THE GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT
DOING
A WORLD
OF GOOD
We need leaders in global public health—now more than ever Ours is one of the finest research universities in the world, and with our privilege comes the responsibility to create, disseminate, and implement new knowledge through partnerships around the globe. We embrace this challenge—to make the Michigan Difference where it is needed most. To that end, we have more globally engaged faculty than ever before, working in the largest number of countries in our 75-year history. And our students, the difference makers of the future, have incredible opportunities to participate in front line public health work ranging from molecular science to population health, and back. While the localities and the challenges vary, common to all of our global endeavors are these fundamental tenets of community engagement: We use interdisciplinary approaches in undertaking work beneficial to the community.
We are dedicated to transparent and co-equal partnerships in our collaborations with local partners.
We ensure sustainability beyond our direct involvement through local capacity building to develop public health infrastructure.
Doing a world of good is no mere tagline; it is a promise. Together, our faculty, students, partners, and collaborators are striving toward a future where the basic human right to public health can be realized the world over.
Martin A. Philbert, PhD, FRSC Dean, School of Public Health © 2016 Regents of the University of Michigan The Regents of the University of Michigan Michael J. Behm, Mark J. Bernstein, Laurence B. Deitch, Shauna Ryder Diggs, Denise Ilitch, Andrea Fischer Newman, Andrew C. Richner, Katherine E. White, Mark S. Schlissel (ex officio). Nondiscrimination Policy Statement The University of Michigan, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University of Michigan is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, height, weight, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. Inquiries or complaints may be addressed to the Senior Director for Institutional Equity, and Title IX/Section 504/ADA Coordinator, Office for Institutional Equity, 2072 Administrative Services Building, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1432, 734-763-0235, TTY 734-647-1388, institutional.equity@umich.edu. For other University of Michigan information call 734-764-1817.
CONTENTS | WINTER 2016 4
Message from the Senior Associate Dean for Global Public Health
4
Office of Global Public Health Staff
5
Mission and Guiding Principles
6
Transparent, Co-Equal Partnerships
8
Capacity Building
10
Interdisciplinary Approaches
12
Global Community Engagement
14
Student Development
17
Faculty Support
20 Connect with Global Public Health
The University of Michigan is dedicated to the advancement of global public health On behalf of the U-M SPH Office of Global Public Health, I am delighted to present this inaugural issue of the Global Public Health Report. It’s been a busy time since the launch of the Global Public Health Office approximately a year and a half ago as the school and the university strengthen their commitment to building our outreach to other countries. Encouraged by rapidly expanding student and faculty interest in global health, we continue to offer an enriching assortment of student workshops, professional talks through the speaker series, international internships and funding support, and ongoing development of international institutional memoranda of understanding with 17 in place and more on the way! We’ve also initiated a number of new and exciting initiatives. In the pages that follow, you can read about the results from the school’s first-ever institutional global public health faculty assessment, the success of our seven regional- and country-specific global faculty interest groups, the new international biostatistics training and research unit (GLOBAL STATCORE), along with the many transformative global health activities of our faculty and students. We hope this report informs but also stimulates faculty, students, and staff to continue their invaluable work in advancing our school’s global training, education, and research to prevent disease and promote health around the world.
Matthew L. Boulton, M.D., M.P.H. Senior Associate Dean for Global Public Health
University of Michigan Office of Global Public Health Matthew L. Boulton, M.D., M.P.H. Senior Associate Dean for Global Public Health; Professor of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine; Director of the Office of Global Public Health 4
Laura Rozek, Ph.D. Associate Director of the Office of Global Public Health; Associate Professor of Environmental Health Sciences and Nutritional Sciences Shawna Matzinger Executive Secretary
Chinyere Neale, M.A. Director, Programs Amy Sarigiannis, M.P.H. Director, International Relations and Scholar Exchange Program MavaMarie Cooper Communication Assistant
MISSION + GUIDING PRINCIPLES
MISSION + GUIDING PRINCIPLES
The University of Michigan School of Public Health (U-M SPH) has a deep commitment to and rich experience in global health research, education, teaching, and practice. Our faculty have a long history of working successfully around the globe on high impact public health projects in close collaboration with a wide array of international partners. The U-M SPH Office of Global Public Health is charged with institutional responsibility for providing broad support to faculty, students, and international collaborators in fostering global health research, facilitating international internship development and placement, hosting international visiting scholars, ensuring provision of training and education in other countries, and in encouraging collaborations across U-M and with peer institutions while also identifying new opportunities to address global health challenges.
