Global Health

Romanian researchers shared their environmental epidemiology research with doctoral students

Taylor Thomas — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 14:45:39 +0000

Romanian researchers shared their environmental epidemiology research with doctoral students Taylor Thomas Tue, 10/25/2022 - 10:45

In This Story

Michael S. Bloom, PhD, MS, FACE

Associate Professor of Global and Community Health Michael Bloom’s work with international scholars is a testament to Mason’s position as global research university

Michael Bloom, associate professor in the Department of Global and Community Health, recently hosted research colleagues from Romania who shared their research on environmental epidemiology with PhD students. Eugen Gurzău, MD, PhD, and Iulia Neamtiu, MD, PhD, are physician/researcher faculty at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hațieganu” in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. They presented on various topics including air quality, arsenic exposure, and risk management for exposures to environmental cancer-causing agents.

Bloom is a strong advocate for the value that international engagements add to public health.

“It is beneficial for PhD students to learn about the environmental epidemiology research taking place in other parts of the world, to meet investigators with a different perspective on environmental and epidemiologic research,” said Bloom.

Michael Bloom and PhD students with Romanian visitors

Gurzău and Neamtiu primarily discussed their work with the Schools Indoor Pollution and Health Observation Network in Europe (SINPHONIE) and the European Coordination Action on Human Biomonitoring (COPHES). The partnerships between these researchers and Bloom bring forth information that have the potential to guide policy regulations aimed toward the improvement of air and water quality.

After meeting at a conference in Romania in 2008, Bloom has worked alongside Gurzău and Neamtiu on research involving the effect of groundwater arsenic contamination on pregnancy and birth outcomes. They have received funding from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Fulbright Scholar Program. Bloom, Gurzău, and Neamtiu’s most recent research on birth outcomes in relation to arsenic and genetic susceptibility is being supported by an extramural research grant from the Romanian government.

Topics

Public Health

Environmental Health and Safety

Global Health

Epidemiology

CHHS Research

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

Air Pollution

Alumni Mentorship Program Boosts Students’ Career Readiness

John Brandon Cantrell — Fri, 05 Aug 2022 13:00:23 +0000

Alumni Mentorship Program Boosts Students’ Career Readiness John Brandon C… Fri, 08/05/2022 - 09:00

The pilot program increased graduating students’ confidence in navigating their careers after graduation.

Students graduating with a Master of Public Health (MPH) or a Master of Science in Global Health degree are met with many career prospects; however, navigating today’s job market can be daunting. The Mason Public Health Mentor Program pilot aims to support graduating Global and Community Health (GCH) graduate students by pairing them with GCH alumni mentors, who provide professional guidance and career advice in the public health field.

The pilot mentorship program had successful outcomes for both students and alumni. Students reported increased confidence in their academic and professional endeavors, while alumni valued the chance to give back to their Mason community by sharing insight into the public health field with future graduates.

Kelly Beckwith

“The program is designed to connect Mason students with someone who also graduated from Mason–who has been in their shoes and can provide guidance on an individual level,” said Kelly Beckwith, assistant director of academic programs for GCH and organizer of the mentorship pilot. “I’ve been at Mason for nearly six years and have seen so many of our graduates become accomplished alumni. I wanted to provide them with an opportunity to connect with current students, which strengthens the Mason Nation and the field of public health.”

In collaboration with other GCH faculty, Beckwith paired students with alumni working in the students’ desired field and supplied the pairs with a workbook to help lead the discussion on professional development and understanding the current job market.

The pilot program during the 2021-22 school year allowed students and alumni mentors to explore topics on career readiness, such as practicing mock interviews, incorporating work-life balance in careers, confronting imposter syndrome, and identifying workplace bias.

Reena Rhim

Reena Rhim, a 2022 MPH graduate, found the mentor program helpful with her job search.

