Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU)

Antibiotic Resistance Internships

 

Location: Hanoi, Vietnam or remote

Duration: 8-10 weeks

Number of Positions: Up to 4

Stipend: $5,000 in-person, $4,000 remote

To Apply via GPS: Click Here

About: The Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU) aims to have a positive and significant impact on global health and, in particular, the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases. OUCRU's key areas of research are: Dengue fever; malaria; tuberculosis; influenza; enterics; HIV and HIV coinfection; central nervous system infections; animal health and zoonoses; pharmacology; and statistics, bioinformatics, modeling, and mapping.

Intern Responsibilities: There are two potential focus areas for a student intern. When applying, please indicate the one or ones you would like to be considered for.

 

FOCUS AREA #1 – Inappropriate Antibiotic Use and Antibiotic Resistance

The OUCRU Hanoi research group is evaluating a range of interventions in different settings to tackle inappropriate antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance. This work includes antibiotic stewardship in hospitals and primary healthcare, point-of-care diagnostics to guide better prescribing, health messaging for the public, and community engagement using a one health approach to generate collective solutions. All of these approaches will be evaluated through both qualitative and quantitative research. Epidemiological and modelling work on vaccine-preventable diseases will also be conducted, as well as investigating the role of vaccination as a potential tool in the fight against antibiotic resistance. More recently, the OUCRU Hanoi research group has been exploring the impact of Covid-19 on the incidence of infectious diseases, healthcare utilization, and antibiotic use.

There are many possibilities for what interns could be involved with, depending on their skills and interests. These may include:

• Background research, scoping
• Compiling reference libraries
• Systematic literature review
• Statistical analysis (R or Stata)
• Analysis of laboratory data
• Mathematical modelling
• Qualitative data analysis
• Drafting research papers

If summer travel is possible, research activities will primarily be based at the OUCRU offices in Hanoi. These are split across two sites, one at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, and one at the National Institute for Hygiene and Epidemiology. There could also be extensive fieldwork in Nam Dinh Province, to the South East of Hanoi, and there may be opportunities for students to visit the sites.

 

FOCUS AREA #2 – Identifying Genes and Mutations Associated with Antibiotic Resistance

The OUCRU Zoonoses Group works on identification of genes and mutations associated with antibiotic resistance of different zoonotic bacteria including but not limited to Streptococci’s, E. coli and Salmonella using both bioinformatics and laboratory-based approaches. We will also conduct epidemiological analyses to identify potential factor(s) associated with the circulation of those genes and/or mutations in a certain bacteria population.

The interns will focus on building a customized database of chromosomal point mutations mediating antimicrobial resistance bacteria, and on building a customized database of gene mediating biofilm formation in gram positive bacteria. These Focus Area #2 projects will be remote only, unlike the Focus Area #1 projects which could be in person or remote.

The specific activities that will be assigned to the interns include:

• Literature review: Optimize keyword to collect reported genes and mutations that are associated with antimicrobial resistance of different bacteria (S. suis, S. pneumonia and other Streptococcus spp or gram positive bacteria) and with biofilm formation in gram positive bacteria (Streptococcus spp, Staphylococcus spp and others)
• Collecting information of selected genes and mutations
• Identifying the homologous genes or position of the mutation in the bacterial genomes to reconstruct the genes and/or mutations library
• This library will be validated by using whole genome sequencing data of bacteria strains with and without resistance or biofilm formation phenotypes

Qualifications: familiarity with systematic literature review, strong interest in the field of bioinformatics. Language skills are not required.

 

Website: www.oucru.org

 

View Internship Summary Posters and Videos from Past OUCRU Princeton Student Interns:

 

Summer 2021

Sofiya Yusina ’22 – Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers in Nepal, Indonesia, and Vietnam (Video Presentation)

Olivia Chen ’22 – Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on communities in Nepal, Indonesia, and Vietnam

 

Summer 2020

Taishi Nakase '21 - Temporospatial Model of Measles Epidemics in Vietnam (Video Presentation)

Megan Tang '22 - Factors of Antibiotic Resistance in Vietnam: Prescribing in Primary Healthcare​ (Video Presentation)

 

Summer 2019

Jaeyoon Cha '21 - Analysis of 546 M. tuberculosis Genomes from the Indian Subcontinent

Mary DeVellis '21 - Antimicrobial Resistance in Vietnam: A Qualitative Approach

Arielle Lawson '20 and Nikita Nangia '20 - Vaccine Non-specific Effects: A Solution to the Antibiotic Resistance Crisis

Sarah Perkins '21 - Incidence Estimation for Uncertain Events

 

Summer 2018

Dylan Kim '21 - Child Vaccination Indicators in Developing Countries

Katherine Park '19 - Health Policies Regarding Antimicrobial Resistance in Developing and Developed Countries

Tiffany Pham '20 - Mapping of Resistance Data for Non-Malarial Febrile Illness in South East Asia

Tianyi Wang '19 - Care-Seeking and Antibiotic Use Over Time in Children Under 5 in Vietnam

 

Summer 2017

Crystal Wang '18 - Post-Viral Burden of Dengue in Vietnam

Fiocruz (Oswaldo Cruz Foundation)

Health Research Internships

 

Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Duration: 8-10 weeks

Number of Positions: 7

Stipend: $5,000

To Apply via GPS: Click Here

About: The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) is a research and development institution in science and technology in health, linked to the Ministry of Health of Brazil, and aims to promote health and social development, generate and disseminate scientific and technological knowledge. Our mission is to produce, disseminate and share knowledge and technologies aimed at the strengthening and consolidation of the Unified Health System (SUS) and contribute to the promotion of health and quality of life of the population and to the reduction of social inequalities and the national dynamics of innovation, with the defense of the right to health and full citizenship as central values.

Fiocruz is involved in 10 states of Brazil. Besides the institutes based in Rio de Janeiro, Fiocruz has units in the Northeast, North, Southeast and South of Brazil. Altogether, there are 16 scientific and technical units, focused on teaching, research, innovation, assistance, technological development and extension in the health sector. There is also an office in Mozambique, and in the beginning of 2020 we inaugurated a laboratory in the new Brazilian Antarctic Station.

Intern Responsibilities: There are seven potential focus areas for a student intern. When applying, please indicate the one or ones you would like to be considered for.

 

FOCUS AREA #1 – Antimicrobial Resistance

Multiple antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections concern public health systems, as therapeutic options are limited. The resistance mechanisms are diverse and generally encoded in mobile genetic elements - which are quickly disseminated among bacteria. Considering such a critical situation, the World Health Organization (WHO) ranked as urgent priorities the research and development of new therapeutic approaches. Klebsiella pneumoniae is a ubiquitous species, and multi-resistant (MDR) strains are frequently isolated.

The intern will work on the genotypic and phenotypic characterization of virulence of MDR K. pneumoniae environmental and clinical isolates. Virulence and resistance genes will be detected by PCR. We will quantify capsule production, biofilm formation, and siderophores. In addition, we will measure the adhesion and invasion of the isolates to host cells. We aim to determine whether clinical and environmental strains share the same virulence and resistance determinants.

This position is housed within the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (IOC).  The IOC operates in the areas of research, technological development and innovation and in the provision of reference services for the diagnosis of infectious and genetic diseases and vector control, supported by the action of internal committees responsible for ensuring biosafety, quality and environmental management standards. The Institute's base of action is its 72 research, technological development and innovation laboratories, dedicated to the study and generation of products and supplies for various diseases. The IOC also maintains biological collections of national and international importance and trains scientists and technicians through their work in professional and postgraduate education.

 

FOCUS AREA #2 – Leprosy Research (Hansen’s Disease)

The intern will be attached to the Souza Araujo Outpatient Clinic (ASA) to monitor the routine and care for patients affected by Hansen’s disease. They will monitor the procedures performed at ASA as skin punch and nerve biopsies and slit skin smear microscopy. Students will also be trained in histopathological routines (preparing and reading of microscopic slides), as well as in the routine serology and PCR for complementary diagnosis of Hansen’s disease. They will have the opportunity to accompany the different clinical research protocols performed at ASA, focusing on the identification of new drugs for the treatment of leprosy and its complications like leprosy neuropathy. In addition, they will accompany the studies carried out in the laboratory that aim to identify the pathways of the immunopathogenesis of the disease, having the opportunity to learn about translational research in Hansen’s disease. After 6-8-weeks training, students will prepare a project based on the knowledge learned during the internship and will discuss it with their supervisor. Appropriate biosafety training will be provided prior to the start of the internship.

 

FOCUS AREA #3 – Disaster Risk Reduction in Health

Reducing the Impact of Disasters on Health is considered one of the essential functions of public health by the Pan American Health Organization. For this function to be carried out, the production of scientific knowledge and instruments is considered a fundamental process by the International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction. The intern will support the Disaster Risk Reduction research group in strengthening strategies through: 1) development of policies and planning for the organization of the health sector in disaster risk reduction, preparedness for responses and rehabilitation, recovery and reconstruction in health; 2) comprehensive approaches regarding the processes of determining socio-environmental vulnerability and health impacts of disasters; 3) the participation of the entire health system and the broadest intersectoral and interagency collaboration in risk reduction; 4) the participation of vulnerable communities and populations in risk reduction strategies.

This position is housed within the Sergio Arouca National School of Public Health (ENSP).  ENSP works in the training of human resources for the Brazilian Unified Health System and for the science and technology system, in scientific and technological production and in the provision of reference services in the area of public health. ENSP's areas of action are: teaching; research and innovation; public health clinics and laboratories; institutional development and management; school of government; and communication and information. Due to its public health proposal, it maintains four areas dedicated to maintaining and developing reference services: the Collaborating Center in the Area of Pharmaceutical Policies, the Center for the Study of Occupational Health and Human Ecology (Cesteh), the School Health Center Germano Sinval Faria (CSEGSF) and the Endemic Surveillance and Monitoring Center.

 

FOCUS AREA #4 - History, Ecology and Health in the Anthropocene

The History, Ecology and Health in the Anthropocene Research Group investigates the sanitary and ecological impacts of the Great Acceleration, especially in biomes such as the Amazon and Cerrado. These impacts resulted mainly from infrastructure works and agricultural modernization projects. It also studies the circulation of knowledge in ecology, biology and other knowledge related to the environment and health, as well as ideas and initiatives generated under the logic of conservation and preservation of ecosystems. The intern will collaboratively support these investigations with the team, specifically in relation to the recently approved project on the Amazon region as a convergence zone for transnational scientific research networks linked to ecology, climate change and other knowledge organized in what is conventionally called "Earth System Sciences.” The objective of this project is to understand how health and the environment were structured in different historical contexts and landscapes.