The core principles that guide U-M SPH activities in global public health are: Transparent and co-equal partnerships with collaborating institutions in other nations with a special focus on working with low and middle income countries; A commitment to international capacity building to develop critical public health infrastructure while also helping to create the next generation of leaders in global public health; Use of highly interdisciplinary approaches to address complex global health challenges that are needed to develop successful and sustainable solutions to the most pressing health issues of our day; and Global community engagement that requires working with people and communities in other countries through mutually beneficial relationships based on trust and open communications to develop an action agenda grounded in the needs of the community. These core principles guide the work of our school, our faculty, and our students in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, and Europe as we look to build and improve public health in all corners of the globe.
RESEARCH TEACHING + TRAINING
SERVICE
5
T R A N S PA R E N T, C O - E Q U A L PA R T N E R S H I P S
The U-M SPH is committed to working through transparent and co-equal partnerships with collaborating institutions in other nations with a special focus on working with low and middle income countries.
SPH students apply their knowledge and talents to addressing global health issues Kartik Bhatt (MPH student, Epidemiology and Health Informatics); he worked at Prince of Songkla University in Hat Yai, Thailand on a project modeling the prevalence of dengue in southern Thailand. “The mentors and collaborators were extremely supportive, offering assistance with anything from accessing databases to arranging weekend plans. I have come to much better understand the challenges of conducting scientific research in developing countries, and to realize how much we take for granted in the U.S. Everything from proper equipment to trained personnel is a challenge.”
Kristin Maurer (MPH student, Health Management and Policy); she worked at George Institute for Global Health at Peking University Health Science Center in Beijing, China on a project to improve the quality of care and health outcomes among acute coronary syndrome patients admitted to resource-limited rural hospitals in China. “I think this experience helped me to become more assertive and develop my problem-solving skills. The most valuable part of my experience was developing my skills in data analysis. As part of my project, I found that the hospitals in the study generally had initiated several strategies to improve the quality of care they delivered,
T R A N S PA R E N T, C O - E Q
RESEARCH TEACHING + TRAINING
SERVICE
but many strategies were not fully developed.” Sona Jani (MPH student, Health Behavior/Health Education); she worked at Maitri India in New Delhi, India on understanding beliefs and attitudes about sexual violence. “Working for a small NGO in New Delhi was an incredibly eye-opening experience. I learned the realistic struggles an NGO faces in terms of sustainability, funding procurement, and conducting high quality monitoring/evaluation. The NGO I worked with was, in many ways, like a family. This meant that their professional relationships extended into friendships and social support outside the workplace.”
Around the world with global health Far left: Katherine Aucott (MPH student, Health Behavior/Health Education) measures a client’s blood pressure as part of data collection for the Mhealth study in La Paz, Bolivia. Left: Christine Convery (MPH student, Epidemiology) conducts a focus group with new mothers in Uganda to discuss safe motherhood and trust of government health workers. 6
Q U A L PA R T N E R S H I P S
T R A N S PA R E N T, C O - E Q U A L PA R T N E R S H I P S
A closer look at two SPH facultyled international partnerships SPH partners with Prince of Songkla University in Thailand The University of Michigan School of Public Health (U-M SPH) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Prince of Songkla University (PSU) at a Joint Research Symposium in June 2014 in Hat Yai, Thailand, reflecting the growing collaboration between the two institutions. As a WHO Collaborating Center of Excellence for Epidemiology, the university is the largest in southern Thailand and trains students from a variety of locations around Southeast Asia, China and southern Asia. U-M SPH faculty have a strong track record of joint publications, particularly addressing the growing burden of cancer in collaboration with the Thai Cancer Information Network. Likewise, the scholar and student exchange is active between the two institutions, having sent five U-M SPH PhD students to conduct onsite research at PSU, one PSU student to U-M SPH for research, and a U-M SPH Fogerty fellow at PSU addressing increasing breast cancer rates in southern Thailand. The research and training programs with PSU continues to grow under the administrative direction of Laura Rozek, Associate Director of the Office of Global Public Health and Associate Professor of Environmental Health Sciences.
