November 16, 2011

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Sarah Rutstein

Sarah Rutstein

Sarah Rutstein, doctoral candidate in health policy and management at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and medical student at UNC School of Medicine, has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the Kerr L. White and Edward Wagner Scholarship in Health Care Research. The award is given to a UNC student pursuing both a public health and medical degree in recognition of his or her involvement in health care research.

Rutstein began the doctoral program in 2009 and has completed course work and comprehensive examinations required for the degree. She plans to complete her dissertation by 2015. Her research focuses on optimizing the management of HIV-positive patients in resource-limited settings. In August 2011, she began the medical degree program and plans to complete it in 2017. She plans to become an infectious disease clinician and academic investigator.
 
“I believe that Sarah has the potential to be a truly stellar investigator,” said Morris Weinberger, PhD, Vergil N. Slee Distinguished Professor of Healthcare Quality Management in the health policy and management department. “Sarah personifies the type of individual National Institutes of Health had in mind with its emphasis on multidisciplinary teams that conduct clinical and translational research. She is passionate about caring for patients and conducting clinically-relevant health services research. She also is committed to improving the lives of persons with HIV/AIDs, both in the United States and around the world.”
 
Rutstein, a native of Seattle, was a Robertson Scholar at Duke University and received a baccalaureate degree in public policy studies in 2007. While at Duke, she founded the Know Your Status HIV testing program – a student-run program that continues to offer free weekly HIV testing to students at Duke and Durham Technical Community College. Rutstein also worked in South Africa, where she helped prepare for the antiretroviral roll-out at a rural clinic.
 
“What an incredible honor to receive this award,” Rutstein said. “I look forward to representing the schools of public health and medicine in my future research and clinical practice.”
 
David Ballard, MD, PhD, UNC public health alumnus and current Public Health Foundation board member, and his wife, Michela Caruso, MD, endowed the White-Wagner Scholarship to honor White and Wagner, his mentors at UNC.
 
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UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health contact: Ramona DuBose, director of communications, (919) 966-7467 or ramona_dubose@unc.edu.

 

 

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