Here are your November community updates:
- Upcoming Events
- Funding Opportunities
- Employment Opportunities / Fellowships
- Awards / Recognition
- Recent Publications
- Global Health Community Highlights
- Opportunities to Engage
If you have an item to include in a future newsletter, let us know! Please write to us at cghadmin@mgh.harvard.edu.
Upcoming Events
6th Annual Medical Research and Mentorship Symposium
Friday, November 29 – Saturday, November 30, 2024
8 AM – 5 PM (CAT) / 1 AM – 10 AM (EST)
Registration Link
MGH/BWH Global Health Grand Rounds
“Global Learning to Advance Health Equity: Co-Learning Between Peru and Navajo Nation”
Tuesday, December 3, 2024
8 – 9 AM (EST)
Zoom
Speakers:
Dr. Sonya Shin
Associate Physician, BWH Division of Global Health Equity & Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School
Carmen George, MS
Project Manager, Mass General Brigham
Nancy Rumaldo
Advocacy and Community Relations Project Coordinator, Socios en Salud, Partners in Health Peru
Suitcase Stories
Thursday, December 12, 2024
5 – 7 PM (EST)
The O’Keefe Auditorium
The MGH Center for Immigrant Health (CIH)’s Migration is Beautiful campaign is an event aimed to celebrate and raise awareness about the cultural richness and resilience brought by people who migrate.The MGH Asylum Clinic is partnering with Stellar Story Company and CIH to host storytellers from across Mass General and the community as they explore migration through the art of storytelling. Community members and staff are welcome to attend and listen to presenters’ unique stories about migration and cross-cultural exchange.
The O’Keefe Auditorium is located at the MGH Main Campus at 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114. Scan the QR code to the left for a map and instructions on how to get there once you arrive at the hospital.
This event is free and open to the public.
Funding Opportunities
- Identifying external funding opportunities with PIVOT – PIVOT is a library database that indexes funding announcements from government agencies, private foundations and nonprofits, and international sponsors. It contains information from disciplines including (but not limited to) medicine, the physical and social sciences, as well as engineering. For more information and to create your PIVOT account today, see this doc. An in-depth presentation is also available here. Amy Robb, Associate Director of Prospective Research and Funding Opportunities, Corporate and Foundation Relations in the MGH Development Office, is the facilitator of the PIVOT database.
- MGH Global Health Community Engagement Awards – These awards aim to improve health equity and support community-based projects, humanitarian opportunities and requests for specialized assistance from NGOs. MGH staff and faculty are eligible for the awards, and their collaborators from partner institutions are also eligible. Do you have a community partner with whom you collaborate? This award funding could be quite strategically helpful to them. Learn more at this link.
- MGH Center for Global Health Finish Line Grant (GHFLG) – Do you have a project that’s near completion? Do you need just a little more support to finish it? This grant program aims to serve as a catalyst for the completion of projects – as well as a way to support mentorship between MGH Global Health faculty and junior investigators and trainees. GHFLG awards can range from $500-$2,500 per award each year and are awarded on a rolling basis. They can be used to pay for protected time, childcare costs and more. See this document for more information and how to apply. Contact Lindsey Garrison at legarrison@mgh.harvard.edu with questions.
Employment Opportunities / Fellowships
- Global Non-Communicable Diseases Research Training Program (T32) – The Global Non-Communicable Disease Research Training Program brings together faculty from the MGH Divisions of Cardiology, Endocrinology, Pulmonology, and Hematology, to offer a formal research training program for global NCDs. Our goal is to help launch the research careers of early-stage investigators. This program provides a dedicated career development mentor and a research mentor for each trainee, didactic seminars, research training through coursework at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and a Community of Practice within the program and with other global health fellows. Training emphasizes the role of allyship and equity in global health research. Funding is typically for up to two years and awards cover salary, travel to professional meetings, some tuition costs, and other training-related expenses. Application details can be found here and will accepted until December 13, 2024. Please email Lindsey Garrison with questions at legarrison@mgh.harvard.edu.
