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Weekly News and Notes
From the Duke Global Health Institute
Greetings!
I hope you enjoy our coverage of the annual GH-TRIPS student fieldwork event that took place Monday. Forty-three Duke students (undergrads through med students) reflected on their summer fieldwork and shared their experiences with their peers and global health faculty. It was an inspiring event. A summary and videos of three outstanding Duke students are featured below.
Also, I look forward to seeing you at the National Library of Medicine's Against the Odds Global Health exhibit and reception this Thursday, Sept 3 at 5:30 pm at the Medical Center Library. In addition to a short program featuring Dr. Merson and global health students among others, more than a dozen global health organizations will have tables of information and food will be served. See you there!
Until next week,
Geelea Seaford and Everyone at DGHI |
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GH TRIPS 2009: Students reflect on their fieldwork, share experiences at annual global health event
By Alyssa Zamora, Duke Global Health Institute
Junior Meryl Colton thought she had it all figured out. She was certain she would graduate from Duke with a degree in environmental science and go on to medical school to become a doctor. But the 20-year-old's fieldwork experience this summer took her on an unexpected journey.
"I realized that influencing health inequalities requires so much more than a medical degree," says Colton, who completed a clean water project in rural Haiti. "I am definitely going to pursue other outlets for working in public health."
 Colton was one of 43 Duke students to present their fieldwork findings at the Duke Global Health Institute's second-annual "GH TRIPS" event on Monday night. (TRIPS stands for Transitions, Research, Insights, Presentations and Service.) It was a time to listen, learn and reflect on research projects that changed students' outlook on the world, and more importantly, sought to help underserved populations.
"The opportunity for students to do fieldwork in global health, and then to come together in an event like this to share their experiences, is significant," says Michael Merson, Director of the Duke Global Health Institute. "It's an experience that helps students understand health disparities, see the relevance and application of classroom material, and prepare them for their careers, whether in global health or another field."
Fieldwork projects were centered on a variety of topics, from Colton's clean water research in Haiti, to maternal and child health, malnutrition, infectious diseases and electronic medical record-keeping. In all, eight groups of students presented their findings, and DGHI faculty members facilitated a discussion on their research methods, ethical and logistical challenges they faced and the long-term impact of their project. READ MORE AND VIEW VIDEOS OF THREE GLOBAL HEALTH STUDENTS__________________________________________________________ Read about more student summer fieldwork projects on the updated Fieldwork section of the DGHI website. Click here. |
New and Noteworthy
Dr. Stefano Bertozzi to Head HIV Team at The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
SEATTLE - Dr. Stefano Bertozzi will join The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Global Health Program as HIV Director on August 31. Dr. Bertozzi will lead a team that manages the foundation's portfolio of grants in HIV vaccine development, biomedical prevention research, diagnostics, development and resistance monitoring, and strategies for introduction and scaling-up of interventions
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"Stefano brings a wealth of experience to his new role," said Dr. Tachi Yamada, President of the Global Health Program at the foundation. "His intimate knowledge of the medicine, science, economics and policy of HIV will help make this important portfolio have the most impact."
Dr. Bertozzi worked with the foundation in his previous roles at UNAIDS, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank. For the last 11 years, he has been with the National Institute of Public Health (INSP) in Mexico. As the Director of its Center for Evaluation Research & Surveys, he leads economics and statistics teams that conduct impact evaluations of large health and social programs in Mexico, and elsewhere in Africa, Asia and Latin America. He also heads the INSP's AIDS/Sexually Transmitted Infections research group, is a member of the Global Fund's Technical Evaluation Reference Group and UNAIDS' Economics Reference Group, and chairs the Steering Committee of aids2031.
"Stefano succeeded me when I stepped down as Director of WHO's Global Programme on AIDS," said Dr. Michael Merson, Director of the Global Health Institute at Duke University. "His broad interests and experience span disciplines and regions of the world. He will be a tremendous asset to the foundation."
Dr. Bertozzi's research has covered a diverse range of projects in health economics and policy, focusing on the economic aspects of HIV/AIDS and on the health impact of large social programs.
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Funding Opportunities
Mid-Career Investigators Invited to Apply for 2010
Julie Martin Award in Aging Research
Sponsored by the Ellison Medical Foundation and administered by the American Federation for Aging Research, the Julie Martin Mid-Career Award in Aging Research provides support for outstanding mid-career scientists who propose novel directions of high importance to biological gerontology. Proposals in areas where NIH awards or other traditional funding sources are unlikely to be provided because the research is high risk are particularly encouraged if they have potential to lead to major new advances in the understanding of basic mechanisms of aging. Projects investigating age-related diseases are also supported, but only if approached from the point of view of how basic aging processes may lead to these outcomes. READ MORE
Public Health Services and Systems Research Call for Proposals Released
Application Deadline: Sept. 22, 2009
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation seeks to expand the evidence base for effective public health policy and practice through investment in Public Health Services and Systems Research (PHSSR). PHSSR examines the structure, operation and outcomes of the public health system and the impact of the services it provides on the health of the public. READ MORE
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For additional funding opportunities, click here.
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Get Involved in Global Health!
DGHI has made it easier for you to get involved in global health at Duke. Click below for an easy-to-use guide to global health education, fieldwork, events, service and more.
Job Opportunity: Student Assistant, DGHI Administration and Finance
The Duke Global Health Institute has an opening for a student worker to assist with administrative and financial activities up to 19 hours per week. Job duties will be primarily clerical in nature. Qualifications: Motivated, committed, reliable student with an interest in global health. Student must have strong communication and organizational skills and the ability to work independently and with others. This position is detail-oriented and requires flexibility as priorities change. We strive to create a friendly, supportive environment for our student workers. Send resume and statement of interest by SEPTEMBER 15, 2009 to globalhealth@duke.edu
Funding Opportunities
Graduate Women in Science (GWIS) Fellowships
All women scientists that are conducting research in the natural sciences, regardless of nationality, are eligible for application for any of the SDE/GWIS Fellowships. To be eligible, the applicant must be enrolled as a graduate student, or engaged in post-doctoral or early-stage junior faculty academic research, and demonstrate financial need for continuation or completion of their research. READ MOREDGHI Request for Proposals: Small International Travel Grants DEADLINE: 5 pm, October 1, 2009
DGHI is offering small international travel awards of up to $5,000 each to Duke graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and junior faculty to pursue global health research opportunities in low or middle income countries (see World Bank list). These grants are aimed at researchers looking to explore research collaborations by visiting an international site. Applications will be reviewed on a biannual schedule, and should include a brief (no more than three pages) description of proposed activities, budget, and applicant's CV. Applications should emphasize the relationship of the proposal to the six Signature Research Initiatives, and the prospects for longer term research funding support. Proposals will be reviewed by DGHI internal and external reviewers. Proposal due dates: October 1, 2009 and March 1, 2010 Funding award dates: October 30, 2009 and March 30, 2010 For questions and to submit electronically, contact Kelly Deal
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