This position is housed within the Casa de Oswaldo Cruz (COC). COS is the technical-scientific unit of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation dedicated to preserving Fiocruz's memory and research, teaching, documentation and dissemination of the history of public health and biomedical sciences in Brazil. Research is concentrated in the field of the history of science and health, with intense publication of books and reference works on institutionalization, the production of knowledge and public policies in science and health in the country. In addition, the knowledge accumulated in various professional practices has given rise to investigations in the fields of archiving, documentation and information; scientific dissemination; and architecture and urbanism, with their interfaces in science and health. The collection under the care of the Casa is the most expressive in the country on the political, social and cultural processes of health.

 

FOCUS AREA #5 – Public Health: National Institute of Women, Children and Adolescents

The National Institute of Women, Children and Adolescents Fernandes Figueira (IFF) is a Fiocruz assistance, teaching, research and technological development unit, recognized in 2006 as a teaching hospital and in 2010 as a national reference center by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education. Health research plays a structuring and fundamental role for the excellence of IFF, in which scientific and technological research actions are based on the demographic and epidemiological scenario of health, as well as the impact on quality, promoting and innovating health solutions of women, children and adolescents in their main aggravations. The guidelines formulated from this accumulated knowledge seek to enable the comprehensive health system to respond to the demands of the target population, with quality and effective and efficient results.

The intern will join the IFF Public Health research group in one or more of the following areas depending on interest:

• Health situations marked by chronicity and disabilities: It includes social studies of disability, experiences of chronic, rare and complex illness, in an interdisciplinary dialogue with public health genetics, epidemiology, health economics and sociological and anthropological approaches. The studies value the dimension of subjectivity and intersubjectivity at play in health practices, in dialogue with public health policies and social movements.

• Maternal and perinatal health: Studies covering pregnancy, childbirth, birth and puerperium and their repercussions on women's health, growth, neurodevelopment, nutrition and consequences on child and adolescent health from the perspectives of epidemiology, planning, public policies, the assessment of health technologies and sociocultural aspects.

• Gender, Sexuality, Reproduction and Health: Studies on gender, sexuality and reproduction in their interface with health and its articulations with color/race, social class, sexual orientation, gender identity and generation. The research addresses social, subjective, political aspects, social movement actions and health practices. They include socio-anthropological studies that can dialogue with epidemiology, public policies and health technology assessment.

• Violence and Health: Studies on the impacts of different forms of violence on populations and social groups, observing how their dynamics are based on the specificities of life stages, ethnicity/race, gender, social classes/strata, sexual orientation/gender identities, agents involved and socio-institutional contexts of production and reproduction of these types of violence. The studies seek to understand the problems to act in the promotion of life, human rights, the culture of peace and the prevention of related diseases, in a synergistic perspective that includes the individual perspective and collective approaches. The theme of violence will be addressed from the relationship between health, society and environment, integrating epidemiology; social sciences; policies, planning and management and evaluation.

 

FOCUS AREA #6 – Applied Research: National Institute of Women, Children and Adolescents

The National Institute of Women, Children and Adolescents Fernandes Figueira (IFF) is a Fiocruz assistance, teaching, research and technological development unit, recognized in 2006 as a teaching hospital and in 2010 as a national reference center by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education. Health research plays a structuring and fundamental role for the excellence of IFF, in which scientific and technological research actions are based on the demographic and epidemiological scenario of health, as well as the impact on quality, promoting and innovating health solutions of women, children and adolescents in their main aggravations. The guidelines formulated from this accumulated knowledge seek to enable the comprehensive health system to respond to the demands of the target population, with quality and effective and efficient results.

The intern will join the IFF Applied Research group in one or more of the following areas depending on interest:

• Perinatal health - Epidemiology, clinical research and evaluation of technologies in perinatal health involving diseases that influence the health of mother, baby and child in the short and long term, including environmental toxicology and neurotoxicology, growth and neuropsychomotor development.

• Pathophysiology of diseases in children at greater risk - Fundamental, translational, epidemiological and clinical research, related to the contribution of different knowledge to clarify the pathophysiology of childhood diseases, with a view to developing new diagnostic and monitoring biomarkers, characterization of new mechanisms of drug action and design of new intervention strategies.

• Medical Genetics Applied to Child and Adolescent Health - Research focused on birth defects and malformations, mental retardation, genetic syndromes, genetic counseling and high-risk genetic prenatal care and treatment of genetic diseases. It includes epidemiology, clinical research and the study of social, clinical and environmental determinants involved in approaching children with malformations or other genetic diseases

• Environmental, epidemiological, clinical aspects in health promotion and prevention of morbidity and mortality in children and adolescents - Studies of determinants, risk indicators and prognostic factors of chronic diseases or children in critical condition. Emphasis on quantitative methodology, longitudinal studies and signal processing.

• Women's Health - Studies related to the clinical approach to specific and relevant women's problems, from their reproductive phase to old age.

 

FOCUS AREA #7 – National Institute of Infectious Diseases

The National Institute of Infectious Diseases Evandro Chagas (INI) is a unit of Fiocruz focused on clinical research, training, referral services and assistance in infectious diseases.  Its objective is to produce knowledge and technologies to improve the health of the population, by means of integrated research actions, health care, teaching and surveillance. Intern candidates should indicate their insertion preference considering the laboratory infrastructure and the research lines presented below. There are two programs: The Program of Clinical Investigation in Infectious Studies (PCDI) and the Masters Degree in Clinical Investigation (MPPC). Eight research lines are linked to the PCDI Program: Health Technology Assessment; Parasitic Diseases in humans and animals; Viral hepatitis, STD, HIV/AIDS; Comprehensive care for infectious diseases; Fungal infections in humans and animals; Pathogenesis, clinical and epidemiological of viral diseases; Infections in critically ill patients; and Tuberculosis and HIV.

The Institute has an excellent hospital and laboratory infrastructure, which provides the necessary back-up for the clinical research. There are 19 laboratories involved with the lines of the Programs: Laboratory of Bacteriology and Bioassays; Pharmacogenetics Research Laboratory; Clinical Research Laboratory on STD/AIDS; Clinical Research Laboratory in Infectious Dermatology; Clinical Research Laboratory on Dermatozoonosis in Domestic Animals; Clinical Research Laboratory in Chagas Disease; Clinical Research Laboratory in Acute Febrile Diseases; Clinical Research Laboratory in Intensive Care Medicine; Clinical Epidemiology Laboratory; Clinical Research Laboratory in Neuroinfections; Laboratory of Immunology and Immunogenetics in Infectious Diseases; Clinical Research Laboratory in Mycobacteriosis; Mycology Laboratory; Parasitology Laboratory; Leishmaniasis Surveillance Laboratory; Clinical Research Laboratory in Infectious Ophthalmology; Health Organizations Economics Research Laboratory; Research Laboratory in Epidemiology and Social Determination of Health; Research Laboratory in Immunization and Health Surveillance. In 2020, the Covid-19 Hospital Center for the Pandemic was opened, dedicated exclusively to this disease. This center is highly complex, has a permanent structure and will continue to operate as a hospital for infectious diseases even after the pandemic.

 

Qualifications: Interest in public health. Depending on the project, candidates may need experience with qualitative research techniques, statistical analysis, and technical writing. Spanish or Portuguese language skills are helpful but not required.

Website: portal.fiocruz.br/en

New Internships for 2022; no past Princeton interns.

 

 

Telethon Kids Institute

Various Research Internships

 

Location: Perth, Australia unless otherwise noted (some optionally remote or in Adelaide)

Duration: 8-10 weeks

Number of Positions: Up to 7

Stipend: $6,500

To Apply via GPS: Click Here

About: The Telethon Kids Institute (TKI) is a research organization that brings together communities, researchers, practitioners, policy makers and funders, who share a vision to improve the health and wellbeing of children through excellence in research.  TKI’s research focus areas include aboriginal health; brain and behavior; chronic and severe diseases; and early environment.

Intern Responsibilities: There are fourteen potential focus areas for a student intern. When applying, please indicate the one or ones you would like to be considered for.

 

FOCUS AREA #1 - Assessment of Outcomes for Indigenous Children Diagnosed with Cancer in Western Australia

The presenting features, biology and outcome for certain childhood cancers are known to vary by ethnic origin, geographic location and socioeconomic group. Here we aim to compare presentation patterns, follow-up and clinical outcomes in Indigenous children diagnosed with cancer in Western Australia, and to assess the impact of remoteness and area-based socioeconomic disadvantage on outcome. A retrospective review of children aged between 1 day and 18 years who were diagnosed with cancer in Western Australia (WA) between 2000 and 2020 will be performed.

The intern will work alongside other graduate students and a postdoctoral researcher within the team to review the literature to gain an understanding of severe complications and outcomes of cancer treatment in Indigenous and non-Indigenous children. They will engage with appropriate community representatives, consider the ethical implications of the work, review clinical data to estimate the occurrence of severe complications of treatment in Aboriginal patients treated in Western Australia and determine long-term outcomes for West Australian Indigenous pediatric patients including morbidity and mortality.

The Brain Tumor Research Laboratory was established in 2011, bringing together the clinic and the laboratory to advance research into childhood brain tumors. The team is a collaborative group of researchers dedicated to improving our understanding of pediatric brain tumor biology and finding more effective treatments to improve survival rates and quality of life for patients. The skills of our team members are diverse and include laboratory scientists from academia and industry, clinical oncologists and neuro-surgeons. Each member of the team brings their unique and varied experience to tackle our research questions. Researchers perform basic and pre-clinical research aimed at identifying the best targets for new therapies and effective new treatments for clinical trials. We have established a strong national and international reputation and are recognized as being the largest research team in Australia primarily focused on pediatric brain tumors. The major goals of the group are intensely focused on improving the wellbeing of children with cancer.

Qualifications: Expertise in neuroscience, cancer biology, cell biology, human biology, pharmacology and/or physiology.

 

FOCUS AREA #2 - Discovering Novel and Effective Brain Cancer Therapies for Preclinical Study

HGG is the deadliest form of brain cancer. The tyrosine kinase receptor EGFR is inappropriately activated in 70% of HGG and therefore is a therapeutic target. However, clinical trials with drugs and antibodies directed to the EGFR have not yielded encouraging results. One possible reason for this failure may involve cellular plasticity: the ability of cells to adapt to changes in their environment by re-wiring their inner functions and finding new pathways to survive. HGG cells are neural cells and may be using their innate plasticity to evade the effects of targeted drugs. This plasticity is likely driven by specialized transmembrane proteins called ion channels. These are pore-forming proteins found in the cell’s membrane, which allow electrically charged metal ions to pass in and out of the cell. Ion channels have been shown to be critical mediators of cell plasticity. This project’s aim is to identify the main ion channel classes (potential targets) present in patient derived HGG cell lines using molecular biology and biochemical techniques.

