LMU German Hospital, gaining firsthand insight into Germany’s healthcare system while observing radiology practice and conducting cost‑effective research at one of Europe’s premier medical centers. Independently, he found his mentor who was willing to sponsor his research experience at LMU German Hospital...