The Latest News from VIGH

​VIGH Director Edwin Trevathan, M.D., M.P.H., was awarded the Amos Christie Chair at a ceremony on April 25. At this event, Dr. Trevathan and seven other faculty members were named to endowed chairs.

This year, seven students graduated with a Master of Public Health in Global Health, and 11 received the Graduate Certificate in Global Health. The week leading up to Friday's commencement ceremony involved several events celebrating this year's Global Health graduates, including a dinner and graduation reception. MPH graduates received their diplomas during the commencement ceremony on May 11 in Langford Auditorium.

Students in the spring semester of their second year of the Vanderbilt MPH program recently presented the work of their MPH thesis to members, mentors, colleagues, fellow students, and guests. This year, there are seven MPH students in the Global Health Track who presented their thesis findings. See below for the list of Global Health students and their thesis topics.  Beto Arriola Vigo, M.D.Qualitative Analysis: Community Involvement in the new model of care during Mental Health Reform in Peru

 
 
 
 
  

Belito Adolfo has been working for Friends in Global Health (FGH) since 2014. He was promoted to District Coordinator in January 2017, just as VUMC/FGH began supporting the Quelimane District. This new position was the biggest challenge of his professional career. In his new role he works with larger, urban health facilities handling higher patient volumes. With the increased responsibilities, he recognizes the importance of his work and being team member.

Vanderbilt Master of Public Health (MPH) students presented their practicum experiences at the 2018 Public Health Practicum Colloquium on January 26. Through posters and discussion, students presented their practicum experiences working and learning in public health organizations and settings. Click here to view photos of the 2018 colloquium, and read below for practicum descriptions from MPH candidates in the Global Health track. 
 
  

This week, Nashville Public Radio featured the work of VIGH Faculty Member Martin Were, M.D., M.S. and his work with electronic health records. Were developed the smartphone app mUzima for users to learn about symptoms and vital signs. He continues to work on creating electronic, personal health records for patients to access. Click here to listen to the NPR story. 

Lwala Community Alliance is seeking a Monitoring and Evaluation Fellow. This is a year-long, stipened position based in rural Western Kenya. The M&E fellow will help with programming and conducting research in a field-based setting. Click here for more information. 

2018 World Health Week | February 19 – 23
 
 Global Women’s Reproductive Health
 
 Organized by Vanderbilt Global Health Organization in partnership with Medical Students for Choice & Physicians for Human Rights, and funding provided by Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Office of Diversity Affairs and Council of Class Officers
 
 Daily schedule of guest speakers:

Eighteen-year-old Ina Mora was in the district of Gilé visiting her husband’s family when she began feeling ill in May 2017. “Sometimes I had headaches, stomach aches and diarrhea. Both my legs got swollen and I got sick,” recalls Ina.

The Fogarty International Center at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded VIGH with a five-year, $4.66 million renewal grant to support the Vanderbilt-Emory-Cornell-Duke (VECD) Consortium for Global Health Fellows Program (vecd.org).

Carol Etherington, MSN, RN, FAAN was recently elected as Chair of the Metropolitan Board of Health of Nashville and Davidson County. Etherington replaces Sam Felker, J.D., who completed his term as Chair, but will continue as a Board member.  Board members elected Etherington at their June meeting.  She has served as Vice Chair since 2014 and as a Board Member since 2009.  Board members elected Francisca Guzman as Vice Chair.  Guzman has been a Board of Health member since 2014.

​To help the countries most affected by the recent Ebola epidemic, Fogarty has launched a new program to strengthen research training in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. In the first round of funding, four U.S. institutions received grants to partner with academic centers in two of the West African countries. The support will enable them to design training programs to increase expertise in Ebola, Lassa fever and other emerging viral diseases.

Since July, investigators in the Vanderbilt Tuberculosis Center have been awarded research grants totaling $5 million. The center’s outlook is global, with a focus on performing epidemiological and clinical studies to improve tuberculosis (TB) treatment and prevention.

               

The Trans-Institutional Programs (TIPs) initiative aims to foster collaboration among schools, researchers and students at Vanderbilt. It is the centerpiece of the 2013-14 Academic Strategic Plan. The investment of $50 million will fund programs devoted to discovery and learning with an “interdisciplinary” and “multidisciplinary” approach that address society’s most pressing problems. The program launched in November of 2014.