“I am so thankful for this [mentorship] program,” Rhim said. “I was able to build a deeper connection with my mentor and [explain] what I was going through. The mentorship allowed me to ask questions and gain honest feedback —specifically on what to expect during my practicum, outside of graduation, and when working in the public health field. I had several concerns about job searching after graduation, and my mentor addressed my concerns with open and honest advice, which genuinely helped me succeed in finding a job.”

After graduating, Rhim accepted a position as a health policy project analyst at Discern Health, where she conducts research on health care topics as well as analyzes and interprets health care legislation and regulations related to federal value-based payment programs.

Elizabeth Bramhall

Elizabeth Bramhall, a 2014 MPH alumna and Rhim’s mentor in the program, enjoyed sharing professional guidance and building a professional relationship with Rhim.

“Having the opportunity to give back and make even a small difference in someone's career is extremely rewarding,” said Bramhall, who works as a biological safety officer for the U.S. Army. “My goals for entering the mentorship program were to engage with the current MPH program and to be a sounding board for my mentee. I believe I met these goals and would like to continue to participate in the mentorship program in the future.”

Bramhall encourages Mason students to seek support from alumni members when entering the professional workforce.

“Many alums love to find ways to give back,” Bramhall said. “They may not be able to get you a job directly, but they may be able to set you up with more contacts and open your eyes to new career paths that you didn't know existed before.”

For Beckwith, the pilot program gave her the opportunity to help more students advance their professional development and career prospects.

“I hope that future students see this as an exciting opportunity for them to get a leg up on the job market as they leave Mason and go out into the public health workforce,” Beckwith said. “By strengthening their career development skills, as well as strengthening the connection between students and alumni, I hope we can make an even bigger impact on the public’s health throughout the area.”

For questions about the Fall 2022-Spring 2023 Mason Public Health Mentor Program, please reach out to Kelly Beckwith at kbeckwi2@gmu.edu.

Topics

Master of Public Health

Global Health

Alumni Spotlight

Global and Community Health Students ‘Take Over’ This is Public Health’s Social Media

John Brandon Cantrell — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 14:23:19 +0000

Global and Community Health Students ‘Take Over’ This is Public Health’s Social Media John Brandon C… Tue, 02/08/2022 - 09:23

In honor of Black History Month, McNally and Harmon highlight Black contributions and historical moments in health care

Future public health leaders in the Department of Global and Community Health bring awareness to health disparities affecting underserved communities through education, research, and advocacy. Public Health PhD student Kimberly McNally and Master of Public Health student Danielle Harmon lead by example by serving as student ambassadors for This is Public Health (TIPH), a student-centered organization from the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) that provides leadership experience opportunities to public health scholars across the country.

As TIPH ambassadors, McNally and Harmon will each create week-long social media campaigns, referred to as Ambassador Takeovers, that center around a public health topic of their choice. They strategically chose their Ambassador Takeovers to occur in February to raise awareness of historical moments in health care in honor of Black History Month.

McNally, a registered nurse, created her campaign to highlight Black health care heroes who, while often overlooked in nursing textbooks, made substantial contributions to the nursing field.

Public Health PhD student Kim McNally

“To celebrate Black History Month, I am focusing on community health nurses that broke boundaries despite discrimination and barriers,” McNally said. “I am honored to post about community health nurses like Jessie Sleet Scales and Mabel Keaton Staupers. It is important to both public health and nursing to celebrate the pioneers who advocated for their communities and their profession. Their contributions improved our understanding and delivery of culturally competent care.”

The following week, Harmon’s campaign brings attention to the social determinants of health affecting Black communities throughout the nation.

Master of Public Health student Danielle Harmon

“I plan to bring attention to monumental moments of history such as redlining and radicalized residential segregation to the Tuskegee Syphilis Study that has left the Black community feeling distrustful and at a disadvantage in health care,” said Harmon. “My goal is not just to show how Black people are disproportionately affected but also show how intertwined each of the risk factors is for many of the diseases that affect the Black community at an irregular rate compared to White America.”