A multi-dimensional partnership with McGill University, University of Ghana, and a host of West African universities Partnerships are important to U-M SPH. The school has developed a reputation for its transparent and co-equal partnership style. One of the newest projects at U-M SPH is a multi-dimensional partnership, funded jointly by the U.S. National Institute of Health Fogarty International Center and the Canadian International Development Research Centre to work with a host of West African Universities and McGill University in Montreal Canada. The University of Ghana, located in the capital, Accra, is the lead institution in West Africa among several others in Ghana and throughout Africa. The project focuses on occupational and environmental health issues in the informal economic sector, and will develop and implement regional strategies, including south to south collaborations, to address these challenges. A major research activity of the project addresses a huge E-Waste processing site in Accra where workers are exposed to multiple hazardous agents, including toxic metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and dioxins in large part because they burn old computers in order to harvest copper for sale and reuse. The funding is structured so that the majority goes directly to University of Ghana for use in the region, with funding for most of the research training component going to U-M. Scholars from the African institutions will spend time at U-M SPH, at McGill, and at University of Ghana to engage in research training and professional development activities. Thomas Robins, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, is the Michigan lead on this project, which is funded for five years.
The Office of Global Public Health has established a standardized process for developing and approving international institutional MOUs working in collaboration with the U-M Vice Provost for Global and Engaged Education. There are currently 17 international MOUs in place at the U-M SPH involving 7 countries with others planned and in varying stages of development. International Institutions with Current MOUs with the U-M SPH: China Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention Tianjin Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention Peking University School of Public Health West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University India Public Health Foundation of India PGI (Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research) JIPMER (Jawaharlal Institute of Medical Education and Research) Israel Ben-Gurgeon University of the Negev Israeli Ministry of Health Clalit Research Institute Thailand Prince of Songkla University (PSU) Germany University of Bayreuth Kenya Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) University of Nairobi Maseno University Mexico The National Institute of Public Health of Mexico
Planned U-M SPH International MOUs with other institutions: Brazil University of Sao Paulo Ethiopia Ethiopian Public Health Institute St. Paul Hospital Lebanon American University of Beirut 7
C A PAC I T Y B U I L D I N G
C A PAC I T Y B U I L D I N G
The U-M SPH is committed to international capacity building to develop critical public health infrastructure while also helping to create the next generation of leaders in global public health. GLOBAL STATCORE supports public health research A new biostatistics core for global health (GLOBAL STATCORE) was launched by the Office of Global Public Health in collaboration with the Department of Biostatistics during summer 2015. This new core is co-directed by Professors Yi Li and Bhramar Mukherjee and is supported by over 20 faculty in the Biostatistics Department at the U-M SPH. The purpose of the GLOBAL STATCORE is to enhance biostatistical support for global public health research, education, and training at the SPH, the University of Michigan, and in collaboration with our international partners across the globe. Since its inception, the GLOBAL STATCORE team has conducted several in-country biostatistics workshops in India, and completed numerous individual statistical consultations for faculty and international partners. The team is also organizing an in-country biostatistics workshop for both Kenya and Ethiopia during the winter 2016 semester. Online and DVD-based introductory biostatistics modules are being developed to enhance basic knowledge of biostatistics and will be used as a primer to workshops providing training on more advanced biostatistical concepts. To make GLOBAL STATCORE requests: sph.umich.edu/global/globalstatcore.html 8
Professional development workshops build capacity internationally
C A PAC I T Y B U I L D I N G
RESEARCH TEACHING + TRAINING
SERVICE
For researchers to be 100% independent, they must go beyond applying molecular techniques and collecting data. They must write results in a compelling way for an international audience and write proposals to fund further study. Joe Eisenberg, Chair and Professor of Epidemiology and Ella August, Adjunct Research Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, have been providing professional development workshops that focus on technical writing. In 2014, they and colleagues provided successful training in Quito, Ecuador, and in 2015, they offered this training in Nairobi, Kenya and also in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Their next training will be in Sichuan, China in 2016. Helping partners develop the specialized writing and critical thinking skills for scientific publication and proposal Professor Joe Eisenberg with a workshop writing builds the capacity to develop independent research. participant in Nairobi, Kenya.
