MUSC student team announced for Emory's 2019 Global Health Case Competition

The MUSC Center for Global Health would like to congratulate the following students for being selected to be a part of this year’s MUSC team headed to Emory’s Global Health Case Competition:

• Nour Hijazi, College of Graduate Studies
• Olivia Hobbs, College of Nursing
• Shannon McGue, Team Captain, College of Medicine
• Reece Moore, College of Medicine
• Scott Slaney, Clemson Bioengineering
• Sarah Taylor, College of Pharmacy

Emory’s competition brings together 30 teams from national and international universities to propose innovative solutions to current real-world global health issues. The teams are presented with a case involving a specific issue, and they have a week to research the topic and brainstorm solutions before flying to Atlanta to present their final recommendation to a panel of leaders and experts across fields of global health.

Last year’s case focused on addressing an outbreak of a hypothetical infectious disease called the “FIFA virus” in Qatar prior to the 2022 World Cup, requiring the team to address a broad array of social, medical, and political factors. Previous years' cases addressed children’s mental health needs in Monrovia, Liberia; reorganizing the World Health Organization; violence in Honduras; and severe childhood malnutrition in Ethiopia.

Each team must represent at least three disciplines. The MUSC team, including students from medicine, pharmacy, nursing, graduate studies, and Clemson Bioengineering, will come together and draw on their various backgrounds to approach a significant global health problem from multiple angles.

“Addressing global health challenges requires in-depth research, collaboration, and out-of-the-box thinking,” said Kathleen Ellis, Executive Director, MUSC Center for Global Health. “Participating in this event challenges our students to problem-solve as a multidisciplinary team and to work together to narrow down their individual perspectives into one innovative, cohesive solution.”

This event highlights the value of collaborating with experts from other fields. While in Atlanta, students will connect with an international community of students and faculty interested in global health, and interact with experts from Emory University, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other leading organizations.

The competition will take place at Emory University in Atlanta from March 15 to 16, 2019. This year’s competition marks the fifth year that the Center for Global Health is sponsoring a team to participate in this exciting event.

Dr. Michael Sweat, Faculty Director of MUSC Center for Global Health will be the team’s faculty advisor.



Nour Hijazi, College of Graduate Studies


Olivia Hobbs, College of Nursing


Shannon McGue, Team Captain, College of Medicine


Reece Moore, College of Medicine


Scott Slaney, Clemson Bioengineering


Sarah Taylor, College of Pharmacy