- Durant Fellowship in Refugee Medicine – This 1-year fellowship sponsors healthcare professionals to serve refugee populations and victims of humanitarian and natural disasters with up to $75,000 in salary support and other expenses. Selected projects will focus on refugee, migrant, and/or asylum-seeking populations. All MGH and BWH employees are eligible to apply. Learn more at this link or email globaldisasterresponse@partners.org with questions.
CGH is hiring!
Awards/Recognition
Dr. Esther Freeman, MD, PhD was recognized for her impactful contributions to global dermatology.
Next October, Dr. Freeman will travel to Cape Town, South Africa to receive the 2025 Young Dermatologist International Achievement (YDIA) Award at the 4th ILDS World Skin Summit from the International League of Dermatologic Societies.
There, she will have the opportunity to learn, share, and network with global dermatology leaders alongside the other 2025 recipients. She is the North American awardee—only one recipient is selected from each of the six ILDS regions.
Recent Publications
Here is a selection of our community’s recent publications, alphabetized by first author. To share your published work in the next newsletter, please email cghadmin@mgh.harvard.edu.
- Bakhtiar, M., J. Y. Wo, H. J. Roberts, A. R. Parikh, S. J. Klempner, J. W. Clark, M. R. Strickland, C. R. Morse, A. Niemierko, and T. S. Hong. “Proton Re-Irradiation for Esophageal Cancer: A Single-Institution Retrospective Series.” International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics120, no. 2 (2024): e428-e429. https://www.redjournal.org/article/S0360-3016(24)01718-8/fulltext.
- Barakzai, Syem K., Amy J. Bregar, Marcela G. Del Carmen, Eric L. Eisenhauer, Annekathryn Goodman, Jose A. Rauh-Hain, Allison A. Gockley, and Alexander Melamed. “The association of maintenance hormone therapy with overall survival in advanced-stage low-grade serous ovarian carcinoma: A risk-set matched retrospective study.” Gynecologic Oncology190 (November 1, 2024): 119-123. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0090825824010588.
- Kang, Sunghyuk, Jimin Kim, Ji Su Yang, Ye Jin Jeon, Hyeok-Hee Lee, Shakira F. Suglia, Alexander C. Tsai, Jee In Kang, and Sun Jae Jung. “Use of renin-angiotensin system blockers and posttraumatic stress disorder risk in the UK Biobank: a retrospective cohort study.” BMC medicine22, no. 1 (October 23, 2024): 489. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12916-024-03704-5.
- Lee, G., B. Nelson, J. L. Koenig, J. P. Plastaras, J. M. Metz, B. Y. Yeap, L. C. Drapek et al. “Long-Term Outcomes of Definitive Chemoradiation with Proton Therapy for Treatment of Carcinoma of the Anal Canal: Combined Analysis of Two Prospective Trials.” International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics120, no. 2 (October 1, 2024): S183-S184. https://www.redjournal.org/article/S0360-3016(24)03051-7/fulltext.
- Magodoro, Itai M., Alison C. Castle, Ndumiso Tshuma, Julia H. Goedecke, Ronel Sewpaul, Justen Manasa, Jennifer Manne-Goehler, Ntobeko AB Ntusi, Moffat J. Nyirenda, and Mark J. Siedner. “Associations of HIV and prevalent type 2 diabetes mellitus in the context of obesity in South Africa.” Journal of Multimorbidity and Comorbidity14 (October 23, 2024): 26335565241293691. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/26335565241293691.
- Manne-Goehler, Jennifer, and Mark J. Siedner. “Untangling the causal ties between antiretrovirals and obesity.” The Lancet HIV11, no. 10 (October 1, 2024): e650-e651. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanhiv/article/PIIS2352-3018(24)00214-5/abstract
- Russo, A. L., N. Horick, N. Depauw, J. A. Nyamwanda, F. Giap, M. Del Carmen, R. Penson et al. “Five-Year Outcomes of a Phase II Study of Post-Operative Proton Beam Radiation for Gynecologic Cancers.” International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics120, no. 2 (October 1, 2024): S114-S115. https://www.redjournal.org/article/S0360-3016(24)00970-2/fulltext.