PHAST students solve real-world problems PHAST (Public Health Action Support Team) is an interdisciplinary extracurricular student group that helps health departments and community organizations with short-term public health related projects. It gives students the chance to apply and adapt classroom knowledge while tackling real world public health issues. Started in 2005 at the U-M SPH, the Office of Public Health Practice has facilitated numerous PHAST deployments with students working in Mississippi, the Texas-Mexico border, China, and to Grenada, West Indies. Over the last three years, PHAST has built enduring relationships with institutions in Grenada, Texas, and Mississippi, and bright and enthusiastic students return each year to provide service to communities in need. New to PHAST is a for-credit course, PUBHLTH 616, an eight week intensive course designed to prepare students for a culminating week-long practice-based experience aimed at addressing existing and emerging public health priorities identified by respective communities. PHAST is administered by Dana Thomas, MPH in the Office of Public Health Practice with the Associate Dean for Practice, Professor Phyllis Meadows.
C A PAC I T Y B U I L D I N G
C A PAC I T Y B U I L D I N G
C A PAC I T Y B U I L D I N G
International scholars exchange academic, cultural experiences U-M SPH Preventive Medicine Resident, Physician Aristotle Sun (MD, MPH) spent three months in Beijing at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC). Dr. Sun worked with epidemiologists at the national CDC headquarters to develop standardized metrics and methodologies for disease and health factor measurement that will be used in China’s very first national health profile. It wasn’t all work in Beijing, Dr. Sun was also able to explore other parts of China and Beijing during the weekends and experience the vibrant culture and diverse foods.
Ari Sun in Beijin g
g with Zhou Nin ermeister r Bau Professo
Amruta Bahulekar, a research associate from the Public Health Foundation of India’s (PHFI) Immunization Technical Support Unit was hosted by the U-M SPH as a visiting scholar. During her time at the school, Amruta enhanced her technical research writing skills by utilizing on-campus writing workshops, consulting with writing experts, and co-authoring a manuscript with SPH researchers. Likewise, she also developed skills in grant writing and participated in writing a collaborative National Institute of Health (NIH) grant submission with Dr. Matthew Boulton’s research group on vaccine access in India.
Dr. Zhou Ning, Chief Physician in the Institute of HIV/AIDS at the Tianjin Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was a short-term scholar through the Office of Global Public Health International Scholar Exchange Program. As a visiting scholar, she spent several months working with Professor Jose Bauermeister and the Center for Sexuality and Health Disparities to gain both analytic and conceptual tools to integrate into on-going work in China around HIV/STIs.
Making dumplings Visiting scholars Amru (right) and Qi Xi ta ao 9
INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES
INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES
RESEARCH TEACHING + TRAINING
33% 23%
SERVICE
25% The U-M SPH uses highly interdisciplinary approaches to complex global health challenges that are needed to develop successful and sustainable solutions to the most pressing health issues of our day.
18%
REGION OF THE AMERICAS
Faculty interest groups enhance multidisciplinary research The Office of Global Public Health provides ongoing administrative and logistics support to country- and region-specific faculty interest groups. Currently there are seven active faculty interest groups at the U-M SPH. Each group is chaired by a faculty member working in that country and/or region who also provides leadership in advising the Office of Global Public Health regarding strategies for strengthening collaborations in that area of the world. These faculty-led groups are successful in linking faculty from different departments with common interests to enhance multi-disciplinary research at the U-M SPH. The interest groups have also been utilized to share best practices, leverage resources, advertise new grant funding opportunities, organize student internships, and to strategize about new and existing international partnerships. All faculty are welcome to participate and should contact the Office to join a group. 10
The current faculty interest groups and their respective chair(s) are: China Professor Yi Li (BIOSTAT) Professor Chuanwu Xi (EHS) Europe/Eastern Europe Professor Elizabeth King (HBHE) India Professor Mousumi Banerjee (BIOSTAT) Dr. Matthew Boulton (EPID) Latin America/Caribbean Dr. Ana Baylin (EPID) Middle East/North Africa Professor Carlos Mendes de Leon (EPID) Southeast Asia Professor Laura Rozek (EHS) Sub-Saharan Africa Professor Gary Harper (HBHE)
INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES
INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES
16%
17
%
32%
EUROPEAN REGION
12%
11%
18%
21%
21
%
3%
6%
15%
16%
4%
14%
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN REGION 2
16% 9%
%
12
%
SOUTH-EAST ASIA REGION
15% 14% *Several faculty respondents noted worldwide rather than a specific country or region and are not included in this visual representation.
