Ecuador:
Immersive engagement in rural community health setting focused on collaborative health care involving physician, nursing, and community health care workers. Priorities include maternal and infant health and geriatric health. Fluent Spanish language skills required.
Kenya:
1) Two students (preference given to 3rd year undergraduate or early-stage graduate level students who can commit to 1-2 years) to provide data management and administrative support on a research project to advance the implementation of a local disability rights law in Kilifi County, Kenya. The project has a focus on reducing disability-related stigma among government officials and workers in the health and education sectors. There is the possibility of travel to Kenya during the summer 2024 and 2025. The major time commitment on an average week will be low, but will increase around virtual meetings with program staff in Kenya, around major data collection efforts, and around travel. Prior research experience is not required, but preference will be given to students with a high-level of commitment to cross-cultural engagement, equity and social justice, and an openness to learning. A specific interest in learning about implementation science and stigma mitigation is a plus. Students with a background in, or an interest in building, public health and/or policy research skills are encouraged to apply.
2) UVA and AMPATH are aiming to set up a trauma registry at a tertiary care hospital in Kenya. The project will involve optimizing the trauma registry form, working with Kenyan colleagues identifying barriers to data collection at every level, designing solutions to overcome those barriers, ensuring accurate transmission of the data, working with UVA faculty on using machine reading to extract data from the form. At later stages of this project, there will be opportunities for data analysis and writing. Travel to Kenya may be possible in July/August depending on the ability to have on-site faculty supervision this summer.
Rwanda:
The following opportunity offered in collaboration with the University of Global Health Equity (Butaro).
The University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) Community Based Education Global Scholars Program (“CBE global”) is a 3-week immersive program based at UGHE in Burera District, Northern Rwanda designed for international students who are enrolled in advanced health science degrees in nursing, medicine, public health, and other related fields. This is a short-term, intensive engagement which requires a direct application. The UVA Center for Global Health Equity (CGHE) will offer limited support for this opportunity via the CGHE University Scholar program. Please contact CGHE@virginia.edu for information.
The following opportunities represent collaboration with the University of Rwanda/CHUK
1) Research question: What factors predict effective utilization of PICU resources?
Importance: to help sort out and prioritize patients who will benefit the most from admission to PICU in a resource limited setting
Role of the student/trainee: the UVA student/trainee will assist a trainee at CHUK with literature review, retrospective chart review of data including: location prior to admission to PICU (ED vs acute care floor), diagnosis, resources utilized in the PICU (vent, arterial line, central venous line, etc), nurse to patient ratio, physician to patient ratio, length of stay in the PICU, survival to transfer out of the PICU, survival to discharge from the hospital. They will work together on data analysis and drafting of a manuscript.
2) Research question: What are the predictors of central line associated infection in the PICU?
Importance: Findings will help design a protocol to reduce the incidence of infection, which will be the basis of future studies comparing the rate of CLABSI prior to and after implementation of the protocol
Role of student/trainee: The UVA student/trainee will assist the CHUK trainee with review of the literature, retrospective chart review of data including: diagnosis, intervention (e.g. type of surgery if any), type of catheter, vein accessed, antibiotic prophylaxis if any, indication for the central line placement (antibiotics, vasopressors, massive resuscitation, TPN), nursing to patient ratio, existence of nursing protocol to care for the central venous line, length of stay , survival to discharge, how blood stream infection was diagnosed, type of bacteria, treatment of the bacteremia, any other line complication such as thrombosis. They will work together on data analysis and drafting of a manuscript.
3) Research question: What are the factors influencing outcomes in infants with esophageal atresia +/- tracheoesophageal fistula (EA+/- TEF)
Importance: Understand how to work with referring providers to optimize timing of repair
Role of student/trainee: The UVA student/trainee will assist the CHUK trainee with review of the literature, retrospective chart review of data starting in August 2021 including: age (in days) upon arrival to CHUK, distance travelled, region of origin, birth weight, weight at the time of repair, type of EA+/- TEF, type of repair, complications (anastomotic leak, stricture, recurrence of fistula), days on mechanical ventilation, thoracic infection, time to feeding, length of stay. They will work together on data analysis and drafting of a manuscript.
4) Research question: What are the short-term and long-term post-operative outcomes of children with anorectal malformation (ARM)
Importance: Understanding impact of colostomy on the quality of life (QOL) of the patient’s family and understand if the patients are achieving continence
Role of student/trainee: The UVA student/trainee will assist the CHUK trainee with review of the literature, retrospective review of data including: age (in days) upon arrival to CHUK, distance travelled, region of origin, birth weight, weight at the time of repair, type of ARM, age at colostomy creation, age at anorectoplasty, complication of colostomy (colostomy stricture, prolapse, skin breakdown, parastomal hernia), and anorectoplasty complication such as anastomotic dehiscence or wound breakdown. They will conduct a survey with parents to understand the impact of the colostomy of the QOL and understand if the child has been able to achieve continence of stool. They will work together on data analysis and drafting of a manuscript.
5) Research question: How effective is the use of hydroxyurea in children with Sickle cell disease?
Importance: Understanding the outcomes of administration of hydroxyurea in children with SCD
Role of student/trainee: The UVA student/trainee will assist the CHUK trainee with review of the literature, retrospective chart review of data including: age at diagnosis of sickle cell disease, number of admissions of acute pain syndrome, number of pRBC transfusion, prescription of hydroxyurea (yes/no), dose, recorded adverse effects of the drug, outcomes following administration of the medication ( number of admissions of acute pain syndrome, number of pRBC transfusion, presence of functional asplenia, cholelithiasis). They will work together on data analysis and drafting of a manuscript.
India:
Community based participatory research with the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA)- the largest women’s informal worker union in the Indian subcontinent. Immersive engagement in India in summer 2023 to engage in field work and collaborative public health learning with members of the organization. This experience will prioritize community organizing and relationship building, with the opportunity to reframe public health education to focus on individuals doing community-based work on the ground.
Charlottesville:
Project in process to adapt the app PositveLinks, that has been used successfully by patients with chronic conditions, to monitor patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. The Spanish version is called ConexionesPositivas (CP) and will be used to monitor and address both medical and social needs of COVID-19 afflicted members of the Hispanic community, who are otherwise difficult to engage likely due to their working conditions, lack of health insurance, poor access to health care and distrust of health systems, all leading to delayed diagnosis and presentation for medical care and subsequently, poor outcomes. The hypothesis is that using this mobile app as a self-monitoring tool will enable early recognition of warning signs, prompt healthcare engagement and access to social services in the community. This project is mentored by faculty in the UVA Department of Infectious Diseases and International Health.