The intern will work with the senior scientists in the Oncogenic Signalling Laboratory providing laboratory support to a range of projects designed to find new treatments for HGG. Using tissue culture, molecular biology, biochemical and histological techniques, this project is designed to elucidate the role of ion channels in HGG plasticity, with the goal of determining for the first time their function in HGG. This work will be crucial for validating new potential drugs that target these proteins in our HGG animal models.

The Oncogenic Signalling Laboratory, headed by Professor Terrance Johns, encompasses a highly collaborative team of researchers, clinicians and students who work together for the common goal of curing adult and childhood high-grade glioma (HGG), a malignant brain cancer.

Qualifications: Outstanding personal initiative and the ability to work effectively as part of a team; excellent attention to detail; good computer literacy; well-developed interpersonal skills, specifically a proactive attitude to relationship building including the necessary language skills and motivation to build relationships with all relevant stakeholders; basic biology lab skills.

 

FOCUS AREA #3 - Developing a Nutrition Education Intervention with and for Children

The primary nutritional contributor to the development of obesity is the excess intake of fat, sugar and salt from prepared foods and low intake of fresh, whole foods. In Australia, less than half of all primary school children are achieving dietary guideline vegetable intakes, and one third of children consume fast food at least once per week. Children in upper primary school (aged 10 to 12 years) are particularly vulnerable to the negative influence of the media and the food industry influencing them to purchase processed high-energy foods. The ‘Package Detectives’ project will help children understand the marketing imbued in processed food packaging. Through education, we can empower them to make more informed decisions about their food intake.

The intern will design a series of interactive sessions for upper primary school aged children. These sessions may be piloted and evaluated in schools or in community settings, for example the Telethon Kids Institute’s Discovery Centre.

The Food and Nutrition Research Team conducts innovative and multidisciplinary research to better understand how the environments within which children live, play and go to school influence the types of foods they eat and their risk of overweight and obesity.

Qualifications: Understanding of public health interventions and basic knowledge of nutrition preferred but not required.

 

FOCUS AREA #4 - Community Food and Environment: Understanding the Food Environment Surrounding Schools

With one in four children (aged 5-15) and one in three adolescents (aged 16-17) being overweight or obese in Western Australia (WA), identifying ways to prevent obesity is a public health priority. Recent calls from the WA community for a ban on fast-food outlets near schools further highlights the need for regulation addressing the location of unhealthy food outlets, yet little is known about the impact of fast-food outlets near schools on children’s dietary intake. This lack of evidence means policies to manage food environments near WA schools are currently non-existent and difficult to advocate for.

The specific research project for this internship is to assist the Community Food and Environment Study (CFES). The CFES aims to investigate changes in dietary behaviors and perceptions of the local neighborhood in areas that have experienced a change in their local food environment, such as increased or decreased food availability. Findings from this study will be used to advocate for policy changes to limit unhealthy food access around Perth, Western Australia schools.

We are seeking a highly motivated intern to help the Food and Nutrition Research Team understand how the immediate food environment surrounding schools impacts the behavior, health and wellbeing of school children, parents and local residents. The intern should have an interest in nutrition and the connections between the built environment and health.

The intern will work closely with the CFES Project Coordinator and the Food and Nutrition Program Coordinator to assist with the data collection phase of the study occurring over July/August 2022. The intern will assist the research team with conducting surveys, focus groups and interviews at the school with students, parents and teachers. The intern will also assist the research team with data entry and data cleaning, as well as other general research-related tasks as required. Training and support will be provided throughout internship.

The Food and Nutrition Research Team at Telethon Kids Institute conducts innovative and multidisciplinary research to better understand how the environments within which children live, play and go to school influence the types of foods they eat and their risk of overweight and obesity. Through our research we strive to create healthy community, school and consumer food environments that provide equitable access, availability and affordability of healthier foods and beverages; and to reduce the availability and marketing of unhealthy foods/beverages where children live, play, eat and go to school. Working in partnership with State and Local Governments, key health agencies, urban planners and urban designers, our research findings are providing the key evidence necessary to support policy and practice changes to create equitable, health-promoting communities that foster healthy eating.

Qualifications: Excellent written and verbal communication skills; highly developed analytical and problem-solving skills; relevant experience using Microsoft Excel or similar programs; demonstrated ability to be self-motivated and work autonomously and as part of a team, with a flexible, positive and collaborative approach; an interest in nutrition and the connections between the built environment and health.

 

FOCUS AREA #5 - The Effect of Breakfast Skipping on Child and Adolescent Wellbeing and Academic Outcomes

Breakfast skipping among children and adolescents is associated with a range of adverse outcomes, including poor school attendance and academic performance, reduced wellbeing, and unhealthy dietary and physical activity behaviors. This project will use longitudinal data from the Wellbeing Engagement Collection (WEC), an annual census in all South Australian government schools among students in grades 4-12, linked with academic outcomes (National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy; NAPLAN). Analysis will seek to investigate the effects of breakfast skipping among children and adolescents on emotional wellbeing and academic outcomes.

The intern will engage in multiple components of this project, including literature reviewing and synthesis, data cleaning, analysis, interpretation, and write up. Overall, this internship will support the development of an academic manuscript for publication. It presents an excellent opportunity to collaborate with a highly motivated team of researchers and make a meaningful contribution to the evidence on supporting children to achieve their potential.

Day to day tasks will include familiarization with project background and datasets; reviewing the literature and synthesizing evidence regarding breakfast skipping and its effects on wellbeing and academic outcomes; development of an analysis plan in conjunction with the project team; data cleaning and quantitative data analysis; communicating progress and findings to the project team; and write up and presentation of results to aid dissemination.

The Child Health, Development and Education team is led by Professor Sally Brinkman, a social epidemiologist. The team’s work takes a population health approach and focuses on a broad range of factors that impact on children’s health, development, education, and wellbeing across the ecological spectrum (i.e. from individual characteristics, family and home environment, community, service provision and policy impact). Spanning local, national, and international contexts, the team’s research includes:

• Population wide monitoring of child health, wellbeing, and development in the early and middle years (nationally and internationally) with a focus on developing and enhancing instruments as well as systems capacity to detect and respond to children’s poor development and social and emotional needs.

• Investigation of the mechanisms behind intergenerational poverty including the contribution of home language exposure to intergenerational transmission of inequality

• Understanding the impact of early life experiences on trajectories of academic achievement and later cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes through administratively linked datasets.

• Quantitatively evaluating the impact of child health, development, and education interventions and programs on child development and developmental trajectories.

• Evaluating models of service delivery to inform system wide change.

Qualifications: background and interest in public health; experience in quantitative data analysis; experience undertaking literature reviews; excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills; excellent attention to detail and record-keeping ability; excellent communication skills (remote work may be required).

Location Note: This intern would be onsite with the research team in Adelaide, Australia.  However, this internship can be also be conducted virtually.

 

FOCUS AREA #6 - Exploring the Biological Determinants of Neurodevelopment in the Perinatal Period

The Early Neurodevelopment and Mental Health (ENMH) Team, led by Dr. Amy Finlay-Jones, regularly undertakes projects at the intersection of developmental psychology and human biology, providing some flexibility in the specific project that will be undertaken by the intern. Currently, there is an interest in exploring how early maternal and/or immune system and gut microbiome biomarkers independently and interactively associate with neurodevelopmental outcomes. There is potential for this to be explored via the analysis of existing data from large scale cohort studies, or through systematic searches of the literature.

In addition to undertaking a specific project looking at the biological indicators of early neurodevelopment, the intern will be able to participate in several other opportunities over the duration of their internship. The ENMH Team provides regular engagement activities, participates in professional development workshops (grant writing, methodologies, manuscript writing), and collaborates within the institute and with the broader community.

The ENMH Team is made up of dedicated staff and students seeking to understand the origins of neurodevelopmental risk and resilience, develop and test prevention and pre-emptive intervention approaches, and promote more equitable outcomes in early childhood neurodevelopment and mental health. The team regularly partners with other teams within the institute – such as the Experimental Immunology Team – to better understand the complex nature of early neurodevelopment. Members of the team have a broad area of expertise, spanning psychology, public health, health economics, and various lived experiences as caregivers and/or clinicians working in the field of perinatal health.

Qualifications: We are particularly motivated to invite interns who are passionate about infant health and development (pregnancy through to 5 years of age). Knowledge in human biology, including but not limited to any of the following areas, is desired: the immune system, gut-brain-axis, inflammation/inflammatory conditions, the gut microbiome, systems biology. Previous experience working with quantitative data and relevant software (SPSS or R/RStudio) is also helpful.

 

FOCUS AREA #7 – Clinical Trial of Intervention for Children with Chronic Otitis Media with Effusion

Persistent otitis media with effusion (OME, also known as ‘glue ear’) affects up to 1 in 4 children in Western Australia by 3 years of age. The high prevalence of OME means that this condition is one of the most common reasons for referral to the Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH) Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) and Audiology departments. The high volume of referrals results in a significant waiting time for initial assessment and treatment. The primary treatment for persistent OME is ventilation tube insertion (VTI) surgery, often known as grommets. There are approximately 2,700 VTI surgeries conducted in WA public hospitals every year, at an estimated cost to the health service of $13.7 million per annum.

While the prevalence of OME is high, we know that some children will experience spontaneous resolution of OME (i.e. return to having an intact and well-functioning eardrum), and therefore not require VTI surgery. Currently, we do not know how many children could be expected to experience spontaneous resolution of OME on PCH waiting lists. A simple, low-cost, family-led health promotion intervention has been developed to help improve resolution of OME without surgical intervention. Known as the ‘Blow, Breathe, Cough’ program, or ‘BBC’, it encourages children to breathe deeply, blow their nose and cough to clear secretions from the lungs and nose, and practice good hand hygiene. As the lungs and nose are commonly hosts for the same bacteria that cause OME, it is plausible that this intervention could improve resolution rates for OME. However, despite being promoted in a number of Aboriginal ear health services, the BBC program has never been investigated with a clinical trial to examine its effectiveness.

This project will use a two-arm, randomized-controlled parallel group design to examine i) the effectiveness of the BBC program in resolving OME, and ii) the spontaneous resolution of children with OME on the PCH ENT waiting list.

The intern will work with the study team to undertake this clinical trial. This may include all aspects of conducting the trial, including patient recruitment, assistance with clinical assessments for participants and data entry and management.

The Ear Health team's aim is to understand the causes of otitis media (OM, middle ear infection) and hearing loss in children, identify the extent of the problem and design and evaluate interventions to reduce the burden of the disease and its consequences and inform policy. Our Ear Health team is a multidisciplinary group involved in epidemiological studies, qualitative research, data linkage, pathogenesis and clinical trials. An integral linkage for our team is the Aboriginal Community Advisory Group which guides the team in working in a culturally-sensitive manner and provides direction to ensure the program is relevant and appropriate for their communities.   We aim to reduce the prevalence of chronic otitis media and hearing loss in Aboriginal children and improve developmental and educational outcomes.

