Center for Evidence-Based Global Health

The following research opportunities are available for students applying for the Summer 2013 term. When applying for MHIRT, please indicate those positions for which you wish to be considered by ranking up to three choices.  All summer positions are available during the months of June through August.

Positions A-2013 and B-2013 - Argentina #1 and Argentina #2

U.S. Mentor: Pierre Buekens, MD, PhD; Professor and Dean, Tulane University SPHTM
Overseas Mentors: Jose Belizan, MD, PhD; Fernando Althabe, MD; Fernando Rubinstein, MD
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Research Area: Maternal and child health research. Projects will involve work in hospitals in Buenos Aires and surrounding areas that are participating in the follow-up study of the Guidelines Trial, which is funded by the Global Network for Women's and Children's Health Research, NICHD. Possible focus areas include childbirth and the implementation of clinical trials in developing countries.
Student Level: Undergraduate (junior or senior) or graduate student.
Prerequisites: Conversational Spanish, intermediate level; a background in biology, medicine, epidemiology, public health or social sciences is preferred.

Positions C-2013 and D-2013 - China #1 and China #2

U.S. Mentor: Jiang He, MD, PhD; Professor and Chair, Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University SPHTM
Overseas Mentor: Yonghong Zhang, MD
Location: Suzhou, China
Research Area: Studies of the epidemiology of cardiovascular disease and stroke in China, along with associated conditions such as hypertension and diabetes.Scope of work mostly limited to analysis of large data sets. 
Student Level: Undergraduate (junior or senior), graduate or pre-doctoral student.
Prerequisites: Previous coursework or experience in epidemiology and biostatistics is required. Some conversational Chinese or self-study/tutoring in basic Chinese language prior to travel is preferred but is not required.

Position E-2013- Mexico #1

U.S. Mentor: Richard Oberhelman, MD; Professor of Tropical Medicine and Pediatrics, Tulane University SPHTM
Overseas Mentor: Eric Dumonteil, PhD
Location: Merida, Mexico
Research Area: Collaborative tropical disease research at the Autonomous University of Yucatan focuses on the development of control tools for Chagas' disease and leishmaniasis. Both diseases represent important public health problems in large parts of Latin America. The general aim of the research program is to develop new tools for intervention and control of the diseases, including therapeutic treatment of Chagas' disease and leishmaniasis and investigating DNA vaccines for the prevention of infection. Other research activities include entomological surveillance and designing new vector control strategies using a combination of field work, population genetics, GIS and mathematical modeling.
Student Level: Undergraduate (junior or senior), graduate, or pre-doctoral student.
Prerequisites: Conversational Spanish, intermediate level, is preferred.

Position F -2013 - Peru #1

U.S. Mentor: Richard Oberhelman, MD; Professor of Tropical Medicine and Pediatrics, Tulane University SPHTM
Overseas Mentors: Lilia Cabrera, RN; Robert Gilman, MD 
Location: Lima, Peru
Research Area:  Students at the Peru #1 site will be pilot testing a MHIRT common protocol on health disparities (may also be tested at other sites).  Other activities includefield-based research in gastrointestinal diseases, including parasite infections such as Cyclospora and Cryptosporidia, or bacterial infections such as Helicobacter pylori infections. Opportunities to become involved with one of several projects on diarrheal diseases or water quality ongoing in the rural shantytown population south of Lima (Pampas de San Juan).
Student Level: Undergraduate (junior or senior) or graduate student.
Prerequisites: Conversational Spanish, intermediate level or above required; biology background preferred.

Position G-2013 - Peru #2

U.S. Mentor: Richard Oberhelman, MD; Professor of Tropical Medicine and Pediatrics, Tulane University SPHTM
Overseas Mentors: Valerie Paz Soldan, PhD, Research Asst Professor in Global Health Systems and Development, Tulane Univ SPHTM
Location: Lima, Peru
Research Area: Social Sciences applied to dengue fever and vector-borne diseases.  Dengue epidemiologic studies have been going on in Iquitos, Peru for the past decade to learn more about dengue transmission.  In the past few years, several intervention trials for dengue prevention were initiated, using the tremendous amount of data and infrastructure that is already in place in Iquitos.  Students interested in working with Dr. Paz Soldan would spend most of their time in Iquitos, participating in various activities related to the dengue studies.  Dr. Paz Soldan is a social scientist and thus the focus of her work on these projects has focused on humans: their behavioral patterns (including movement within the city), their preventive practices, etc.  She uses both qualitative and quantitative research skills for her work.  However, she is part of multidisciplinary teams, and thus, students with other backgrounds (entomology, biology, med or pre-med) might be able to find projects within the existing studies.
Student Level: Undergraduate (junior or senior) or graduate student.
Prerequisites: Conversational Spanish, intermediate level or above required.

Position H-2013 - Peru #3

U.S. Mentor: Daniel Bausch, MD, MPH&TM; Associate Professor of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tulane University SPHTM; Director, Emerging Infections Department, Naval Medical Research Unit 6, Lima, Peru
Overseas Mentors: Dr. Daniel Bausch; Dr. Hugo Razuri, MD, MPH; Dr. Frederique Jacquerioz, MD, MPH, DTMH
Location: Puerto Maldonado, Tumbes, and/or Lima, Peru
Research Area: Field-based surveillance projects for emerging infectious diseases including human and zoonotic influenza and rodent-borne viruses in various sites in Peru; Studies on the ecology of infectious diseases and dynamics of pathogen transmission, especially hantaviruses and swine and avian influenza
Student Level: Undergraduate (junior or senior) or graduate student.
Prerequisites: Conversational Spanish, intermediate level, is preferred.