- Subramanian, Sandya, Bryan Tseng, Marcela Del Carmen, Annekathryn Goodman, Douglas M. Dahl, Riccardo Barbieri, and Emery N. Brown. “Monitoring surgical nociception using multisensor physiological models.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences121, no. 40 (October 1, 2024): e2319316121. https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2319316121
- Whang, Joshua, Darshali Vyas, Sophie Zhao, Corey Hardin, Crystal M. North, and George Alba. “The Impact of Language Proficiency on Pulmonary Function Testing Validity: A Single-Center, Retrospective Cohort Study.” Chest 166, no. 4 (October 1, 2024): A5692. https://journal.chestnet.org/article/S0012-3692(24)04182-5/fulltext
- Yoo-Jeong, Moka, Aneeka Ratnayake, Yao Tong, Alexander C. Tsai, Robert Paul, Zahra Reynolds, Christine S. Ritchie et al. “Correlates of Sleep Health among Older-Age People with and without HIV in Uganda.” AIDS and Behavior(October 8, 2024): 1-9. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10461-024-04512-x.
Global Health Community Highlights
Since 2017, the HBNU Fogarty Global Health Training Program has offered over 130 fellows 12-month mentored research fellowships in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to address urgent health challenges. Fellows include U.S. pre- and post-doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows from LMICs, who are supported by over 200 mentors and site directors. They focus on conducting impactful clinical and implementation research aimed at reducing mortality and morbidity in areas such as HIV/AIDS, noncommunicable diseases, mental health, and maternal and child health and nutrition.
The HBNU is a consortium of Harvard University, Boston University, Northwestern University, and the University of New Mexico, in collaboration with 21 partner institutions across LMICs and supported by the Fogarty International Center and several NIH institutes.
Dr. Grace Kansiime, MBChB, Dr. Winnie Kibone, MBChB, Dr. Dorah Nampijja, MBChB, and Dr. Moses Ochora, MBChB are the four Uganda fellows who will spend their year at the Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST).

Dr. Grace Kansiime, MBChB, a lecturer at MUST and head of the Internal Medicine department, conducts research that focuses on the outcomes and healthcare needs of patients with HIV and kidney disease in Uganda.

Dr. Winnie Kibone, MBChB, a medical doctor and Mulago National Referral Hospital, will split her time between MUST and Gulu University. Her research focuses on navigating dual diagnoses and exploring the lived experiences of individuals living with sickle cell disease and HIV in Uganda.

Dr. Dorah Nampijja, MBChB, is a Senior Lecturer and cardiologist at MUST. Her research is focused on improving heart failure self-care with short, structured telephone calls (HEART-CALLS) in Uganda.

Dr. Moses Ochora, MBChB, is a research clinician and volunteer lecturer at MUST whose research focuses on adapting NeuroScreen as a screening tool to assess neurocognition among Runyankole-speaking adolescents aged 12-19 years with perinatally acquired HIV.
Global Health Collaborative 2024 GHC Annual Research Symposium
The 2024 Global Health Collaborative Annual Research Symposium took place on November 11, 2024, in Mbarara, Uganda, with 16 poster presentations and 124 attendees from various institutions including the Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Community Advisory Board Members. The theme, “20 Years of Research: What Next?” was explored through three subthemes.
The symposium also emphasized the economic benefits of research funding in Mbarara. Dr. Peter Old and Dr. Data Santorino led the manuscript and grant writing sessions, respectively. Dr. Stephen Asiimwe gave a rich talk on the importance of research collaborations and challenged all partners to be equitable in this endeavor.
Subthemes:
- Research and Career Growth
Dr. Esther Atukunda shared her journey from research assistant to an NIH RO1 grant holder, offering insights into achieving career milestones. - Collaborations and Research Mentorship
Participants discussed strategies for fostering partnerships and mentorship in research. - Implementation Science and Innovation
Success stories were highlighted, such as:
• The Hopenet program that provides clean water to the Nyakabare community, reducing waterborne diseases.
• The Healthy Families Clinic that enables discordant couples to have HIV-negative babies.