AFRICAN REGION
Global activities of U-M SPH faculty survey respondents within the last five years Teaching/Training Service/Practice Internships/Traineeships
WESTERN PACIFIC REGION
Research
Global public health faculty survey reveals 79 U-M SPH faculty doing research in 70 countries The Office of Global Public Health (OGPH) conducted an online survey of University of Michigan School of Public Health (U-M SPH) faculty who work or would like to work in other countries. The survey was designed to ascertain the global/international health research, teaching and training, service and practice, and internship/traineeship placement portfolio of the School of Public Health. The survey was also helpful in identifying faculty interests in new countries and their willingness to collaborate on global public health opportunities with other faculty and with the OGPH. The survey findings provide a strong foundation for both strengthening and building the School of Public Health’s capacity for global public health research, training, and service. See the full survey: sph.umich.edu/global/index.html 11
GLOBAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT GLOBAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
The U-M SPH is dedicated to working directly with people and communities in other countries. We accomplish this through mutually beneficial relationships based on trust and open communications to develop an action agenda grounded in the needs of the community.
TEACHING + TRAINING
SERVICE
Community engagement in Nicaragua and Kenya Gary Harper, Professor of Health Behavior and Health Education, studies risk and resiliency among young men who have sex with men in western Kenya. He is testing a socio-ecological model developed through collaboration with LGBT community members and health educators. He also works with the University of Nairobi to adapt a U.S. intervention for adolescents living with HIV for newly-diagnosed Kenyan adolescents. His major long-term project is an HIV prevention program for school-age children (11-14) through Catholic schools in Kenya. It is a youth-
centered, interactive learning model to help children make responsible choices relating to sexuality, substance abuse, and family. He does a lot of true capacity-building—working on the ground with organizations, writing grant proposals, doing organizational development, and fundraising to help provide resources for the programs. One project is a “Girl Empowerment Project” that provides pads for menstruating girls so they can go to school, and teaches them sexual and reproductive health skills with a female empowerment perspective.
In partnership with the Ministry of Health and Sustainable Sciences Institute, Aubree Gordon, Assistant
Condom- and lubrication-filled cups featuring Professor Gary Harper’s study logo were provided to participants at a community forum in Kisumu, Kenya. 12
Professor of Epidemiology, studies the burden and transmission of influenza in Nicaragua. She runs several studies including, for the past five years, a pediatric cohort study following 1700 children; a household transmission study; a birth cohort study that includes RSV [respiratory syncytial virus]; and a new study at Managua’s national children’s hospital exploring the burden of influenza and RSV in hospitalized infants. She also collaborates on a pediatric dengue cohort study that has been extended to look at chikungunya. She has found that influenza is very common in tropical areas, which is contrary to commonly held belief. Children in Nicaragua are as likely as the kids in the United States to get influenza and they are more likely to develop pneumonia. In her household influenza transmission study, she has found a very high rate of transmission inside the households. In addition her studies have demonstrated that children shed influenza virus for significantly longer than adults, both before and after symptom onset.
GLOBAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT GLOBAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
SPH graduate student researches inequities in Kenya Kenneth Pass (MPH student, Health Behavior/ Health Education) spent his three-month internship working at two community-based organizations, NYARWEK LGBT Coalition and The JITUNZE Project in Kisumu, Kenya. Kenny was involved in a qualitative research study and a mixed-methods evaluation project with the NYARWEK Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Coalition. NYARWEK advocates for the human rights of LGBT people living in Nyanza, Rift Valley and western Kenya through organizing and providing services for the community. The goal of the JITUNZE Project was to examine factors that affect the lives of gay and bisexual men living with HIV, to evaluate and determine the gaps and limitations of NYARWEK, its 21 member organizations, and their desired outcomes for the next 3 years. “I wanted to gain invaluable experience in partnering with global community partners to help eradicate health and human rights inequities. Currently, I am working on analyzing and disseminating the results of these projects to the public health and western Kenya LGBT community. My experience emphasized the importance of cultural responsiveness, equitable community-research partnerships, and remaining passionate about work that is of importance to the community we are serving.”
SUDAN ETHIOPIA
UGANDA
K E N YA
SOMALIA
Kisumu Nairobi
TANZANIA Indian Ocean
“I wanted to gain invaluable experience in partnering with global community partners to help eradicate health and human rights inequities.” — Kenneth Pass
Photo of Kisumu, Kenya by David A. Victor via Wikimedia Commons
13
S T U D E N T D E V E LO P M E N T
S T U D E N T D E V E LO P M E N T
STUDENT DEV
The U-M SPH Office of Global Public Health supports students interested in developing global health skills and work experiences. This assistance is provided through educational and training opportunities, and financial support for summer internships and student-led initiatives.
Certificate in Global Health offered to public health students The Certificate in Global Health focuses on “engaging in analysis and action toward understanding and improving how globalization affects human well-being.” While all U-M SPH students are invited to incorporate an analysis of globalization in their program of
study, the Certificate in Global Health offers a formalized set of courses and support for field experience in this area, and is open to students from any SPH department. Students pursing the Certificate in Global Health all enroll in Public Health 554, “Introduction to Globalization and Health,” then take a combination of 12 additional credits from a list of approved courses in SPH and elsewhere in the University. In addition to the specific content of the courses, students will have acquired a minimum of four out of six competencies, including:
• Understanding of definitions, concepts, and principles of the evolving concept of global health, and the policies and processes that underlie its historic development and contemporary context; • Recognition of how recent cultural, political-economic, and environmental trends shape health both locally and globally. Read further details about the Certificate in Global Health: sph.umich.edu/global/ certificate.html
“It can be difficult to fully understand the nuances of culture that can affect work and everyday interactions until one is actually working with them firsthand.” — Karla Luketic MPH student, EHS
14
Professor Andrew Jones talks with MPH students at the annual Global Public Health Kick-Off, Fall 2015.
V E LO P M E N T
S T U D E N T D E V E LO P M E N T
S T U D E N T D E V E LO P M E N T
Lecture series brings wide-ranging experts, insights to U-M The Global Crossroads Lecture Series brings researchers and practitioners from around the School, the University, and the world to talk about their work. Recent lectures have included professionals from Afghanistan to talk about their disease early warning system; maternal and child health research in Ghana; technology-based solutions for strengthening universal immunization in India; epidemic chikungunya in Nicaragua; global tobacco control; HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe and Central Asia; and environmental research in Mongolia.
Past speakers at the Global Crossroads Lecture Series include (clockwise from top left): Dr. Okeoma Onyekachi Mmeje, University of Michigan Health System; Professor Tong Zhu, Peking University; Professor Elizabeth King, U-M SPH; Professor Tippawan Liabsuetrakul, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand.
Fall program orients new students Every fall, the Office of Global Public Health hosts an orientation for first year graduate students. At this event, the office introduces students to staff and orients them to the many programs, presentations, opportunities, and funding support available at the SPH. Global health faculty actively participate by leading country- and region-specific discussion groups so students can learn about their global research
Global health professionals from John Snow Inc., FHI-360, Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), the Global Health Fellows Program and others have offered career advice, cultural information, “stories from the field,� and suggestions on courses to take. The Office of Global Public Health runs proposal writing workshops for students looking for support for their international internships, as well as pre-departure workshops to prepare them for their travel and global health learning experiences.
and the opportunities that may be available to them during their graduate studies. All students receive a Global Public Health Handbook during orientation which includes a calendar of global health lectures and events, an overview of the Office of Global Public Health, information about global health specific activities at SPH, and other resources to complement classroom learning and the internship experience.
