Owing to a severe shortage of surgeons and surgical training in rural Ghana, many people are suffering—and dying prematurely—from treatable conditions. Faculty doctors Ziad Sifri and Harsh Sule created an online training program to teach surgical skills and diagnostic methods to clinicians 5,000 miles away.
Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and development today. Rutgers scientists are part of a research team suggesting that bacteria may travel thousands of miles through the air worldwide instead of hitching rides with people and animals. Their “air bridge” hypothesis could shed light on how harmful bacteria share antibiotic resistance genes.
Tuberculosis researcher Christopher Vinnard of Rutgers’ Public Health Research Institute is developing a urine test that can pinpoint—easily and resourcefully—the effectiveness of patients’ TB treatment dosages. This new test would be more accessible to clinicians in low-income countries.
Climate change is leading to a decline in fish populations, which could have a devastating effect on developing countries that rely on seafood for nourishment and livelihoods, according to a Rutgers-led study.
Nursing science faculty member Susan Caplan, an authority on the assessment and treatment of mental health issues in Latino communities, offers practical tips for developing cultural competence while working in global health.
Assistant professor Umer Hassan, who grew up in Pakistan, remembers being fascinated by the handheld tricorder used to diagnose medical conditions on Star Trek. Now, he is working to recreate some of that technology in real life. As an engineer and a global health researcher, Hassan is developing biosensors that can quickly and inexpensively detect infections in people living with HIV/AIDS in underdeveloped countries.
African indigenous vegetables are loaded with micronutrients, but the residents of an urban slum in Kenya aren’t always able to reap the benefits. Rutgers food systems researcher Shauna Downs, with support from Rutgers Global Health Institute, is analyzing the local production and consumption of these nutritious crops with an eye toward improving health.
An international team that includes Rutgers scientists has made significant progress in developing a urine diagnostic test that can quickly, easily and inexpensively identify tuberculosis infection in people also infected with HIV. The findings were announced at the September 26, 2018, United Nations meeting on TB.
Umer Hassan, an engineer who is creating a lifesaving device that rapidly detects sepsis, joins the faculty at the School of Engineering and Rutgers Global Health Institute.
There are nearly 400 academic courses and countless programs at Rutgers that address global health from varying perspectives. What’s in store for Rutgers students this academic year? Faculty discuss some of the university’s educational and experiential opportunities in global health, ranging from medicine and infectious diseases to social work, community development, and sociology.
