Center for Global Health Equity provides research grants to 29 students

From studying pregnancies in rural settings to developing support systems for tuberculosis patients, 29 Center for Global Health Equity scholars are gearing up for a summer of international research. Through the CGHE’s research grants, these students will travel abroad to engage in interdisciplinary research related to topics in global health equity.

The CGHE Scholar Award provides students resources to engage with global health issues around the world. Scholars are eligible to receive grants for a summer research project — between $2,000 to $6,000 dollars based on a budget application. A majority of scholars do their research on public health in Africa, and the CGHE has connections with several East African universities, as well as a network of universities that aims to improve health issues in Kenya.

The CGHE is an organization at the University whose faculty and students are committed to promoting interdisciplinary approaches to global health issues. The CGHE organizes regular events and opportunities for students to engage with them, while also facilitating international research opportunities.

As a recipient of this year’s award, fourth-year College student Sophie Lyon will be spending her second consecutive summer doing research in Uganda. This year, her project will address repeat adolescent pregnancy in southwest Uganda, with a community-driven approach that seeks to address these challenges in rural areas.

Lyon said she appreciates the CGHE particularly in giving her the chance to conduct her research abroad, something that the pandemic had made impossible.

“I never anticipated to have this opportunity in the first place,” Lyon said. “[The CGHE] connected me with the right people and found a project that aligns really well with my interests.”