Qualifications: An interest in child health and wellbeing; openness and willingness to engage with and learn from Aboriginal cultural perspectives towards child health and development; basic knowledge of REDCap software is helpful but not essential.

 

FOCUS AREA #8 - Development of a Predictive Algorithm for Identifying Infants at Risk of Subsequent Intellectual Disability

Multiple risk factors have been associated with intellectual disability over time, including social, biological and genetic factors. Demographic factors associated with increased risk of ID include male gender, lower socioeconomic status, and Indigenous heritage. Numerous perinatal factors are also implicated including advanced maternal age, high parity, maternal alcohol use, maternal tobacco use, gestational diabetes, maternal hypertension, preterm birth, and low birth weight. Our team has recently undertaken a systematic review to identify, describe and synthesize the findings from this published research and to assess the evidence for the most important risk factors for intellectual disability at the family, maternal, perinatal, child, and environmental level.

It is likely that the range of early risk factors that we have identified in our systematic review are contributing in various combinations disproportionally to the burden of ID.  Through a NHMRC Program grant, our team has access to de-identified population data on children born between 1983 and 2010 linked to their birth, antenatal and perinatal history, their mother’s physical and mental health hospitalization data and their intellectual disability status. The aim of this project is to use these population-linked data to develop algorithms which will identify the combinations of risk factors making children most vulnerable to the likelihood of intellectual disability.

The precise research question to be addressed in this internship will be determined together with the prospective student. However, under the supervision of our team statistician the intern will be responsible for data preparation and conduct of the analyses.  Data analysis activities are likely to involve the use of logistic regression and development of predictive models.

The intern will work on the data analysis of this project which will help inform the development of algorithms to identify the most important combination of factors predicting those infants most vulnerable to subsequent developmental disabilities. This is an excellent opportunity to work with an inspiring team motivated to improve outcomes for children with developmental disabilities through early identification and access to early intervention. The successful candidate will be rewarded with a diverse and multidisciplinary team each with their own specific skills and a friendly and professional learning environment.  Day to day tasks will include familiarization with project (including literature and data); preparation of data for analysis; data analysis; reporting on methods and results; and attending meetings with project team and stakeholders.

The Child Disability team at Telethon Kids Institute is co-led by Dr Helen Leonard and Dr Jenny Downs. Dr Helen Leonard established and continues to manage the Intellectual Disability Database which is a population-based database of children and adults with intellectual disability in Western Australia. Linking these de-identified data to other administrative databases has provided material for multiple studies investigating many different issues relating to intellectual disability.

Qualifications: Background in epidemiology and public health; previous experience in quantitative data analysis (high level statistical skills preferable); interests in developmental disability; excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills; excellent attention to detail.

 

FOCUS AREA #9 - Electronic Primary Health Care Information to Improve Detection Rates of Skin Sores

In remote Australian Aboriginal communities, skin infections (scabies and impetigo) are common. At any one time, 45% of children have impetigo. Untreated skin infections can lead to secondary lifelong conditions, including chronic kidney disease and possibly rheumatic heart disease, all of which occur at among the highest rates in the world in Aboriginal people.

Primary health care in remote Western Australia records all episodes of care in electronic format. MMEx is the electronic patient health record used by several primary health care service providers in the Kimberley. To date, these data have been underutilized to inform delivery of health care and to address the overwhelming burden of infectious diseases including skin sores.

The intern will support efforts to develop the infrastructure and capacity to routinely extract data from electronic primary health care records to inform research projects and service delivery and validate the automated data extractions against manual review of primary health electronic records. If successful, there is enormous potential to better understand the burden of infections in childhood at the primary health care level and to develop dashboard reporting to keep attention on these key health problems that otherwise remain hidden.

The Skin Health team is a multidisciplinary team whose projects span a wide research portfolio of basic science to translational projects. The Skin Health team sits within the Strep A and Rheumatic Heart Disease team and the Wesfarmers Centre for Vaccines and Infectious Diseases at the Telethon Kids Institute.

Qualifications: Prior study in health-related courses; excellent communication skills; willingness to be part of a highly innovative team with extensive support and mentorship; willingness to work in partnership with communities; strong data analysis skills and writing skills.

 

FOCUS AREA #10 - Systematic Review of Viral and Environmental Determinants of Respiratory Virus Transmission 

Respiratory viruses are a diverse group, with infection ranging from asymptomatic to death. Virus transmission is dependent on viral factors, combined with host and environmental determinants. These factors influence the mode of transmission, such as contact and droplet and persistence of infections particles on surfaces. The emergence of SAR-CoV-2 has highlighted the gaps in our understanding of this process. Prior to early 2020, seasonal epidemics of respiratory viruses were observed in temperate zones. The introduction of SARS-CoV-2 related non-pharmaceutical interventions has altered respiratory viral epidemiology across the globe. The expected seasonal epidemics of influenza have remained absent. Similarly, regions have reported attenuated or absent respiratory syncytial winter seasons. In Western Australia, this absence was followed by an out of season resurgence of respiratory syncytial virus with notably higher numbers than a typical season. This resurgence has been followed by a subsequent marked increase in human metapneumovirus infections. In contrast, parainfluenza and rhinovirus infections have persisted, despite these non-pharmaceutical interventions. This differential impact has not been fully explained.

Our aim is to systematically review the literature, assess quality of data and, if possible, meta-analyze the data to understand determinants of respiratory virus transmissions It will focus on four respiratory viruses: influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, human metapneumovirus, and parainfluenza. Factors within the environment will include surface materials, ambient temperature, humidity, ventilation, and ultraviolet exposure.

A similar systematic review has not been undertaken. When completed, it is expected that the report will be a highly cited resource for clinicians and researchers. It will delineate areas in need of future study and allow the comprehensive design of intervention-based cohort studies within groups such as day-care, to reduce infection rates.

The project will allow an intern to build knowledge around factors that influence respiratory virus transmission. It will also facilitate an improved understanding of how to undertake a systematic review, culminating in a high-level publication. Although there will be focus on the aforementioned project, the placement will allow the participant exposure to a broad range of skills in a welcoming and supportive environment.

The Infectious Disease Epidemiology Team is interested in understanding the epidemiology of childhood infectious diseases. A key strength of this team is founded upon the diverse background and skillset of its members, bringing together epidemiologists, clinicians and scientists to answer clinically relevant questions. Our program of work centers around three key themes: burden of disease, prevention and policy, and diagnosis and treatment.  Our team employs an array of methodologies including large-scale population-based data linkage using administrative health and other datasets, statistical and mathematical modelling techniques, prospective cohort studies, clinical trials and social research.

Qualifications: An interest in global health, analytical skills, and experience with literature reviews. Some background in microbiology is useful but not required.

 

FOCUS AREA #11 - The ORIGINS Project: Databank

The ORIGINS Project is a decade-long collaborative initiative between the Joondalup Health Campus (JHC) and the Telethon Kids Institute to establish a Western Australian (WA) birth cohort of 10,000 families, enrolled during pregnancy. It is currently funded to follow up participating children and their families to five years of age. Comprehensive data and biological samples are collected from participants at up to 15 different timepoints, from the first antenatal clinic visit.

At JHC there is valuable and unused data contained in physical paper records (National Women Held Pregnancy Record and hospital patient notes). This includes and is not limited to: model of care, care provider notes, personal history, infant feeding plans, oral iron choices, mental health and wellbeing, neonatal treatment consent. These data need to be accessed and entered into an electronic research database. The data needs to then be allocated to ORIGINS participants.

The intern will have the opportunity to work with the Engagement and Data Teams of the ORIGINS project. The Intern will have the opportunity to retrieve and access secure medical paper records at JHC Health Information Services and capture the data electronically; clean and code the raw data; link the records to ORIGINS participants and JHC patients; analyze and provide summary descriptions of the two cohorts; and prepare a summary report of findings with the intention to partake in a future academic publication with the ORIGINS team.  There will be additional opportunities to work with the multi-faceted teams within ORIGINS, i.e Recruitment, Biobank and Stakeholder Engagement.

The ORIGINS team is a diverse and highly passionate team with backgrounds and experience in psychology, public health, health promotion, biological sciences, data linkage & management, project management, pediatrics and nursing. In addition to the supervisors listed above the student will have the opportunity to spend time and work alongside several members of the ORIGINS team and assist with the day-to-day running of the project, including observing face-to-face clinic appointments with ORIGINS families.

Qualifications: Applicants should have an understanding of good clinical practice and knowledge of chronic disease from the life course perspective.

 

FOCUS AREA #12 - Playgroups as a Mechanism for Promoting Children’s Home Learning Environments

Playgroups are a unique form of early childhood education that aim to foster positive outcomes for both children and their caregivers. As such, playgroup participation is likely to have an impact on children’s early development through several pathways. One potential mechanism is the home learning environment, specifically the activities caregivers engage in at home with their children. This project will use data from a 5-year longitudinal study, Language in Little Ones (LiLO), which is collecting information on the home environment from when children are 6 months to 4 years of age. Analysis will aim to investigate the influence of playgroup attendance and dose on caregiver-child engagement in activities that promote learning in the home environment.

The intern will engage in multiple components of this project, including literature reviewing and synthesis, data cleaning, analysis, interpretation, and write up. Overall, this internship will support the development of an academic manuscript for publication. It presents an excellent opportunity to collaborate with a highly motivated team of researchers and make a meaningful contribution to the evidence on supporting children to achieve their potential.

Day to day tasks will include familiarization with project background and datasets; reviewing the literature and synthesizing evidence regarding playgroup attendance and its effects on the home learning environment; development of an analysis plan in conjunction with the project team; data cleaning and quantitative data analysis; communicating progress and findings to the project team; and write up and presentation of results to aid dissemination.

The Child Health, Development and Education team is led by Professor Sally Brinkman, a social epidemiologist. The team’s work takes a population health approach and focuses on a broad range of factors that impact on children’s health, development, education, and wellbeing across the ecological spectrum (i.e. from individual characteristics, family and home environment, community, service provision and policy impact). Spanning local, national, and international contexts, the team’s research includes:

• Population wide monitoring of child health, wellbeing, and development in the early and middle years (nationally and internationally) with a focus on developing and enhancing instruments as well as systems capacity to detect and respond to children’s poor development and social and emotional needs.

• Investigation of the mechanisms behind intergenerational poverty including the contribution of home language exposure to intergenerational transmission of inequality

• Understanding the impact of early life experiences on trajectories of academic achievement and later cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes through administratively linked datasets.

• Quantitatively evaluating the impact of child health, development, and education interventions and programs on child development and developmental trajectories.

