What was your background prior to enrolling in the MPH program at Gillings?

Nefer Batsuli

I completed my B.A. in International Studies, Global Health, and French at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This combination of disciplines reflected my commitment to understanding the patterns of inequity I encountered growing up as a second-generation American navigating the complexities of our healthcare system. My goal was to address structural health inequities affecting disadvantaged populations both domestically and globally.

Before my final semester at Duke University, I pursued my passion for global health through an adventurous study abroad experience in Switzerland and Morocco. There, I studied Global Health & Development Policy with the School for International Training. After graduating, I worked at Research Triangle Institute (RTI) International where I got insight into the variety of ways I could practice global health.

Can you tell us about your practicum experience in the Democratic Republic of Congo this past summer?

This past summer I spent five weeks in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) supporting hepatitis B virus (HBV) prevention work. I am a research assistant in the Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Ecology Lab, within UNC’s Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases. I work with Peyton Thompson, MD, MSCR, and a brilliant DRC-based study team. We aim to eliminate the spread of HBV in the DRC by preventing mother-to-child transmission*.

To fulfill my practicum, I expanded my role to include a community-based project that involved collecting quantitative data and conducting qualitative interviews to assess the impact of community health workers as project collaborators. Working alongside Patrick Ngimbi, MD and the local team, I completed my practicum in French and developed resources to enhance the team’s efforts.

My time in Kinshasa was especially meaningful as I worked directly with global health initiatives in the place of my heritage. On weekends, I cherished moments with my family – eating my grandma’s smoked fish and sweet plantains and sitting with my grandpa, holding his aging hands as we watched football matches.

To learn more and see photos, read my post, “Joy and Complexity in the Congo,” on the Gillings Around the Globe blog, or my feature on the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases news page, “IDEEL Lab Student Applies Public Health Learnings to Pediatric Care in the DRC”.

Can you tell us about your previous experience as a Public Health Analyst at RTI International?

My professional experience at RTI International was a blend of my interests: addressing health inequities, strengthening public health infrastructure, global health, the French language, mentorship and leadership. As a Project Coordinator, I worked on a global health security project in the DRC, an emerging infectious diseases research network, and a multi-site clinical trial. I collaborated with key organizations such as the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and various Ministries of Health. In this role I learned about implementation science and the value of evidence-based practice. I began my work in the DRC at RTI, where I had the opportunity to travel and join our local team in strengthening public health capacity.

In the realm of mentorship and leadership, I proactively sought a mentor for career and personal growth, while engaging with more seasoned colleagues to learn from their expertise. I also took on a leadership role advocating for early-career professionals and actively supported the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

This experience enriched my global health portfolio and inspired me to pursue a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology to grow my toolbox.

What has been your favorite elective so far, and why?

This semester I took Cardiovascular Epidemiology (EPID 735) taught by Dr. Shakia Hardy, a cardiovascular disease and social epidemiologist. Her wealth of knowledge and genuine care for her students made the class especially meaningful. We routinely had interesting guest lectures from experts in diverse fields – including clinical practice, epidemiology, and environmental sciences – who shared insights on determinants and pathophysiological mechanisms of cardiovascular health. Learning about health conditions that I didn’t know were associated with cardiovascular health outcomes was fascinating.

I appreciated that Dr. Hardy emphasized practical skill development, such as interpreting data, developing conference-level presentations, and writing abstracts, as essential to strengthening our epidemiological competence. What resonated most was her encouragement to think about the ways in which our built environments, families, and communities influenced our health and to ask novel questions. I was inspired as she reminded us that our work in public health will build evidence and implement projects to address critical public health challenges. This course reinforced my passion for contributing to impactful solutions in public health!

What impact do you hope to make in the field of public health?

When I reflect on what motivates me in my career, the word equip” stands out. I believe there is immense value in understanding inequities that have impacted our communities, developing the skillset to address them, and collaborating to change them. I am deeply grateful to God and to the people who have invested in my growth, enabling me to pursue this work. I aspire to inspire and equip underrepresented early-career researchers with the skills to think innovatively and tackle health inequities that they are passionate about. By doing so, I hope to create a ripple effect, equipping others to advance health equity in their chosen domains while building both personal and professional success.

Read more Q&As from our students and faculty.

*The Gillings Innovation Lab, Arresting Vertical Transmission of Hepatitis B, awarded to the late Steve Meshnick and involving then mentees Peyton Thompson and Jonathan Parr provided foundational work in this area, demonstrating the feasibility of providing hepatitis B virus testing and treatment for pregnant women, and birth dose vaccination for HBV-exposed infants to prevent mother-to-infant transmission in the DRC.

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Global Health Team
globalsolutions@unc.edu

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