Nicole Cummings

Kathryn Hogan Studies Malaria Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of the Peruvian Maijuna Community for Master’s Thesis

dhawkin — Thu, 23 Jul 2020 13:42:15 +0000

Kathryn Hogan Studies Malaria Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of the Peruvian Maijuna Community for Master’s Thesis dhawkin Thu, 07/23/2020 - 09:42

Recent graduate completes first international MS in Global Health thesis studying the knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to malaria of an indigenous group in the Peruvian Amazon.

“I’m really interested in looking at Global Health through a One Health lens, which is increasingly important during this time of COVID-19, as we expect more diseases such as this to spillover from animals to humans in the future,” explained Hogan. “One Health is a transdisciplinary approach to health which recognizes the interconnectedness between human, animal, and environmental health.”

For her master's thesis, Kathryn Hogan traveled to Peru to explore how the Maijuna experience and perceive malaria, and how those experiences and perceptions shape preventative and treatment-seeking behavior.

Hogan chose to pursue her master’s degree at Mason because of the faculty focus on using a One Health approach to study zoonotic diseases, the University’s location in the Washington, D.C. area, and the endless opportunities the area provides for public and global health.

“When researching programs for my master’s, I was interested in Mason’s opportunities and I saw that Dr. Michael von Fricken focused on this One Health perspective,” she added. “That drove me to apply to Global Health programs and their Graduate Research Assistantships at Mason.”

The MS in Global Health at Mason requires that students complete a thesis on a topic of their choice as a culminating experience for the degree, and Hogan chose to complete her thesis in Peru, becoming the first student in the department to complete a thesis abroad. She expects more students will take this opportunity to do international research for their projects in the future.

She was inspired by an international field course she took earlier in her Mason program, Conservation and Sustainability in the Amazon with Dr. Michael Gilmore and Dr. Andrew Wingfield, run through the Center for Field Studies. The course was co-taught by members of the indigenous Maijuna people of the community of Sucusari, Peru. The course focused on conservation of biological and cultural diversity and environmental justice, but malaria transmission came up in conversation with community members. Malaria is still prevalent in many parts of South America, mainly within regions of the Amazon rainforest in Peru and Brazil.

“This sparked a conversation with Dr. Gilmore and I about the history of malaria in the community, why there appeared to be confusion in the community about malaria transmission, and if the community was receiving health programming and resources from the Peruvian government,” elaborated Hogan.

After constructing the framework of the study, Hogan received funding to conduct research in Peru through Mason’s Global Praxis program.

Hogan’s study was designed to explore how the Maijuna experience and perceive malaria, and how those experiences and perceptions shape preventative and treatment-seeking behavior. She found that perceptions of malaria were rooted in a mixture of tradition, personal experiences, and past teachings from local government programs. Confusion surrounding transmission could likely be avoided through culturally-appropriate health workshops.

During her qualitative, interview-based research, Hogan stayed in one of the Maijuna communities called Sucusari, in Loreto, Peru. She stayed in a traditional house built for field studies by a local NGO, OnePlanet, with other bilingual researchers which helped her as she adjusted to new cultural norms and language.

During her qualitative, interview-based research, Hogan stayed in one of the Maijuna communities called Sucusari, in Loreto, Peru.

“The Sucusari community members were very welcoming and gracious to allow me to stay in their community for three months and learn about their experiences, knowledge, attitudes, and practices surrounding malaria,” described Hogan.

In reflection, Hogan thinks the most rewarding part of the experience was the interest and support the community expressed during the very first meeting in Sucusari.

“When Dr. Gilmore and I introduced the research project to see if there was interest among community leadership, and then later among the whole community, there was a lot of support and interest in the project. The community members shared their experiences being sick or having family members who were sick or died from malaria in the past, so they were really interested in sharing that information. Because indigenous populations have historically been marginalized and exploited for research or economic gain, doing ethical work that was of interest and benefit to the community was of utmost importance,” Hogan emphasized.

After completing her thesis and graduating from Mason in spring of 2020, Hogan began a full-time role as a Health Analyst at MITRE. In the future, she plans to pursue a doctoral degree.