• Evaluating models of service delivery to inform system wide change.

Qualifications: background and interest in public health; experience in quantitative data analysis; experience undertaking literature reviews; excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills; excellent attention to detail and record-keeping ability; excellent communication skills (remote work may be required).

Location Note: This intern would be onsite with the research team in Adelaide, Australia.  However, this internship can be also be conducted virtually.

 

FOCUS AREA #13 – Children’s Home Learning Environments across Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Supportive and responsive caregiver-child interactions in the home environment, through psychosocial and cognitive stimulation, are essential for promoting children’s early development. In low- and middle-income countries, such interactions are typically measured through a short suite of questions drawn from UNICEF’s Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS). This project will use data from across multiple low- and middle-income countries to explore patterns in home learning environments across diverse contexts. Latent class analysis will be used to profile groups of low, medium, and high frequency of home learning activities and analysis will explore the association between different groups of home learning environments and children’s early development.

An intern will engage in multiple components of this research, including literature reviewing and synthesis, data cleaning, analysis, interpretation, and write up. Overall, this internship will support the development of an academic manuscript for publication. It presents an excellent opportunity to collaborate with a highly motivated team of researchers and make a meaningful contribution to the evidence on supporting children to achieve their potential.

Day to day tasks will include familiarization with project background and datasets; reviewing the literature and synthesizing evidence regarding the home learning environment in low- and middle-income countries, and the association with children’s development; development of an analysis plan in conjunction with the project team; data cleaning and quantitative data analysis; communicating progress and findings to the project team; and write up and presentation of results to aid dissemination.

The Child Health, Development and Education team is led by Professor Sally Brinkman, a social epidemiologist. The team’s work takes a population health approach and focuses on a broad range of factors that impact on children’s health, development, education, and wellbeing across the ecological spectrum (i.e. from individual characteristics, family and home environment, community, service provision and policy impact). Spanning local, national, and international contexts, the team’s research includes:

• Population wide monitoring of child health, wellbeing, and development in the early and middle years (nationally and internationally) with a focus on developing and enhancing instruments as well as systems capacity to detect and respond to children’s poor development and social and emotional needs.

• Investigation of the mechanisms behind intergenerational poverty including the contribution of home language exposure to intergenerational transmission of inequality

• Understanding the impact of early life experiences on trajectories of academic achievement and later cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes through administratively linked datasets.

• Quantitatively evaluating the impact of child health, development, and education interventions and programs on child development and developmental trajectories.

• Evaluating models of service delivery to inform system wide change.

Qualifications: background and interest in public health; experience in quantitative data analysis; experience undertaking literature reviews; excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills; excellent attention to detail and record-keeping ability; excellent communication skills (remote work may be required).

Location Note: This intern would be onsite with the research team in Adelaide, Australia.  However, this internship can be also be conducted virtually.

 

FOCUS AREA #14 - Understanding Screen Time during the Early Years

This project aims to better understand children’s use of screen media during the first five years of life.  The data has been collected during a 5-year longitudinal study which captures electronic noise exposure during the early years, through advanced speech recognition technology called Language Environment Analysis (LENA). Through LENA, human transcription and parent-reported screen use, information on both the amount and content of screen time from when the child is 6 months of age until 4 years will be available.  

An intern will engage with multiple components of this project, including literature reviewing and synthesis, data cleaning, analysis, interpretation, and write up. Overall, this internship will support the development of an academic manuscript for publication. It presents an excellent opportunity to collaborate with a highly motivated team of researchers and make a meaningful contribution to the evidence on supporting children to achieve their potential.

Day to day tasks will include familiarization with project background and datasets; reviewing the literature and synthesizing evidence regarding screen time and its effects on child development during the first five years of life; development of an analysis plan in conjunction with the project team; data cleaning and quantitative data analysis; communicating progress and findings to the project team; write up and presentation of results to aid dissemination.

The Child Health, Development and Education team is led by Professor Sally Brinkman, a social epidemiologist. The team’s work takes a population health approach and focuses on a broad range of factors that impact on children’s health, development, education, and wellbeing across the ecological spectrum (i.e. from individual characteristics, family and home environment, community, service provision and policy impact). Spanning local, national, and international contexts, the team’s research includes:

• Population wide monitoring of child health, wellbeing, and development in the early and middle years (nationally and internationally) with a focus on developing and enhancing instruments as well as systems capacity to detect and respond to children’s poor development and social and emotional needs.

• Investigation of the mechanisms behind intergenerational poverty including the contribution of home language exposure to intergenerational transmission of inequality

• Understanding the impact of early life experiences on trajectories of academic achievement and later cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes through administratively linked datasets.

• Quantitatively evaluating the impact of child health, development, and education interventions and programs on child development and developmental trajectories.

• Evaluating models of service delivery to inform system wide change.

Qualifications: background and interest in public health; experience in quantitative data analysis; experience undertaking literature reviews; excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills; excellent attention to detail and record-keeping ability; excellent communication skills (remote work may be required).

Location Note: This intern would be onsite with the research team in Adelaide, Australia.  However, this internship can be also be conducted virtually.

 

Website: www.telethonkids.org.au

 

View Internship Summary Posters and Videos from Past Telethon Kids Institute Princeton Student Interns:

 

Summer 2021

Cindy Cheng ’23 - Exclusionary Discipline and Mental Health of Children and Adolescents (Video Presentation)

Nathalie Rodilosso ’22 - Early Childhood Education Quality & Children’s Development in Lao PDR

 

Summer 2019

Coco Chou '20 - Missing Piece Surveillance Study

David Cordoba '20 - Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Youth with Type 1 Diabetes in Western Australia

Jocelyn Galindo '21 - The Measurement of Adequate Housing Conditions in Aboriginal Households Living in Urban Settings

Rachel Kim '20 - Quality of Life and Child Intellectual Disability

Lucy Wang '21 - SToP Trial: Assessing Impetigo and Scabies in Remote Aboriginal Communities

 

Summer 2018

Ellen Anshelevich '19 - Developing an Effective Community Care Program for Skin Infections in Aboriginal Communities

Andy Zheng '20 - Evaluating and Supporting Suicide Prevention: Addressing Social and Emotional Wellbeing

 

Summer 2017

Patrick Dinh '18 - Racism & Skin Disease in Aboriginal Communities in the Western Desert

Aaron Gurayah '18 - Beat CF: Overview of an Adaptive Clinical Trial in Respiratory Medicine

Danielle Victoriano '19 - AusVaxSafety: Descriptive Analysis for Zostavax

Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy

Vaccine & Antimicrobial Resistance Research

 

Location: New Delhi, India

Duration: 8-10 weeks

Number of Positions: 2

Stipend: $5,000

To Apply via GPS: Click Here

About: The Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy (CDDEP) produces independent, multidisciplinary research to advance the health and wellbeing of human populations around the world. CDDEP projects are global in scope, spanning Africa, Asia, and North America and include scientific studies and policy engagement. The CDDEP team is experienced in addressing country-specific and regional issues, as well as the local and global aspects of global challenges, such as antibiotic resistance and pandemic influenza. CDDEP research is notable for innovative approaches to design and analysis, which are shared widely through publications, presentations and web-based programs. CDDEP has offices in Washington, D.C. and New Delhi and relies on a distinguished team of scientists, public health experts and economists.

Intern Responsibilities: CDDEP recently published the world’s largest Covid-19 contact tracing based epidemiology study.  This study is continuing during the coming year.  We have openings for interns in its New Delhi office to work on research related to Covid-19, the intersection of vaccines and antimicrobial resistance, as well as on social norms that promote the overuse of antibiotics and the underuse of vaccines.  The position involves locating, pulling, and synthesizing data and evidence from the primary scientific literature. There is potential for motivated candidates to extend this work to do independent research.

Qualifications: Familiarity with ecology, statistics, and experience reading the scientific and social science literature are an asset, as are problem-solving, experience with Excel, and ability to work independently.

Website: cddep.org

 

View Internship Summary Posters and Videos from Past CDDEP Princeton Student Interns:

 

Summer 2021

Varun Devraj ’23 - An Unseen and Deadly Fungal Infection: Documenting the Global Burden of Mucormycosis with a Systematic Literature Review (Video Presentation)

Sameed Sayeed ’23 – CDDEP Research Internship (Video Presentation)

 

Summer 2020

Chirag Kumar '23 - One Step Ahead: Predicting Antimicrobial Resistance from Geographic Variables in India (Video Presentation)

 

Summer 2019

Daniel Liu '21 - The End of Modern Medicine: The Rise of Antimicrobial Resistance

 

Summer 2018

Nell McKenna '20 - The Rising Threat of Antimicrobial Resistance: A Look into Effects of Primary Care, Medical Standards, and Antibiotic Consumption

International Care Ministries

Community-Based Health Impact Assessment

 

Location: Manila, Philippines

Duration: 8-10 weeks

Number of Positions: 1

Stipend: $5,000

To Apply via GPS: Click Here

About: International Care Ministries (ICM) is a non-governmental organization that has been serving the ultrapoor in the Philippines since 1992. In partnership with community leaders from thousands of slum communities, ICM delivers programs that transform the lives of more than 100,000 destitute people each year. These multidisciplinary interventions address values, health and livelihood. ICM is a Christian faith-based non-governmental organization; however, interns may be from any background, and the analytical work is secular.

Intern Responsibilities: Interns will partner with the ICM Health Services and Research Teams to develop a research strategy that either analyzes survey and operational data collected from community-based health interventions or collects novel data from patients to better understand intervention design and acceptance. They can use statistical and epidemiological methods to understand the outcomes of these interventions or qualitative methods to collect patient experiences and insight. Interns may also have the opportunity to participate in health program design efforts. If the internship is in-person and it is safe to travel domestically, it may be recommended for interns to travel to project sites on islands in central Philippines to interview stakeholders and collect data.

The student will be given an opportunity to work with a real dataset collected through an intervention that is currently running in the Philippines. The households receiving the interventions live in extreme poverty; therefore, the student will also get an understanding of the challenges associated with working in these contexts. As the interventions will continue to run, the outcomes of analyses could be utilized to benefit future protocols and delivery strategies.

Past projects also include preparing frameworks for the revision of ICM’s primary health education curriculum (including qualitative assessment of feasibility and effectiveness in the field); regional epidemic mapping of health needs to assess the applicability of ICM’s health training; assisting in development and revision of current health intervention protocols; and analysis and evaluation of ICM’s overall data collection systems. Additional responsibilities may include writing or assistance with other program activities.

Qualifications: Strong quantitative and qualitative analytical skills, and experience with R.  Familiarity with public health issues.