Weekly student eNews keeps students updated Public health students can elect to receive a weekly electronic newsletter from the Office of Global Public Health which provides an up to date compilation of global health lectures, conferences, and activities, both on and off-campus which students can attend. The newsletter also includes timely global health news, along with internships and job opportunities for students. 15
ST U D E N T D E V E LO P M E N T
ST U D E N T D E V E LO P M E N T
Student internships at U-M SPH increase Overseas internships can be an excellent means to prepare for a future career in global health. Acquisition of hands-on, applied experience in the field can often make the difference in qualifying a young professional for a global health job. Through competitive internship awards, the Office of Global Public Health (OGPH) at the School of Public Health provides financial support for student research, service, management, and policy internships as a means to develop important global health skills and competencies.
MPH awards by SPH department
Number and amounts of MPH awards $89,240
$154,750
Biostatistics Environmental Health Sciences
$91,100
$70,555
Epidemiology Health Behavior and Health Education
21
26
40
32
Health Informatics Health Management and Policy 0
10
20
30
MPH awards by region* 2 2
3 14 10 7 9 9
0
8
EUROPE
2
8
1
11
5
5 1
WESTERN PACIFIC
3
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN AFRICA
AMERICAS
2013 2012 * Some students in dual departments 16
3
1
8
2015 2014
2
2
3
SOUTH-EAST ASIA
40
FA C U LT Y S U P P O R T
FA C U LT Y S U P P O R T
FA C U LT Y S U P P O R T
Faculty working globally at the U-M SPH are supported by the Office of Global Public Health in networking with international partners, mentoring and collaborating with visiting scholars, applying for international grants, attending global health lectures and workshops, and linking with new faculty internally and externally to enhance their research and training portfolios. Grant database connects faculty with global funding opportunities An online searchable grant database is maintained by the Office of Global Public Health to assist faculty with identifying new funding opportunities in global health. Faculty can select search criteria by country, topic, funder, grant title, eligibility, submission deadline, duration of award, and funding amount. The database is updated regularly to include the latest call for proposals. Visit the database for new funding opportunities: sites.google.com/ a/umich.edu/umsph-globalpublic-health/
Centralized processing established for international memoranda of understanding The School of Public Health has consolidated the process for reviewing and approving institutional international memorandum of understanding (MOU) and other contracts with international schools and organizations. The document outlining MOU criteria and online request form was developed in 2015 by the Global Public Health Faculty Advisory Committee ...Continued on page 18
FACULTY IN THE NEWS
SPH responds to Ebola outbreaks In response to the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa in 2014 and Ebola outbreaks in other parts of the world including the U.S., the U-M SPH created a series of online videos about Ebola. These videos provide a general overview of Ebola and answer questions related to risk, quarantine, isolation, and vaccine development. Many SPH faculty were featured in the media due to their expertise, including: Utibe Effiong, Research Associate: “On Ebola and the Challenge of Quarantine,” Huffington Post, 10/20/14
Andrew Maynard, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences: CNBC, “Ebola Scams Prey on the Public’s Fear,” 10/14/14
Marisa Eisenberg, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology: “NIAD determines Ebola vaccines safe,” Minnesota Daily, 4/9/15
Arnold Monto, Professor of Epidemiology, BBC News: “Ebola outbreak: What is the risk of catching it on a flight?,” 10/16/14
Peter Jacobson, Professor of Health Management and Policy: PBS Newshour, “Ebola airport screenings supported by federal law, experts say,” 10/10/14
Pejman Rohani, Professor of Epidemiology: Healthcanal, “Faulty modeling studies led to overstated predictions of Ebola outbreak,” 1/4/15.
