May 6, 2016

UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health researchers have been awarded three of six Explorations in Global Health grants, funded by the UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases (IGHID).

The faculty research awards are designed to foster the development of research partnerships and projects in global health. Grants are made to UNC faculty for international travel or to bring international colleagues to campus to establish or maintain research relationships (with the aim of applying for external funding) or to undertake small-scale, discrete research projects with international collaborators.

This year’s grants support six diverse projects in Nicaragua, Liberia, Zambia, Burkina Faso, Chile and Brazil.

Dr. Nurain Fuseini

Dr. Nurain Fuseini

Nurain Fuseini, MD, MHS, Master of Science in Clinical Research fellow at the Gillings School, will work with Lisa Rahangdale, MD, MPH, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the UNC School of Medicine, on “Human Papillomavirus and Preterm Birth in Lusaka, Zambia.”

The project will assess whether HPV is associated with preterm birth in sub-Saharan Africa and will have implications for expanding the role of HPV vaccination and screening.

Dr. Kavita Singh Ongechi

Dr. Kavita Singh

Kavita Singh, PhD, research associate professor of the maternal and child health at the Gillings School, and Christine Godwin, MSPH, maternal and child health doctoral student, will work on the project “Understanding the Impact of Stigma on Sexual Behavior and Relationships of Female Survivors of Ebola.”

The proposed study aims to quantify and understand the mechanisms through which Ebola can affect social and sexual relationships for women. Singh and Godwin will use study findings to develop recommendations for counseling and support services for women who survive Ebola.

Dr. Courtney Woods

Dr. Courtney Woods

Courtney Woods, PhD, lecturer in environmental sciences and engineering at the Gillings School, will investigate lead exposure in Brazil.

Using participatory action research (PAR) methods to engage a range of stakeholders, particularly community residents, Woods will work to improve health outcomes for people affected by the operation of a lead smelter in Santo Amaro, Bahia, Brazil, from 1960 to the 1990s.

Globally, close to 700,000 deaths are attributed to lead exposure, many from cardiovascular diseases.

Other funded projects focus upon the Zika virus in Nicaragua (Drs. Natalie Bowman and Aravinda de Silva, in the UNC School of Medicine), food insecurity in Burkina Baso (Dr. Colin West, in the UNC Department of Anthropology) and unhealthy food consumption in Chile (Dr. Francesca Carpentier, in the UNC School of Media and Journalism).


Share

Gillings School of Global Public Health contact: David Pesci, director of communications, (919) 962-2600 or dpesci@unc.edu

RELATED PAGES
CONTACT INFORMATION
Visit our communications and marketing team page.
Contact sphcomm@unc.edu with any media inquiries or general questions.

Communications and Marketing Office
125 Rosenau Hall
CB #7400
135 Dauer Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7400