Website: www.caremin.com

 

View Internship Summary Posters and Videos from Past ICM Princeton Student Interns:

 

Summer 2021

Sandra Yang '22 - Assessing Health Intervention Technology and Effectiveness of Early Childhood Education in Ultra-Poor Communities in the Philippines (Video Presentation)

Alaina Joby ’24 - Transforming Ultrapoor Communities in the Philippines: A Qualitative Approach (Video Presentation)

 

Summer 2020

Abigail Drummond '22 - Health is Wealth: COVID-19 Testing, Healthcare Access, and Inequality in the Philippines and Southeast Asia (Video Presentation)

 

Summer 2019

Maricar Almeda '22 - Barriers to Maternal Care Access in Resource Limited Areas in the Philippines

Annika Kruse '20 - A Follow-up on Children with Severe Acute Malnutrition Treated with Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food in Rural Philippines

 

Summer 2018

Mitashee Das '20 - Maternal Care Access in Resource-Limited Settings in the Philippines      

University of Malaya

Health Research Internship

 

Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Duration: 8-10 weeks

Number of Positions: 1

Stipend: $5,000

To Apply via GPS: Click Here

About: University of Malaya (UM), Malaysia's oldest university, is situated on a 922 acre campus in the southwest of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. UM is committed to advancing knowledge and learning through quality research and education for the nation and for humanity.

Intern Responsibilities: The intern will work in the Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine as part of a research team under the direction of Dr. Lee Ling Lim.  The team focuses on diabetes mellitus, including epidemiology, translational and implementation science aspects.  The intern will contribute to diabetes mellitus research efforts through data collection, cleaning, analysis, and potentially manuscript writing. 

Qualifications: Applicants should have skills in statistical applications and academic writing.

Website: www.um.edu.my

 

View Internship Summary Posters and Videos from Past University of Malaya Princeton Student Interns:

 

Summer 2021

Nathan Shin ’24 - Psychosocial Impacts among Type 2 Diabetes Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic (Video Presentation)

Sarah Yashar-Gershman ’21 - A Scoping Review: What Power and Agency Do Women Maintain in the HIV Disclosure Conversation? (Video Presentation)

 

Summer 2020

Kamila Radjabova '21 - Consistent Condom Usage Among Intimate Partners of HIV Positive Men Who Inject Drugs

University of Sunderland

Reducing Social Isolation through the Arts and Community-Based Approaches

 

Location: Sunderland, England

Duration: 8-10 weeks

Number of Positions: 3

Stipend: $6,000

To Apply via GPS: Click Here

 

About: The Helen McArdle Nursing and Care Institute, based in the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Faculty of Healthcare Sciences at the University of Sunderland, focuses on four research and knowledge exchange programs relating to Health Inequalities; Health Services Research; Health and Care Workforce Interdisciplinary Research Network (in collaboration with our Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries); and Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals (NMAHP) research.

These programs underpin four workstreams of a) Out of Hospital Care, b) Military and Veteran Health and Wellbeing, c) Obesity and Bariatric Surgical Care and d) Women’s Health. The Institute’s research and knowledge exchange activities are carried out in collaboration with external partners across Sunderland, including healthcare, government and voluntary and charitable organizations.

Currently we have a range of healthcare projects which involve social prescribing, supporting the delivery a range of non-clinical interventions aimed at addressing social isolation, building communities, and reducing health inequalities.

Intern Responsibilities: There are three potential focus areas for a student intern.  When applying, please indicate the one or ones you would like to be considered for.

 

FOCUS AREA #1 - Exploring the Role of Arts and Creative Practice in Health and Wellbeing

There is established evidence of the positive impact of arts and creative practice on health and wellbeing. This internship will involve working with voluntary agencies and academics across the Faculty of Arts and Creative Practice and Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellbeing, utilizing the cultural resources of Sunderland, such as our National Glass Centre. Candidates will explore and work with us to learn how we are engaging with marginalized communities, building cultural literacy and engaging and developing community assets to support health and wellbeing.

 

FOCUS AREA #2 - Supporting Health Service and Community Integration with Veterans

In collaboration with Veterans in Crisis Sunderland (VICS), this internship will explore the role of the voluntary sector in engaging and supporting the health and wellbeing of the veteran community in Sunderland.  Candidates will work closely with VICS and University staff on delivery of programs offered by VICS, take part in social prescribing activities and work closely with service users. As part of this internship, candidates will spend time with organizations involved with commissioning of health services, to learn more about the UK National Health Service and collaborative working across the health and care continuum.

Veterans in Crisis Sunderland is a social enterprise dedicated to supporting the welfare of veterans and their families based in the City of Sunderland. VICS offers a range of services and programs to veterans which promote social inclusion and are driven by the health and wellbeing needs of the veterans themselves. VICS carry out their work, supported by a range of partners across Sunderland including the University of Sunderland, local businesses and Sunderland Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), who are the hosting institution for the North East Armed Forces Health Network. Current projects include running regular drop in sessions, a series of arts workshops at the National Glass Centre in Sunderland, and establishing a network of support services for veterans and their families to access.  VICS is a young, dynamic organization, and other projects are in various stages of development, allowing a wide range of experiential learning to be gained.

 

FOCUS AREA #3 – Collaborative Working with Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Organizations to Increase Health and Wellbeing

Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organizations are at the heart of communities and have a unique understanding of the needs of the communities they serve. They have an important role to play in building resilience, cohesion and increasing local assets to build health and wellbeing, thereby making a significant, but often under-recognized contribution to the healthcare system. In collaboration with the University of Sunderland, the candidates will work across a range of community-based projects, supporting the delivery of social prescribing interventions led by the VCSE sector in Sunderland.

There is a broad scope of activities available depending on the interests of the interns, including:

• Face-to-face work with service users of social prescribing interventions

• Supporting the organization, delivery and administration of social prescribing in the VCSE sector

• Undertaking research activities in the Helen McArdle Nursing and Care Research Institute e.g. literature searches, data analysis, report writing

• Opportunities to spend time in partner organizations to learn about organizing, commissioning and delivery of health care services in NHS and government settings

• Spending time in arts and cultural organizations supporting social prescribing

 

Qualifications: Applicants should possess strong communication skills, be able to demonstrate high levels of empathy and be prepared to be flexible in working across a range of projects with different people and liaising with other organizations.  Applicants will be expected to work within a team. Subject-related mentoring support will be provided by the Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellbeing, University of Sunderland.

 

Website: www.sunderland.ac.uk and veteransincrisis.co.uk

 

New Internship for 2022; no past Princeton interns.

Visualizing the Virus

Global Health Junior Fellow

 

Location: London, England or Princeton, New Jersey or Remote

Duration: 8-10 weeks

Number of Positions: 1

Stipend: $6,000 in London, $5,000 in Princeton

To Apply via GPS: Click Here

About: Visualizing the Virus is an interdisciplinary digital project through which one can visualize and understand the Coronavirus pandemic from a variety of perspectives. It aims to center the inequalities the pandemic makes visible.

Gaps between the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences are hard to bridge. This means that pandemics are often studied without considering their many interconnected histories. Visualizing the Virus connects insights from different disciplines to create a collective digital space for exactly such a convergence. We are not only interested in the ways in which scientists, artists and people in their everyday lives have made the virus visible; but also in processes, historical and contemporary, that the viruses make visible – inequalities, be it of access to resources and healthcare, vaccine imperialism, xenophobia, gender inequalities, and so on.

Conceptualized by an art historian with research interests in the history of science and society, the project takes a unique approach to understanding viruses. We use visualizing as a verb to mobilize a method. To visualize is the first revolutionary step towards action in a world where much of life and its politics is invisible. Visualizing the Virus teaches us to look differently.

The digital architecture of the platform invites the visitor to navigate clusters of connection. One can explore links between quotidian lived experience, pathologies, the natural sciences and socio-cultural critique. As well as being a dynamic archive, it provides the visitor with spaces for reflection on the scales of the crisis and our current infrastructural inequalities. Through curated clusters and themed clusters that make connections between issues and geographical spaces, Visualizing the Virus aims to provide a granular, intersectional picture of the pandemic as it evolves.

Intern Responsibilities:

• Contribute to research on the social and artistic ramifications of the Covid-19 pandemic. This includes reading academic essays and newspaper articles, viewing artworks, doing interviews, and being in close contact with NGOs and other groups, and archival research.

• Solicit contributions from a diverse range of experts for the VV project (with the guidance of supervisors).

• Work closely with supervisors and the VV team to support the making of clusters (themed sections). There may also be scope to curate your own cluster.

•  Work closely with supervisors and the VV team to conceptualize events and other learning programs related to the VV project.

• Upload contributions and artwork on the website as needed.

• There will be scope for social media takeovers on Twitter and Instagram.

• Transcribe interviews and providing alt text if/when needed.

• Interns will be closely supervised for some aspects of the project (such as soliciting contributions from experts, conceptualizing events, etc) but they will also be expected to work independently when they conduct research.

Qualifications: Strong interest in art, science, and society; solid editorial/written skills; English fluency (additional research language is a plus but not mandatory); willingness to participate in video calls; proficiency in WordPress and willing to use apps such as Trello and Slack.

Website: visualizingthevirus.com

New Internship for 2022; no past Princeton interns.

NYC Health + Hospitals

System-wide Special Pathogens Program

Emergency Management & Planning Internships

 

Location: New York City, New York

Duration: 8-10 weeks

Number of Positions: 2

Stipend: $7,000

To Apply via GPS: Click Here

About: NYC Health + Hospitals Emergency Management provides the strategic and operational framework and resources to protect our patients, visitors, staff, communities and infrastructure from natural, technological, and intentional incidents through the mitigation of, preparedness for, response to, and recovery from them.

Intern Responsibilities: This is an opportunity for two highly motivated students to contribute to NYC Health + Hospitals’ system-wide, emergency management-centric approach to special pathogens preparedness and response activities and assist the National Emerging Special Pathogen Training and Education Center [NETEC] and Institute for Diseases and Disaster Management. The System Special Pathogens Program Interns, reporting to the Senior Director and Assistant Director for System-wide Special Pathogens will provide support in one or more of the following project areas:

• Using an emergency management approach to develop special pathogen discussion or operations-based exercises to maintain healthcare delivery readiness.
  
  
• Training of frontline healthcare workers as it relates to identification, isolation, donning/doffing of personal protective equipment, preliminary management and transfer of a suspected Ebola or other special pathogens patient within a U.S. or international frontline healthcare delivery.
  
  
• Assist with projects related to the NYC Health + Hospitals Institute for Diseases and Disaster Management.
  
  
• Development of exercise resource materials related to special pathogens for national stakeholders including frontline hospitals, assessment hospitals, Ebola treatment centers, Regional Ebola and other Special Pathogen Treatment Centers, healthcare coalitions and EMS.
  
  
• Using an emergency management approach, research, design, develop, and evaluate topics relating to CBRNE (chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear issues) to maintain healthcare delivery readiness.