Howard Markel, Professor of Health Management and Policy: npr.org, “A Glimmer of Hope: Nigeria May Have Beaten Ebola,” 10/3/15
Eden Wells, Clinical Associate Professor of Epidemiology: WAMU, “Why the Ebola Evacuees Survived and What We Learned from Them,” 10/20/14
An online resource page was developed by U-M SPH to highlight other sources of Ebola news and to assist others in identifying faculty experts at the U-M SPH: sph.umich.edu/ebola/
17
FACULTY SUPPORT FACULTY SUPPORT FACULTY SUPPORT FACULTY S
and is to be used by U-M SPH faculty to submit a request in the development of new institutional international MOU. New requests for MOUs are then reviewed monthly and voted on by the Global Public Health Faculty Advisory Committee.
“Big Data is only meaningful to me when it can help me solve the world’s big problems in global public health.” — Bhramar Mukherjee, Professor of Biostatistics
“As the world becomes more globalized, not only do infectious diseases potentially become more mobile, but our health becomes more interconnected.” — David Hutton, Assistant Professor of Health Management and Policy
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Monthly faculty eNews promotes communication An electronic global public health newsletter is distributed monthly by the Office of Global Public Health to faculty. The newsletter has proven to be an effective communication medium in keeping faculty informed with the most up to date information regarding global public health at SPH. The newsletter features different global health faculty members each month, profiles visiting international exchange scholars, announces funding opportunities and promotes upcoming global health events within and outside the SPH. An archive of all previous newsletters is available on the Office of Global Public Health website: sph.umich.edu/global/ news.html
Guidelines for student summer internships clarify procedures and protocols The growing number of students requesting support for overseas internships, coupled with increased safety and security concerns,
prompted the Office of Global Public Health to develop guidelines for faculty who sponsor, host, or arrange for international student internships. These guidelines provide faculty with a clear set of responsibilities and guidelines for addressing student emergencies. The Office of Global Public Health also requires students funded by the Masters Award Program to attend a pre-departure workshop that addresses safety and security while abroad, and covers the HTH Insurance Program and emergency procedures.
Faculty funding: key to the school’s success Faculty are essential to the Office of Global Public Health’s efforts to foster and sustain key partnerships across the globe. The Office provides start up or pilot funding to faculty to support research and activities which complement the global health goals and objectives of the U-M SPH. Funded activities have included onsite visits to potential international partners, workshops and trainings globally, support for visiting delegations and scholars, and joint international research.
Dr. Adnan Hammad from ACCESS (left) and U-M SPH Professor Carlos Mendes de Leon (right) in Muscat, Oman at the 7th International Conference on Health Issues in Arab Communities, a conference sponsored by the U-M SPH in 2015.
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2015–2016 Global Public Health Faculty Advisory Committee The Global Public Health Faculty Advisory Committee is a standing school-wide faculty committee with faculty from all six departments. The committee is tasked with providing advice and guidance to the Office of Global Public Health in developing and expanding global public health research, training, and service as an integral part of the school’s mission to prevent disease and promote health around the world.
Matthew L. Boulton, M.D., M.P.H. Senior Associate Dean for Global Public Health; Professor of Epidemiology
Scott Greer, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Health Management and Policy
Gary W. Harper, Ph.D., M.P.H. Professor of Health Behavior and Health Education
Andrew Jones, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Nutritional Sciences
Yun Li, Ph.D. Research Associate Professor of Biostatistics
Jersey Liang, Ph.D. Professor of Health Management and Policy
Rafael Meza, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Epidemiology
Ritesh Mistry, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Health Behavior and Health Education
Bhramar Mukherjee, Ph.D. Professor of Biostatistics
Laura Rozek, Ph.D. Associate Director of the Office of Global Public Health; Associate Professor of Environmental Health Sciences
Mark Wilson, Sc.D. Professor of Epidemiology
Chuanwu Xi, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Environmental Health Sciences
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“When it comes to global health, there is no ‘them’... only ‘us’.”
U-M SPH Professor Yi Li (center) with West China School of Medicine (WCSM) Professor Ping Fu (right of Li) in Chengdu with WCSM faculty and students and U-M SPH students.
— Global Health Council
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Office of Global Public Health University of Michigan, School of Public Health 1415 Washington Heights, M5212 SPH II Tel: 734.647.1120 Fax: 734.936.2084
sphglobalhealth@umich.edu sph.umich.edu/global