The Department of Global and Community Health inspires students to be leaders in their fields. Students accomplish this through interprofessional networking and applying their skill set to educate others through projects and initiatives, such as TIPH. For McNally and Harmon, the TIPH experience, coupled with their Mason coursework, allows them to gain the skills needed to pursue their career goals as health care leaders.

McNally said her student experiences have transformed her outlook on global health and will benefit her future career as a nursing educator. “My TIPH experience and my Mason coursework have challenged me to think beyond my role and identity as a nurse. I am now able to see health from a bigger perspective, and I have also had the opportunity to learn from student and faculty experiences. I will leave Mason as a better clinician and a more well-rounded educator.”

Harmon will apply the skills she is learning to pursue a health policy analyst career after completing her degree.

“My TIPH involvement [gives] me an array of experience from working collaboratively with people from different backgrounds, collecting information to develop engaging materials for a broad audience, and the ability to put forth accredited materials to help bring awareness to health topics,” said Harmon. “I am very confident that the rest of my coursework at Mason will give me the foundation and building blocks to a successful career in health policy by giving me the knowledge needed to analyze, write, and develop health policies.”

To view McNally and Harmon's social media campaigns, visit This is Public Health on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Topics

Social Determinants of Health

Department of Global and Community Health

Student Spotlight

Mason Alumna Joni Brady (DNP, '15) Incorporates Multicultural Viewpoints to Advance Nursing Practice, Uplift Future Nurses

John Brandon Cantrell — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 18:07:50 +0000

Mason Alumna Joni Brady (DNP, '15) Incorporates Multicultural Viewpoints to Advance Nursing Practice, Uplift Future Nurses John Brandon C… Fri, 10/29/2021 - 14:07

Joni Brady (DNP, '15) reflects on how her time at Mason prepared her with the skills to lead a global nonprofit and progress her career of helping nurses advance across the world.

Mason alumna Joni Brady (DNP,'15) and her family have found a home in many locations, making multicultural viewpoints a welcome norm throughout her life. As part of a military family, Brady has lived in Okinawa, Japan; Stuttgart, Germany; San Diego, California; New York, and now Northern Virginia. In each location, she evolved as a care provider by learning unique perspectives and insights into global health and leadership from nurses all over the world.

While traveling, Brady engaged herself in the local community and furthered her education as a nurse. She earned her nursing diploma in New York, her bachelor's degree in California, and her master's degree in Germany. When she returned to the States, she pursued a Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP) degree at Mason, which she completed in 2015.

"What you realize through travel and exposure to those other cultures is we all have the same basic wants and needs, regardless of where we're from," says Brady. "That's one of the things I loved about my education at Mason. We have such a diverse student body, and you get the beauty of all those cultures coming together and sharing their different world views and life experiences."

Growing as a Mason Nurse, Helping Other Mason Nurses Grow

Like many, Brady chose Mason due to the reputation of its diverse community. "I loved the diversity of the student body, and I liked that that there was that diverse population [where my] colleagues would be representing multinational backgrounds," says Brady. "It was beautiful to be with colleagues in that setting of learning, and it was a safe space--everyone was supportive of each other."

The lively atmosphere and curriculum of Mason's DNP program allowed Brady to pursue several projects that prepared her for a career in leadership. One memorable experience for Brady was working on a five-semester implementation science project at Inova with the system nurse researcher. The experience helped Brady provide future opportunities for nursing students.

"Our work, teaching nurses how to implement evidence-based practice, was a pilot research study and went on to underpin annual funding for evidence-based practice grants to practicing clinical nurses,” says Brady.

Since the completion of her project, Inova nurses have produced 40 evidence-based practice projects with results presented locally, nationally, and internationally. "Being involved at Mason gave me the ability to give other nurses the opportunity to grow their practice through my work," says Brady.

