Georgetown Senior Presents on the Role of Faith in Rebuilding Public Trust
Bailey Coghlan (H’25), an undergraduate student at Georgetown University and a student research assistant with the Georgetown University Global Health Institute (GUGHI) Commission on Faith, Trust, and Health, recently presented her findings on faith-based approaches to rebuilding trust in health systems.
Her research, titled “Aligning Faith, Trust, and Global Health,” was showcased during the Health Policy Internship Poster Presentation hosted by the Department of Health Management and Policy in Georgetown’s School of Health in December 2024. The event provides seniors in the Health Policy Analysis track an opportunity to highlight the projects they complete during their internships.
Using Research Insights to Inform Policy
Coghlan’s research revealed promising opportunities for collaboration between faith and public health leaders, even as trust between these two communities has waned. Driven by her passion for public service, her research aims to cultivate trust in government and health institutions.
“My interest in this topic is rooted in a broad curiosity about trust in government as it relates to public health. My desire to work in public service is what brought me to Georgetown and motivates me to ask how we can best serve each other and our nation, which is where facilitating trust and building trustworthy institutions comes in for me.”
Guided by Olivia Wilkinson, Ph.D., a senior fellow with the GUGHI Faith and Global Health Initiative, Coghlan conducted a semi-scoping literature review to investigate her topic. Using platforms like Google Scholar and PubMed, she systematically analyzed over 500 articles published in English within the past decade. Wilkinson praised Coghlan’s contributions, noting that she offered “useful and insightful suggestions from her own knowledge of the literature on trust and health” and showcased the significant role student research assistants play in advancing scholarly work.
Now in her final semester at Georgetown, Coghlan is interning at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, where she supports ongoing operations of the agency. She is also writing a thesis under the supervision of Michael A. Stoto, Ph.D., a professor emeritus of health systems administration and population health, focusing on trust as it relates to political polarization.
How to Get Involved
At GUGHI, students like Coghlan engage in exciting interdisciplinary academic opportunities and hands-on global health experiences. Through initiatives like the Student Fellows Program, undergraduate and graduate students collaborate with faculty on research projects, participate in global health events, and build connections with a network of scholars in the field. For undergraduates interested in pursuing in-depth research, the Maeve McKean Global Health Award funds faculty-led projects during their junior year and independent studies abroad in the summer before their senior year. Learn more about student opportunities on our website.