Activities undertaken by the interns will include several of the following:

• Conduct needs assessment
  
  
• Research emerging/re-emerging threats that would qualify as a special pathogen/high consequence infectious diseases and would pose a threat to healthcare delivery
  
  
• Assist in design and development of a discussion-based exercise based on the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) model
  
  
• Engage with internal and external stakeholders including public health partners and liaisons
  
  
• Participating in planning meetings
  
  
• Assist in conducting the discussion-based exercise
  
  
• Assist in evaluation of the discussion-based exercise through after action report and improvement planning process
  
• Opportunity to publish findings
  
  
• Opportunity to present at various councils and forums
  
  
• Research emerging/re-emerging threats that would qualify as a special pathogen/high consequence infectious disease and would pose a threat to healthcare delivery
  
  
• Assist in design and development of an operations-based exercise
  
  
• Engage with internal and external stakeholders including public health partners and liaisons
  
  
• Participate in walkthroughs of site of exercise
  
  
• Assist with developing additional resource tools (e.g., processes, plans, protocols) that would aide in the core elements mentioned above
  
  
• Assist in design, development and evaluation of frontline hospital readiness assessments for H+H sites including hospitals, long term care centers, ambulatory sites
  
  
• Participate in on-site readiness assessments
  
  
• Assist in tailoring U.S. based frontline training to meet the needs of the middle-to-low income frontline healthcare delivery
  
  
• Work with international stakeholders and participate in planning meetings
  
  
• Research specific topic in CBRNE as it relates to healthcare delivery preparedness and response

NOTE: Princeton students at this internship will have no exposure to or involvement with any pathogens or dangerous substances at any time.

Examples of previous projects assigned to Princeton Interns:

• Mystery Patient Drills (secret shopper drills)
  
  
• Data collection, analysis, and development of after-action report, improvement plans, and presentation of results from secret shopper drills
  
  
• Development of tools, resources, and checklists related to safety and infection prevention for NYC H+H facilities
  
  
• Assist in providing personal protective equipment (PPE) training for healthcare staff
  

Qualifications: Highly motivated, with demonstrated interest and exposure to public health, global health, healthcare administration, emergency management, or related field.

Website: www.nychealthandhospitals.org

 

View Internship Summary Posters and Videos from Past NYC Health + Hospitals Princeton Student Interns:

 

Summer 2021

Saorise Bodnar ’22 and Sarah Brown ’23 - Preparedness Matters: Healthcare Systems and Special Pathogens

 

Summer 2020

Brigitte Harbers '22 and Maddie Winter '22 - Containing COVID-19: Evaluating NYC Public Hospitals’ Screening and Isolation Procedures for Potential COVID-19 Patients (Video Presentation)

 

Summer 2019

Sanjana Duggirala '21 and Katya Vera '20 - Measles Secret Shopper

U.S. Peace Corps

Office of Global Health and HIV

Global Planning and Evaluation Internships

 

Location: Washington, DC

Duration: 8-10 weeks

Number of Positions: 2

Stipend: $5,000

To Apply via GPS: Click Here

About: The Peace Corps Office of Global Health and HIV (OGHH) provides technical and operational support to Peace Corps posts and headquarters offices to improve the health and well-being of individuals, families and communities where Volunteers serve. It accomplishes this by proactively securing and managing the best available human, financial and technical resources; promoting excellent programming consistent with the capabilities of Volunteers; and capitalizing on the contributions of other sectors to improve community health programming. The OGHH Programming and Training (P&T) team supports Peace Corps posts by providing quality training and resources to staff and Volunteers; technical assistance to develop and monitor evidence-based programs; and external support to conduct process and outcome evaluations. OGHH is the primary arm of Peace Corps that directs the implementation of its role in PEPFAR (the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief).

 Intern Responsibilities: Possible Summer Intern Assignments include: 1) Programmatic Data Analysis related to how Peace Corps Volunteers can best implement effective programming for youth 2) Review and update an number of training materials related to Youth Health and Well-Being, HIV, and Maternal and Child Health; 3) Explore and contribute to the development of social media/other mixed media methods to complement traditional health programming and training.

 Qualifications: Qualitative and/or quantitative research skills, and/or curriculum design and training experience (including mixed media/method); a familiarity with and interest in global health issues.

 Website: www.peacecorps.gov/volunteer/what-volunteers-do/#health

 

View Internship Summary Posters and Videos from Past Peace Corps Princeton Student Interns:

 

Summer 2021

Naomi Frim-Abrams ’23 - A Look into the Peace Corps Office of Global Health and HIV (Video Presentation)

Faith Meitl ’23 - PrEP-aring for the Future of HIV Prevention and Moving Forward in Mental Health (Video Presentation)

 

Summer 2020

Rowan Pierson '22 - Peace Corps Office of Global Health and HIV Internship Summer 2020 (Video Presentation)

Kara Steele '21 - DREAMING Big: A qualitative look at how Peace Corps volunteers contribute to DREAMS (Video Presentation)

 

Summer 2019

Gabriela Oseguera Serra '20 - What are We Doing? Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Sub-Saharan Africa

Morgan Nicolao '20 - Peace Corps Office of Global Health and HIV

 

Summer 2018

Charlotte Moss '19 - Non-Communicable Disease: Prevention is the Name of the Game

Claire Nussbaum '19 - Peace Corps Programs for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC)

 

Task Force for Global Health

Health Campaign Effectiveness Coalition

Global Health Campaign Internships

 

Location: Atlanta/Decatur, Georgia

Duration: 8-10 weeks

Number of Positions: 1-2

Stipend: $5,000

To Apply via GPS: Click Here

About: The Task Force for Global Health consists of 17 programs and focus areas that cover a range of global health issues including neglected tropical diseases, infectious diseases, vaccines, field epidemiology, public health informatics, health workforce development, and global health ethics. All of their programs have an end goal in sight of eliminating diseases and protecting the health of populations. The Task Force is ranked among the largest nonprofits in the United States due to in-kind contributions of medicines and vaccines from major pharmaceutical companies valued at billions of dollars annually.  It has an affiliation with Emory University.

Large-scale health campaigns that address specific diseases, risk factors, or prevention strategies have had enormous, positive impacts on global health. However, there are several significant problems inherent in the current approach to health campaigns that markedly limit both the near-term effectiveness and the long-term sustainability of such campaigns. These problems relate to shared learning and best practices across campaigns; the potential for shared planning, inputs, and infrastructure for campaigns; and campaign coordination with routine health systems. The Task Force for Global Health, in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched the Health Campaign Effectiveness (HCE) Coalition in December 2019 to develop and facilitate an action-oriented learning/systems-change coalition comprising of leaders from across several health domains such as malaria, neglected tropical diseases, immunization, polio, vitamin A, etc. The HCE Coalition, supported by the Task Force and Foundation partners, pursues the following activities:             

• Facilitate and support operations and implementation research to identify, validate/test and promote the adoption of promising and evidenced-based practices across campaigns
  
  
• Identify and foster opportunities for shared planning and infrastructure among campaigns
  
  
• Develop guiding principles and other tools to promote and improve coordination between health campaigns and routine health systems

Intern Responsibilities: Interns will be exposed to technical leaders in global health organizations that operate or fund health campaigns in immunizations including polio, malaria, vitamin A supplementation and neglected tropical diseases, including colleagues at World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control, GAVI the Global Vaccine Alliance, the Carter Center and more. Students will have the opportunity for writing of technical synopses or briefs and newsletter articles, and synthesis of programmatic findings across programs. Students will have virtual contact with country-based colleagues working in campaigns. Topics of interest should be collaboration, integration, and health systems strengthening.

Interns will engage in several of the following activities based on interest, qualifications and requirements:

• Writing Campaign Integration Profiles. Student will develop 2 or more profiles of recent or upcoming integrated campaigns. The student will review the campaign calendar on HCE website for recent or upcoming campaigns and along with HCE program office and governance partners to identify ones that can be investigated with qualitative information in order to create a Profile. The profiles will be brief documents (1-2 pages) that describe key characteristics and nuances of the integrated campaign, including the rationale for integration, enablers and hindering factors, and any outcomes. The student and HCE program office will arrange a virtual interview to occur with the campaign manager. A field guide and analysis plan will be created prior to the interview. Consent will be obtained to create the profile based on the existing data and the interview data. The student will analyze the key themes and write up a one-page profile on the integrated campaign. The student can design and create tables and visuals to communicate key findings and ideas. The Profile will be placed on the HCE website.
  
  
• Writing of a Product for the HCE newsletter. Based on any activity, the student may write a newsletter article based on a narrowly focused topic that HCE can share broadly with the newsletter network. This may evolve into a technical brief if it involves review of secondary data and synthesis of evidence across programs. The student can design and create tables and visuals to communicate key findings and ideas.
  
  
• Support to HCE Awardees doing Implementation Research. Organizing the Peer-to-Peer Webinar – in May or June 2022, the student will help organize and develop materials for the IR awardee exchange. Topics of interest to the awardees should be ascertained in a brief survey to awardees and then discussion can be facilitated at the peer to peer webinar (HCE governance group experts may also be invited). If there are outside speakers that the awardees would like to hear, then a speaker can be found. Awardees may be able to share certain aspects of their work that they would like feedback on, before disseminating the overall study to a wide audience.
  
  
• Support to HCE Awardees doing Implementation Research. Broad Dissemination event – In July 2022, an HCE webinar (or series) can be created to present findings from the 10 IR awardees. The student can help in the identification of themes, and apply innovative thinking on how to present such rich material from 10 awardees in a 2-hour session. This may involve structuring the presentation of findings in concurrent breakout rooms based on the key topics of campaign integration exploration, past campaign integration outcomes, and the planning and implementation of the transition of campaigns to primary health care systems. The student can aid in the organization of the meeting, conduct of breakout rooms, documentation and workshop meeting synthesis of ideas.  The student can design and create tables and visuals to communicate key findings and ideas.
  
  
• Country Dissemination Support. In 2022, HCE program office may prioritize a few countries to develop an interested network of country programs that utilize campaigns and who may want more focused attention on campaign effectiveness (this will likely include Nigeria and 1 additional country in Africa and Asia or Latin America). The student, if having a strong country or regional interest, can work with regional or country partners to further disseminate the findings of the study to a more focused, country-based audience. This can involve virtual meetings and communications with one or two awardees. The student can design and create tables and visuals to communicate key findings and ideas.
  
  
• Synthesis of Findings in Campaign Integration Studies. The key findings, promising practices, lessons learned and implication/recommendations of the 4 studies on campaign integration will be listed out. The student can aid in this compiling, and also in the coding of the themes emerging, and the synthesis and writing of the findings.
  
