Ph.D. Candidate, Nursing
I had the opportunity to spend two months in Kampala, Uganda working with a multi-disciplinary research collaboration called Global Health Uganda. I joined an established study, led by professors from the University of Michigan and Michigan State University exploring the cognitive impact of an intervention in child survivors of severe episodes of malaria. Though there are now fairly effective treatments for malaria, many children do not get access to that care before the disease inflicts permanent damage to the brain tissue. This trend has caused malaria to become the leading cause of cognitive impairments in sub-Saharan Africa. The intervention we used targeted the specific areas of cognition that are most harmed by malaria, such as memory, attention and problem solving. Though my trip was short and there is still much to be done, my eyes were opened to the impact that can be made through simply going. As Raoul Wallenberg chose to use his education from the University of Michigan in non-traditional and mighty ways, I’ve been inspired to take my nursing education beyond the hospital and into life through research and international collaboration.