Fall 2021 GHI Fellow Research Showcases the Interdisciplinary Nature of Global Health
Every semester, the Global Health Initiative selects a group of stellar undergraduate and graduate students—drawn from across the Main, Medical, and Law campuses at Georgetown—to participate in the GHI Student Fellows program. They are paired with a faculty mentor, with whom they work to conduct research. The student fellows also receive mentoring and networking opportunities, participate in group reflections, and attend exclusive speaker events with global health leaders.
Read on to meet four of the GHI fellows and their mentors from the fall 2021 semester.
Andrés Constatin and Kayla Zamanian
Kayla Zamanian (SFS’23), a science, technology, and international affairs major with minors in French and medical humanities, was paired with the O’Neill Institute’s Andrés Constantin. Kayla supported her mentor’s research on conscientious objection in health care and how it has affected public health efforts. Kayla found her work with Mr. Constantin to be incredibly fulfilling, as it integrated well with her professional interests in global health law and human rights. Mr. Constantin said he “found the mentoring experience to be one of the most rewarding things of my job,” expressing his pleasure at being able to work with Kayla, encourage her potential, and support her in finding ways to raise her voice. Together, they co-wrote an article in Open Global Rights about conscience-based claims and abortion access.
Dr. Emily Mendenhall and Syona Hariharan
Syona Hariharan (NHS’23, G’24) continued her work with Dr. Emily Mendenhall on perceptions of COVID-19 health guidelines in rural and suburban United States. Syona worked on qualitative data analysis, quantified ethnographic survey data, and manuscript drafting for a peer-reviewed journal. Dr. Mendenhall, who is a Provost’s Distinguished Associate Professor in the Department of Science, Technology, and International Affairs (STIA), said this of her experience working with Syona: “Syona wanted to dive into deeper questions and methods of research in global health, just as the pandemic was picking up. She jumped in with both feet and was a constantly cheery and thoughtful member of our COVID pandemic research group.”
Dr. Claire Standley and Katie Dammer
Katie Dammer (C’22) majored in biology of global health with a science, technology, and international affairs minor. Her GHI fellowship experience with Dr. Claire Standley (Georgetown Center for Global Health Science and Security) enhanced her experience in her fields of interest: global health, infectious disease, and international security. Katie worked on a scoping review about the impact of COVID-19 on neglected tropical disease endemicity. “The GHI fellows program allows for a creative space within your academic area that is not often accessible amid difficult courses and deadlines,” Katie reflected. "I think that is very important for young students to use to think about what they are actually interested in and what they can contribute to the global health space."
Dr. Babatunji Oni and Dahlia Fateen
Before graduating from the Georgetown University School of Medicine in spring 2022, Dahlia Fateen (M’22) worked with Dr. Babatunji Oni, a senior program director at the Center for Global Health Practice and Impact. Together, they worked on national health systems assessments for three island nations in Oceania. According to Dr. Oni, “Dahlia’s past work as a consultant and on related projects she had undertaken in the past have really helped on [the] project.” Dr. Oni also encouraged Dahlia’s interest in internal medicine and provided insight on the usefulness of this specialty in the global health field.