Doctoral student awarded RWJF Health Policy Research Scholar Fellowship
February 27, 2019
Denise St. Jean
Denise St. Jean, doctoral student in epidemiology at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, has been selected as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Health Policy Research Scholar.
The fellowship is awarded annually to 40 doctoral students nationwide who want to apply research in their field to influence policy related to population health, health equity and advancing a “Culture of Health.” The award provides $120,000 in financial support over a four-year period.
St. Jean’s research focuses largely on the prevention of childhood diarrhea in low- and middle-income settings and on understanding of the consequences of interventions such as antibiotics for infectious diseases.
While in the health policy program, she also will study public policy and economic and political science theory and receive professional coaching and mentoring from leaders in her field.
“The Health Policy Research Scholars program is committed to collaboration across sectors, professions and disciplines,” said St. Jean. “As a biologist by training, with unique perspectives from both my academic and professional experiences, I am grateful for the mentorship that I have received from Gillings School faculty members, including Drs. Sylvia Becker-Dreps and Steven Meshnick, who have encouraged my development as an interdisciplinary researcher.”
St. Jean is a southern California native and dual citizen of Dominica, a small island in the Caribbean. She earned a Bachelor of Science in ecology and evolutionary biology from Yale University, where her research in vector-borne disease was funded by the Edward A. Bouchet Fellowship. Prior to pursuing doctoral studies at the Gillings School, she worked as a consultant at Beghou Consulting in New York City.
About the Health Policy Scholars
Health Policy Research Scholars is one of a number of national leadership development programs supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The programs continue RWJF’s legacy of supporting the development and diversity of leaders. Initially focused on health and health care, the programs were expanded, with the recognition that building a Culture of Health requires people in every sector, profession and discipline to collaborate.
Additional information is available at healthpolicyresearch-scholars.org.
Contact the Gillings School of Global Public Health communications team at sphcomm@listserv.unc.edu.
