Alyson Kim
Global Health Scholar Class of 2024

An estimated 3,000 Kenyan women and girls suffer from obstetric fistulas each year, a condition that carries dire physical, social and economic consequences for those affected. A dedicated fistula hospital — the Gynocare Fistula Centre — provides free reconstructive fistula surgeries, eradicating the financial barriers of receiving care. However, a plethora of non-financial considerations continue to hinder the women and girls’ access to Gynocare’s services. My research explores how socioeconomic, cultural and educational circumstances affect patient access to free reconstructive surgery at this hospital in urban Kenya. Another item I will explore is an evaluation instrument to accommodate the linguistic and cultural understanding of the participants of this study.

Alyson presented her work at Discovery Day 2021. View her poster: A Qualitative Analysis of Factors Affecting Women's Access to Genital Fistula Surgery in Western Kenya

Jannah Wing
Global Health Scholar Class of 2024

Sickle cell anemia is a common and largely neglected inherited blood disorder, with an estimated mortality rate as high as 50-90% in some parts of sub-Saharan Africa. In order to address this global health problem, a group at Lehigh University is working with partners in Sierra Leone to design and implement a low-cost, easy-to-use sickle cell anemia screening device, so that patients can be diagnosed and access lifesaving care from an early age. My research contributes to this project by analyzing how a feasible sickle cell screening program could function within the current Sierra Leonean health care system. Specifically, I am mapping the weakness and opportunities within their current health care system, and using modeling and statistical analysis to compare the feasibility of different screening and intervention programs within this context.

Jannah presented her work at Discovery Day 2021. View her poster: Analyzing Needs and Potential Impacts of a Feasible Sickle Cell Screening Program Within the Current Sierra Leonean Healthcare System

Courtney DiSangro
Global Health Scholar Class of 2023

My research focus is on vaccines, specifically the measles vaccine (MMR). I’m researching the causes of the recent measles outbreaks through analyzing global attitudes and social determinants affecting vaccine uptake in different countries. I'm also discussing health policies created and implemented by these countries to enforce vaccines during outbreaks, and whether these policies are sustainable long term.

Courtney presented her work at Discovery Day 2020. View her poster: Geographic Health Inequities in the Philippines: Rural vs. Urban Health

Melissa Margolis
Global Health Scholar Class of 2022

My research focuses on optimizing health care delivery in humanitarian response. I am analyzing how different frameworks and guidelines are used to manage infectious disease outbreaks in conflict-affected settings. I explore these issues through the lens of clinical infectious disease practice, health policy and health economics. As part of my research, I worked with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine as part of the RECAP project. RECAP is a partnership between humanitarian NGOs, national governments and U.K. universities focusing on strengthening responses to humanitarian crises and epidemics in the health sector.