Brady’s time at Mason strengthened her skills in clinical nursing, consulting, researching, and leading a global nonprofit. When thinking back on her career, Brady values bringing together different viewpoints and cultures to advance nursing practice across the world. She credits Mason for further preparing her to meet her goals.

"I love that I have been able to tie it all together in a way that is personally meaningful and professionally meaningful," says Brady. "I also think my time at Mason in my doctoral program really prepared me to have the skills to lead a global nonprofit."

Advancing the Nursing Practice Internationally

Brady's appreciation for different cultures and her value in advancing nursing practice are evident in her career as a nursing consultant and researcher. During her time abroad, Brady attended conferences in multiple countries, such as Ireland and the United Kingdom, to understand how different cultures view the perianesthesia specialty, the nursing practice of caring for patients undergoing and recovering from anesthesia due to surgical and invasive procedures.

As the Chair of the International Collaboration of PeriAnesthesia Nurses (a global nonprofit with a multinational board represented by eight countries), one of Brady's goals was to establish a more uniform understanding of the perianesthesia clinical nurse role to strengthen the practice worldwide.

Since then, Brady and a team of researchers have published a well-received study by the international nursing community. The study employed a global survey, which showed discrepancies in how different countries recognized the field of perianesthesia. The findings described the role, responsibilities, and education of perianesthesia nurses working in care units from 11 countries. The peer-reviewed nursing journal publication has been downloaded over 2,100 times since January 2021.

Giving Back to the Mason Community

Just as Brady has helped nurses around the world advance their practice, she values giving back to the Mason community. Her service on the College's Alumni Chapter Board has been instrumental through her advocacy and philanthropy of uplifting Mason's future leaders in health care by promoting new opportunities for students to pursue.

"I'm grateful for the experience, for the comradery, and for the important work that Mason is doing to enrich our community in so many ways," says Brady. "I am proud to be a grad of Mason and continue service through the Alumni Chapter Board."

Topics

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

CHHS News

New One Health Scholarship Opportunity for MPH, MS-Global Health Students

John Brandon Cantrell — Wed, 18 Aug 2021 19:24:18 +0000

New One Health Scholarship Opportunity for MPH, MS-Global Health Students John Brandon C… Wed, 08/18/2021 - 15:24

Students interested in studying the interconnections of health among plants, animals, and humans are encouraged to apply for this scholarship by September 27.

The College of Health and Human Services is pleased to announce a new scholarship opportunity for Master of Public Health (MPH) and Master of Science in Global Health (MS-Global Health) students who are passionate about studying the interconnections of health among plants, animals, and humans. Thanks to the generosity of Michael von Fricken, professor of Global and Community Health, the One Health Scholarship will provide a selected graduate student with funding and/or support to pursue a research project relating to the One Health initiative.

“I wanted to create an opportunity to support our graduate students interested or actively engaged in infectious disease research,” von Fricken said. “This is also a way to identify promising students who want to become more involved in One Health, which will be important as we grow the One Health discipline here at Mason.”

As an incentive to get students interested in One Health, the scholarship will provide graduate students with additional funding to offset costs related to their research. “This is one of a small number of scholarships that benefit CHHS graduate students," said Shannon Donohue, assistant director of development. "We are grateful to Dr. von Fricken for supporting student success at the graduate level."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the One Health Initiative is “a collaborative, multisectoral, and transdisciplinary approach—working at the local, regional, national, and global levels—with the goal of achieving optimal health outcomes recognizing the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment.”

The One Health Initiative is an important field of research because the majority of emerging diseases in humans are zoonotic in nature, meaning they originate in animals. “When these spillover events occur, it is important that we have trained personnel who understand the importance of One Health and are open to listening to perspectives from experts across disciplines," von Fricken said. "Conducting research within the human-animal-environment interface can provide important insights to disease emergence to better prepare for future pandemics.”

Undergraduate students who are interested in One Health are invited to register for Introduction to One Health (GCH 305). This course occurs every spring and is co-taught by three lecturers, each with specific backgrounds related to human, animal, and environmental health.

