The Pivot with Chelsea Ducille

Chelsea Ducille wants to produce great research — and then put it to use.

What’s your role in public health?

I’m a fifth-year doctoral student in the Department of Maternal and Child Health.

Can you describe your focus area in one sentence?

My research focus is on maternal and child health in a global context.

I explore how people make decisions around seeking and accessing health care across international borders, and how money sent by family members living outside of a household impacts family health.

What brought you to public health?

I was a women’s studies major as an undergraduate and also on a pre-med track. I was miserable! Happily, Duke University has a program called Bass Connections that brings people together to work on topics of shared interest. I joined a group attempting to scale up the use of antibiotics for umbilical cord care among infants in Bangladesh.

I engaged with the local government, NGOs like Save the Children and BRAC — an international development organization founded in Bangladesh. I learned how to source chlorhexidine, how to use it in innovative applications and how to consider unique cultural practices when crafting an intervention. I was so fascinated that I cancelled my MCAT test date and immediately began looking into public health careers.

Soon enough, I saw that most of the jobs I wanted would require a graduate degree, so I went to Johns Hopkins and made that happen.

Can you describe a time when you have pivoted in your public health career?

After earning a Master of Science in Public Health, I got a job in disaster response. I quickly noticed that in most meetings, I was the usually the youngest person, the only woman or the only person of color. I was rarely acknowledged and often saw others take credit for my ideas. I came to believe that having the letters “PhD” after my name would be essential to gaining respect. I simply witnessed too many examples of amazing staff who managed projects and ran grants but couldn’t apply for funding without including someone with a doctorate degree as a co-PI. I wanted the ability to do research independently, lead my own projects and make meaningful impact.

I came to the Gillings School to continue my education. I chose Gillings because it has the only standalone maternal and child health department in the country. I also received full funding as a Royster Fellow, which has given me interdisciplinary training and a lifelong network of collaborators. Here, I’ve gained so many skills, from data analysis to study design and structure. (Ultimately, a doctoral degree does offer more than letters after your name!)

Now, my dream job would be working with global health organizations like USAID, FHI360, the CDC or RTI International. I want to conduct global health research — but in a non-academic setting. I’ve noticed that scholars produce a lot of peer reviewed articles and share information at a lot of conferences, but I’m always compelled to ask the question, “Now what? What do we do with it all?”

I once had someone tell me that it’s the job of researchers to generate knowledge and it’s up to other people to put that knowledge to use in real-world communities. I completely disagree, which is why my future career will blend research and practice.

Who are you when you’re at home?

Chelsea shows off some gorgeous cupcakes!

I enjoy lots of random stuff! I’m currently obsessed with gardening in my tiny town home. I have two raised beds out back and a shelf in the kitchen where I grow veggies and herbs — much to my fiancée’s annoyance, as the dirt and gardening supplies take up a lot of real estate.

I love to bake, and I also play doubles in a tennis league. Basically, I’ll pursue any hobby or craft that catches my attention and see what sticks long-term.

Read more interviews in The Pivot series.

Published: May 7, 2024