• Camtech’s hand sanitizer project, which was vital during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Deployment for Hurricane Helene in North Carolina
Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina in September 2024, causing widespread damage and loss of life. Global Disaster Response and Humanitarian Action (GDRHA), in collaboration with partner International Medical Corps (IMC), responded to the crisis by establishing medical and behavioral health services in shelters and community care sites.
MGH nurses provided critical care to patients with complex medical needs, including chronic illnesses, mental health conditions, and substance use disorders. The team worked closely with local agencies and Mission Hospital to ensure patient safety and continuity of care. GDRHA team members included Lindsey Martin, NP, Skeeter Welder, RN, and Maya Goldberg, NP, and the team was deployed for two weeks in October.
- MGH Disaster Response team member Skeeter Welder, RN observing debris from Hurricane Helene in Asheville, NC.
- MGH Disaster Response team members, Maya Goldberg, NP (third from left), Skeeter Welder, RN (third from right), and Lindsey Martin, NP (second from right) pose with colleagues from International Medical Corps at the medical shelter in Asheville, NC.
WHO Emergency Medicine Teams (EMT) Meeting in Abu Dhabi
GDRHA maintains engagement with World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization through training, education, and other projects. In early November, GDRHA Director Lindsey Martin, NP attended the WHO Emergency Medicine Teams (EMT) meeting in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. This meeting was an opportunity to work with international partners on advancing the WHO EMT 2030 Strategy to build country capacity to respond rapidly and effectively to national emergencies.
Global Nursing Survey
The MGH GDHRA team has created a survey with the goal to better understand the engagement of Mass General Brigham (MGB) nursing staff and advanced practice providers in global health and emergency response work.
Nurse participation will direct resources into developing future MGB-related opportunities to participate in serving the global community. We plan to disseminate the findings back to the MGB nursing community and possibly the broader nursing field through publication.
Please fill out the survey linked here, if applicable. The survey should take approximately 2-5 minutes to complete.
Welcome CGH Global Project Coordinator, Jenna Quinn!
Jenna Quinn, MPH joined CGH back in September as our new Project Coordinator. In this role, she is responsible for providing comprehensive administrative support to the Associate Directors and staff within the Center, supporting onboarding processes, Uganda Guest House management, and awards/events coordination. She is passionate about decreasing disparities in global health and working to improve the health of people worldwide through collaboration and the power of community. She holds a BS in Health Sciences from Boston University Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences and an MPH from Boston University School of Public Health.
Welcome CGH Social Media/Communications Intern, Ashley Kim!
Ashley Kim joined CGH last month as our new Social Media/Communications Intern. In this role, she will assist with social media content creation across our social media platforms, as well as our internal and external communications. She is passionate about integrating the arts and medicine to promote the health of communities, both local and global. Ashley is a current student in the Media, Medicine, and Health master’s program at Harvard Medical School and holds a B.A. in English with a concentration in creative writing from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Opportunities to Engage
- The MGH Center for Global Health has developed a clinical academic partnership with the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE). UGHE is a global university based in rural northern Rwanda, founded by Partners in Health, which aims to transform global health delivery by reimagining medical education. Amongst other programs, the university is training medical students as part of a MBBS program and is looking for visiting faculty on their clinical clerkships. If you are interest in teaching at UGHE as Visiting Faculty, please contact cghadmin@mgh.harvard.edu.
- Interested in becoming a Global Health Faculty Associate or Affiliate? Learn more here.
- Mass General’s Hispanic Psychiatry Clinic is continuing to grow. They are accepting referrals for monolingual Spanish-speaking patients who receive primary specialty care at MGH. PCPs can refer patients for psychopharmacology services via the PTIS Epic referral or contact the clinic at 617-643-7998.
- We are building a Global Health Library in our office. Feel free to stop by, check out a book and please add books to the list here. Some suggested topics to get you thinking include: diversity, equity and inclusion, global health, leadership and decolonizing global health. We are excited to see your picks!
Keep in Touch!
All past issues of this monthly newsletter are available on our website. Just click here, or on “Stories” under “NEWS & EVENTS” on the Center for Global Health website.
If you want to include a news item, opportunity or anything else in a future monthly newsletter, you can reach us at cghadmin@mgh.harvard.edu.