2023 Global Health Week

Monday, April 17
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. EST | Virtual

Implementing Telemental Health Programs in Low Resourced Contexts in Latin America and the Caribbean

Telehealth offers an innovative way to address significant gaps in access to care; however, implementation in low resourced contexts can be particularly challenging. Join this session to learn how telehealth has impacted equity and inclusion for underserved youth in trauma-focused services in Colombia and Puerto Rico. Panelists will explore ways to increase equity in access to telehealth services; implementation and dissemination efforts for providing training and technical assistance for trauma-focused telehealth programs in low resourced contexts; and clinical perspectives of implementing telehealth in global contexts with trauma-exposed youth.

Regan Stewart, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Director, Telehealth Outreach Program for Traumatic Stress
Medical University of South Carolina

Rosaura Orengo-Aguayo, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
National Crime Victims Research & Treatment Center
Medical University of South Carolina

Daniel Fernandez
Director, Fundación Los Pisingos
Bogotá, Colombia

Dulce del Rio-Pineda
Co-Founder and Organization Coordinator, Mujeres de Islas
Culebra, Puerto Rico

Tuesday, April 18
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. EST | Bioengineering BE 112

Reducing Premature Deaths from Smoking: International Tobacco Control Interventions

Cigarette use currently causes more than eight million deaths annually, with a projected death toll of one billion premature deaths by the end of the 21st century. Panelists will describe their efforts to promote programs and policies to reduce smoking related premature deaths around the globe. This includes efforts 1) to promote smoking cessation among oncology patients in the U.S. and Canada; 2) to implement tobacco control policies in Mexico and other Latin American countries; and 3) highlight research on nicotine focused policies to change the trajectory of cigarette use in different countries.

Kenneth Michael Cummings Ph.D., M.P.H. 
Professor, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Co-Leader, Hollings Cancer Center Tobacco Control Research Program
Medical University of South Carolina

James Thrasher, Ph.D., M.A. M.S.  
Professor, Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior
Arnold School of Public Health
University of South Carolina

Graham Warren M.D., Ph.D.  
Professor and Mary M. Gilbreth Endowed Chair of Clinical Oncology
Vice Chairman for Research in Radiation Oncology
Medical University of South Carolina

Tuesday, April 18
4:30 – 6:00 p.m. EST | Bioengineering BE 112

Global Health Speed Networking for Students 
Registration Required. Limited to 40 MUSC students.

Are you interested in learning more about global health? Do you want to learn more about career pathways in global health? Ever wished for a conversation or advice with a faculty member engaged in global health?

This is your chance to sit down and talk to a host of MUSC faculty and learn about their diverse global health experiences.

Wednesday, April 19
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. EST | Storm Eye Auditorium AH809

Global Health Debate: Should Gain of Function Research on Potential Pathogens be Allowed?

This issue has been hotly contested since the global COVID-19 pandemic, with unproven speculation that at the Wuhan Institute of Virology they used gain of function techniques that generated COVID-19. Many also argue that without this type of research we will hamstring the research community’s capacity to develop therapeutics, vaccines, and better understand the risks of emerging infectious pathogens.

Paula Traktman, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Graduate Studies
Hirschmann Endowed Professor
Depts of Microbiology & Immunology
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Medical University of South Carolina

Patrick Flume, M.D.
Associate Vice President for Clinical Research
Powers-Huggins Endowed Chair for Cystic Fibrosis
Professor, Medicine and Pediatrics
Medical University of South Carolina

4:00 – 5:00 p.m. EST | Bioengineering BE 112

Palliative Care for cancer patients in India

This session will focus on the landscape of palliative care for cancer patients in low-and middle-income countries and how it could be improved through research. Panelists will also discuss their active research study on developing a model for delivering home-based palliative care to cancer patients in the eastern region of India.

Kathleen Cartmell, Ph.D., M.P.H.  
Associate Professor
Department of Public Health Sciences
Clemson University

Gaurav Kumar, M.D. 
Palliative Care Consultant
Department of Palliative Care and Psycho-Oncology
Tata Medical Center
Kolkata, India

Suparna Qanungo, Ph.D. 
Associate Professor
Director for Global Health
College of Nursing
Medical University of South Carolina

Thursday, April 20
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. EST | Bioengineering Auditorium BE 110

Keynote: A Surgeon’s Journey from Community Health to Global Health 

Dr. Rodas will share his unique experience and perspective on the challenges in global healthcare delivery and global health education: featuring how remote and underserved populations’ struggles in healthcare inspired nonconventional solutions with robust community participation. This keynote will also highlight the importance of structured medical education for proper engagement in global health fostering sustainable experiences with equitable partnerships.

Edgar B. Rodas, MD, FACS
Director, VCU Program for Global Surgery  
Associate Professor, Acute Care Surgical Services
Virginia Commonwealth University 

Friday, April 21
9:30 – 11:00 a.m. | Virtual

Advancing Equity for Vulnerable Populations Roundtable Discussion
Registration required. Limited to 25 MUSC students and trainees.

Join global experts from Bolivia, Ghana, India, The Philippines, and Uganda for a roundtable discussion on Advancing Equity for Vulnerable Populations. Child Family Health International (CFHI) medical directors will share their perspectives on advancing health equity in different contexts and highlight the challenges, barriers, and strategies implemented in their countries. Participate in this incredibly enriching space to learn about similarities and differences around this important topic and be able to draw from these for reflection and action.

Moderator: Dr. Juliana Araya

Panelists:

Dr. Geoffrey Anguyo, Medical Director - Kabale, Uganda
Dr. Joel Buenaventura, Medical Director - The Philippines
Dr. Cecilia Uribe, Medical Director - La Paz, Bolivia
Hema Pandey, Country Director - India
Dr. Charles Nwobu, Medical and Program Director - Ghana

Simple Solutions in the Field
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. | Bioengineering BE 112