The deadline to apply for the 2021-2022 One Health Scholarship is Monday, September 27, 2021. To apply, please visit the Fall 2021 Scholarship Opportunities webpage. Applications for the 2022-2023 academic year will be available from December 2021 to May 2022.

Topics

Jhumka Gupta Receives Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Evidence for Action Grant to Study Intimate Partner Violence in Forcibly Displaced Populations

Anonymous — Mon, 07 Jun 2021 19:49:06 +0000

Jhumka Gupta Receives Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Evidence for Action Grant to Study Intimate Partner Violence in Forcibly Displaced Populations Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 06/07/2021 - 15:49

In This Story

Jhumka Gupta, ScD

George Mason and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) awarded grant to help foster social empowerment and gender equity among forcibly displaced populations (FDPs).

Women participate in an event to launch an anti-domestic violence campaign sponsored by the IRC in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

Jhumka Gupta, ScD, MPH, associate professor from ��AV Department of Global and Community Health and Jessica Dalpe, LMSW, from the International Rescue Committee (IRC) have been awarded a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Evidence for Action grant to help foster social empowerment and gender equity among forcibly displaced populations (FDPs). The IRC -developed Economic and Social Empowerment (EA$E) intervention has shown promise in reducing intimate partner violence and improving gender equity in Cote d’Ivoire. The program aims to reduce intimate partner violence among FDPs by looking at women’s sources of income and job opportunities as well as men’s perceptions of women’s value to the household (See Figure 1). Gupta and fellow principal investigator, Dalpe, will study whether the EA$E intervention can be adapted to FDPs in the United States. The investigators seek to identify programmatic components that are perceived as acceptable/not acceptable and to better understand and address potential barriers to implementing the intervention. Findings will lead to the formulation of data-informed recommendations for adapting EA$E for US-based FDPs.

“We look forward to further studying the relationship between economic and social empowerment and intimate partner violence – and how we can promote gender equity in US-based families who have been forcibly replaced. This project builds on my prior intervention research on the EA$E intervention with the IRC, and I am excited about adapting innovative gender equity interventions from abroad to the US context,” said Gupta.

“From listening to women and communities through IRC’s responses to conflict and crises we know that women face unique challenges in achieving gender equity within societies and within their homes. Women are less likely than men to have power in household decision-making while they continue to bear the weight of unpaid and unacknowledged caregiving in society. Through this partnership and support from Robert Wood Johnson Foundations’ Evidence for Action Approaches to Gender Equity Around the Globe, the IRC will work with ��AV to assess the viability of existing equity frameworks for women, and identify new interventions to ensure gender equity for women in displaced communities,” said Dalpe.

Adapting Economic and Social Empowerment (EA$E) gender equity groups for forcibly displaced populations

Disclaimer: Support for this work was provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.

Topics

Women's Health

Global Health

Health Equity

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

College of Health and Human Services

faculty spotlight

CHHS News

CHHS Publishes COVID-19 One-Year Milestone Special Report

mthomp7 — Sat, 13 Mar 2021 15:03:33 +0000

CHHS Publishes COVID-19 One-Year Milestone Special Report mthomp7 Sat, 03/13/2021 - 10:03

As we mark the one-year milestone of the COVID-19 pandemic, the College of Health and Human Services has published a special report capturing the many ways in which College faculty, staff, and students rose to the occasion over the past year. Learn more about the College’s contributions in ��AV and Instruction, University Response and Service, Community Response and Practice, and Research.

Thank you to everyone in the College for their dedication and service over the past year. It is nearly impossible to convey the full impact your work has had on our students, the University, and our community.

View COVID-19 One-Year Milestone Special Report as a pdf.

View COVID-19 One-Year Milestone Special Report as an interactive pdf on Flipsnack.

Topics

coronavirus; covid-19

Global Health

CHHS News

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.