COVID-19 CHHS Webinar Series: Weighing the Decision to Safely ‘Reopen’ Northern Virginia

dhawkin — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 18:20:49 +0000

COVID-19 CHHS Webinar Series: Weighing the Decision to Safely ‘Reopen’ Northern Virginia dhawkin Tue, 06/16/2020 - 14:20

In This Story

Amira Roess, PhD, MPH

Mason Faculty and Local Partner Discuss Working Together to “Reopen” Northern Virginia While Continuing to Flatten the Curve

Topics

Covid-19

Public Health

College of Health and Human Services

College of Health and Human Services Department of Global and Community Health

Campus News

CHHS News

Congratulations to Gabrielle Jackson, Community Health Senior and Winner of the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant

dhawkin — Tue, 12 May 2020 18:28:27 +0000

Congratulations to Gabrielle Jackson, Community Health Senior and Winner of the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant dhawkin Tue, 05/12/2020 - 14:28

Gabrielle Jackson was awarded a Fulbright U.S. Student Grant, widely recognized as one of the most prestigious international exchange programs, with only 8,000 grants awards each year.

CHHS senior Gabrielle Jackson is set to graduate this spring with a bachelor’s in community health, a minor in Spanish and exciting plans of international community engagement, and a bright future career in public health.

Jackson left her hometown in New Jersey to begin her educational career at Mason in 2016. “Mason had the programs I was interested in, and I loved how close it was to D.C., one of my favorite cities,” says Jackson. “After visiting campus, Mason’s diversity, character and overall friendliness really stood out to me. I then realized I was comparing all my other options to Mason, so it ended up being my first choice.”

With dreams of travel and the desire to help others in her future, the Fulbright scholarship was on Jackson’s radar prior to her time at Mason. “During freshman year I was enrolled in a college success 101 course that asked us to write down three goals to strive for during our college career,” she remembers. “Right then I decided I wanted to write well, think critically, and win a Fulbright.”

After being asked if she learned any important lessons from her time at Mason, Jackson replied, “My professors encouraged me to apply for a Boren fellowship in Brazil. I was very hesitant because it wasn’t a part of my plan. I wanted to go to Colombia or Argentina where they spoke Spanish, why would I go to Brazil? After going to my family for advice, my dad told me, there was nothing to lose by just applying. I realized it was okay to pursue something outside of my plan, so I took the chance and applied.”

Jackson was accepted by the program and traveled to Brazil that summer. “The best advice I would give to future Mason students is not to shut yourself out of opportunities just because you didn’t imagine them for yourself.”

When the time came to apply to the Fulbright scholarship, Jackson received great support from her professors who helped write recommendation letters.

Fulbright typically awards scholarships for the opportunity to be an English teaching assistant (ETA) or conduct research. Jackson chose to be an ETA in Colombia based on her background in Spanish, past teaching experience at Mason assisting in math, and her love for Latino culture.

When she arrives in Colombia, Jackson will be placed in one of their universities to assist in teaching English and math, as well as providing additional support to professionals who wish to improve their English. She will spend about 30 hours a week inside the classroom and the other 10 hours conducting a community engagement project outside the classroom.

Jackson chose Colombia because she used to watch music videos from Afro-Latino communities on the pacific coast of Colombia and remember feeling completely enthralled by their rich and diverse culture. After studying abroad in Spain and experiencing Brazil, she is excited to return to South America and completely immerse herself in their language and everyday life.

Not only does Fulbright provide students with a greater world view but is an integral part of United States diplomacy with other nations. Jackson added that the program is very diversifying, allowing other nations to see the different faces of the United States, and variations of unique backgrounds. International programs like Fulbright share different identities of people who make up the U.S. with the rest of the world.

In light of COVID-19, all Fulbright programs have been delayed and will be reassessed in January 2021. The length of the program will likely be shorter than 10 months, its original duration. Jackson recounted “I was nervous prior to COVID-19 that 10 months would be too long, but now that will not be the case. Right now, health is a primary concern, but it is too soon to predict what will happen or what life will be like in a year.”

When asked what she hopes to accomplish after eventually completing her journey overseas and in a future career, Jackson said, “I always wanted to help others, but now I have a better idea of how I can do that. I believe in providing people with the right resources and encouraging them to take charge of their own lives. It’s not about empowering people, because they already have the power.”

Jackson hopes her time in Colombia will enhance her worldview by expanding her appreciation for people and the strengths they bring no matter where they come from. From a practical standpoint, Jackson will further her language ability in Spanish which will benefit her in future possible careers such as the non-profit sector, social service, or the federal government.

After returning from Colombia, Jackson plans to work for the federal government.