The DMU Department of Global Health’s Distinguished Global Health Internships are highly selective research opportunities that enable students to explore global health research topics at various organizations. Students have the opportunity to work with researchers on projects such as conducting systematic reviews to create evidence-based educational materials for worldwide distribution.
Harikrishna “Kris” Halaharvi, D.O.’21, M.P.H.’23, will complete an internship at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia.
“For as long as I can remember, I have been interested in science which slowly focused into a passion for medicine,” he says. “I am interested in exploring the intersection between health and climate. More specifically, I want to investigate the effects of increasing global temperatures on cardiovascular disease.
“I am very fortunate for having been selected for the CDC internship. Through it I have the incredible opportunity to bring my education in public health and medicine to fruition,” he adds. “Ultimately, I aspire to bridge the gap between the health care of an individual and the population – two constituents of the same system that, when unified, can have incredible effects on the well-being of humanity.”
Aubrey Massmann, D.O.’21, M.P.H.’23, will complete an internship at the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) in Washington, D.C.
“The integration of environmental and human health has always been an interest of mine,” she explains. “I spent much of my undergraduate education working on sustainable agriculture projects and wrote my senior thesis on how lichen ecology is implicated in climate change. Suffice to say, I’m a big nerd when it comes to this stuff. Now, more than ever, climate change is impacting health and how we practice care on an organizational level.
“USGCRP’s human health division facilitates conversations between cutting-edge scientists and public health experts in order to inform American policy on how to respond to the climate crisis,” she adds. “This is incredibly exciting to me – I want to be at the forefront of local and global efforts to deliver sustainable and resilient health care in the midst of a changing climate, and USGCRP is where that all begins.”
Peggy Galvez, D.O.’23, M.H.A.’23, will complete an internship at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in Washington, D.C. She explains her interest in this internship.
“Previously, I was an intern at the nonprofit organization Alzheimer’s Orange County in Irvine, California. I was able to connect the Orange County community with resources relating to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. I loved using my Spanish skills as there were many members in the community who would otherwise not understand or know of the resources and help available to them, she says. “This summer at the Pan American Health Organization, I will be joining the Healthy Life Course Project and focusing on healthy aging. I am excited to expand my knowledge on the aging population and learn how to implement health promotion efforts on a more global scale.”