  
• Synthesis of Findings in Transition of Campaigns to Primary Health Care Systems. The key findings, promising practices, lessons learned and implication/recommendations of the 6 studies on the transition of campaigns to primary health care systems. The student can aid in this compiling, and also in the coding of the themes emerging, and the synthesis and writing of the findings.
  
  
• Synthesis of Findings in Community Engagement for Integrated Campaigns. The key findings, promising practices, lessons learned and implication/recommendations of the 6 studies on community engagement for integrated campaigns. The student can aid in this compiling, and also in the coding of the themes emerging, and the synthesis and writing of the findings.
  

Qualifications: Relevant major and academic focus; curiosity, flexibility, and comfort with some level of uncertainty in how activities will be conducted until consensus is achieved; interest in forging relationships with actors in the global health campaign related stakeholder organizations; strong writing and synthesis/analysis skills; interest in health campaign programs and how they can be more effective, with a particular interest in collaboration among organizations and actors; interest in community engagement and involvement in campaigns. Spanish or French language skills are a plus but not required

Website: campaigneffectiveness.org and taskforce.org

New Internship for 2022; no past Princeton interns.

Senator William H. Frist Fellowship in Health Policy

Summer Policy Internship

Location: Nashville, Tennessee

Duration: 8-10 weeks

Number of Positions: 1

Stipend: $5,000

To Apply via GPS: Click Here

About: The office of former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is seeking a summer intern to directly support the Senator’s ongoing work in health policy, community health, and healthcare communications.

Senator Bill Frist is a heart and lung transplant surgeon who represented Tennessee in the United States Senate from 1995 to 2007.  Actively engaged in the business, medical, humanitarian, and philanthropic communities, today he serves as partner and co-founder of Frist Cressey Ventures, Chairman of community collaborative NashvilleHealth, and global board vice chair of The Nature Conservancy.

Intern Responsibilities: The intern will conduct research on the latest topical health policy issues, post health policy content on the Senator’s social media and monitoring social platforms, attend some meetings and events with the Senator, and potentially write op-eds and blog posts on behalf of Senator Frist.  The intern may also provide some support to the Senator’s community collaborative non-profit NashvilleHealth.

The intern will have the opportunity to work relatively independently, with supervision from the Senator’s policy advisor.  The position can be full-time in the Senator’s Nashville office, or potentially split in-person and remote. 

Qualifications: Excellent writing and communication skills; experience with social media platforms Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram; strong interest in healthcare and/or health policy, with interest in climate health a plus; energetic and eager to tackle new projects and ideas.

Websites: www.nashvillehealth.org and fcventures.com

 

View Internship Summary Poster and Video from Past Princeton Student Intern:

 

Summer 2021

Richard Stuart ’23 – Interning at the Office of Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (Video Presentation)

Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

Cancer Health Equity Center of Excellence

Research Internships

 

Location: Remote only

Duration: 10 weeks

Number of Positions: 2

Stipend: $4,000

To Apply via GPS: Click Here

About: As New Jersey’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI) – designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey’s team of internationally recognized physicians and researchers is driven by a singular focus and mission, to help individuals fight cancer. Through the transformation of laboratory discoveries into clinical practice, we target cancer with precision medicine, immunotherapy and clinical trials and provide the most advanced, comprehensive, and compassionate world-class cancer care to adults and children. This mission is being accomplished in partnership with RWJBarnabas Health. Rutgers Cancer Institute physicians and scientists work side by side to make sure the most sophisticated treatments are delivered to our patients quickly and safely - the future of cancer treatments today.

Intern Responsibilities: There are two possible internship focus areas for student interns. When applying, please indicate the one or ones you would like to be considered for.

 

FOCUS AREA #1 – The PINPOINT Study

PINPOINT (Promoting INformed approaches in Precision Oncology and ImmuNoTherapy) is a community-engaged study to develop an online intervention for increasing awareness, facilitating informed and shared decision making, and improving access to clinical trials and recommended cancer treatments among Black cancer patients. In this project, we are pilot testing the patient-centered and culturally tailored prototype online education and decision support intervention.

The intern will recruit cancer patients to a randomized two-arm pilot trial, collect qualitative and quantitative data, and synthesize the results, which will be used to assess the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the PINPOINT intervention. The intern will gain experience with human subjects research, e-health (including a chatbot), direct patient interaction, and data analysis, work closely with the investigative team, and make valuable contributions to a project that will improve cancer health equity.

 

FOCUS AREA #2 – The CATALYST Project

The CATALYST (Choices About genetic Testing And Learning Your risk with Smart Technology) Project will address the urgent need for genetic testing among individuals and families with a high risk for hereditary cancer. We will develop a comprehensive, secure, interactive, culturally sensitive, web-based education and decision-making tool for smart devices, which features a chatbot that will assess personal risk and facilitate genetic counseling and genetic testing.

The research team has an opening for Summer 2022 for an intern to assist with the development of the CATALYST prototype and usability testing with cancer patients. The intern will work closely with genetic specialists and the investigative team and gain experience with intervention development, health communication, and human subjects research. This research is significant because of its potential to expand access to cancer genetic services and improve cancer outcomes, prevention, and early detection among families at risk.

 

Qualifications: Experience in quantitative and qualitative research methods, strong writing skills. Interest in telehealth and/or e-health is a plus.

Websites: www.cinj.org and www.cinj.org/outreach/center-cancer-health-equity.

 

View Internship Summary Posters and Videos from Past CINJ Princeton Student Interns:

 

Summer 2021

Sean Crites ’22 - PINPOINTING the Path to Equitable Cancer Care (Video Presentation)

Yodahe Gebreegziabher ’22 - PINPOINT Project: Interventional Approach in Reducing Disparities in Cancer Care (Video Presentation)

Minji Park ’22 - Empowered Survivor: Developing an Online Platform for Oral Cancer Survivors with CINJ (Video Presentation)

 

Summer 2020 

Zoya Gauhar '22 - Efficacy & Safety of DNMT1 inhibitors in MEN1 Mouse model: Creating a Draft Medical Manuscript (Video Presentation)

Christina Moon '22 - Interning at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

Shayla Murray '21 - The Effects of Exon 14 Skipping in Lung Cancer Patients (Video Presentation)

Mayowa Oke '22 - The Geography of Cancer: An Analysis of Cancer Risk Factors in the State of NJ (Video Presentation)

Quinn Rademaker '22 - Utilizing Technology: How Web-based Intervention Influences Health (Video Presentation)

Grace Simmons '22 - Project iCare: Fighting Disparities in Cancer Treatment through Technology (Video Presentation)

 

Summer 2019

Kristen Pagliai '20 - From Pilot to Publication: The Lifecycle of Cancer Prevention Research

Sophia Peifer '21 - The Availability of JUUL Flavored Products near Rutgers Campus

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Technical Advice and Partnership Internship

 

Location: Remote only

Duration: 10 weeks

Number of Positions: 2

Stipend: $4,000

To Apply via GPS: Click Here

About: The Global Fund is a partnership designed to accelerate the end of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as epidemics.  As an international organization, the Global Fund mobilizes and invests more than $4 billion a year to support programs in more than 100 countries. In partnership with governments, civil society, technical agencies, the private sector and people affected by diseases, we challenge barriers and embrace innovation.

Intern Responsibilities: The Global Fund will host remote internships to support the Resilient and Sustainable Systems for Health (RSSH) Team which is part of the Technical Advice and Partnership (TAP) Department. The interns will support a scope of work in the area of laboratory system strengthening.  The interns will also support a scope of work in the area of pandemic preparedness and response.  Intern responsibilities will include reviewing the Technical Review Panel’s recommendations on investments in strengthening health systems and synthesizing key thematic areas, reviewing and analyzing grant documentation, and interviewing key stakeholders.

In addition, the interns will participate in a series of curated “virtual coffees” with leading experts in the field of global health to both learn more about specific technical topics, as well hear about their professional journeys.

Qualifications: The ideal candidate will be a self-starter with high quality control, resourcefulness, maturity, clear verbal and written communication skills and the ability to work independently. The interns must have strong analytical skills. 

Website: www.theglobalfund.org/en

 

View Internship Summary Posters from Past Global Fund Princeton Student Interns:

 

Summer 2021

Kennedy Walls ’24 - One Step Ahead: A Microanalysis to Cast Foresight into New Funding Model 4 (Video Presentation)

 

Summer 2020

Naomi Shifrin '22 - The Impact of Cash Transfers on HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis (Video Presentation)

Institute for Social Medicine

State University of Rio de Janeiro

Research Internships

 

Location: Remote only

Duration: 10 weeks

Number of Positions: 2

Stipend: $4,000

To Apply via GPS: Click Here

About: The Institute of Social Medicine of the State University of Rio de Janeiro was created in the late 1960s by a group of professors from the Faculty of Medical Sciences who realized the need to deepen and systematize reflections on health issues. Since its foundation, ISM has been characterized by interdisciplinary, critical spirit, commitment to the Brazilian social reality and respect for the free debate of ideas. The Institute is one of the main institutions involved with the creation of the Brazilian free and universal healthcare system, and its professors work with scholars all around the world.

Intern Responsibilities: There are two potential focus areas for a student intern. When applying, please indicate the one or ones you would like to be considered for.

 

FOCUS AREA #1 – Gender, Sexuality, and Human Rights

This internship provides an opportunity for a guided exploration of issues of feminism, gender, intersectionality, sexuality and body politics, gender in science and medicine, digital feminism, and sexuality and the internet, as addressed in Brazilian Humanities and Social Science scholarship.

Interns will review literature and other sources and interview local emerging scholars on a subject of their choice within that scope. Each intern will be assigned a CLAM faculty supervisor who, at weekly meetings, will guide the choice and narrowing of issues, suggest relevant sources, and review reports. Interns are expected to submit short articles, interviews, reviews or reports that will be evaluated for publication on CLAM’s website in either English, Portuguese or Spanish.

Intern responsibilities include:

• Bibliographic research and literature review of Brazilian sources;

• One or more interviews with emerging Brazilian scholars;

• Submission of one or more pieces for publication on CLAM’s website.

Qualifications: Required - humanities or social science training; gender and sexuality background or strong interest. Desired – excellent writing skills.  Fluency in Spanish or Portuguese desirable but not required; lack of reading skills in those languages will restrict the intern’s access to local sources.

Website: www.clam.org.br

 

FOCUS AREA #2 – Drug Trajectories: Mapping Out the Area of Drug Studies

 Since the 1980s, the broad and diverse study of pharmaceuticals has gained notable impetus and inspiration from the social sciences and the humanities, including such disciplines as anthropology, economics, sociology, history, psychology, and social studies of science and technology. Regardless of methodology, this blossoming of qualitative analysis has expanded the field of drug studies. Scholars have moved beyond understanding the mechanisms of pharmacological action to include the web of meanings surrounding particular uses of prescription drugs, prevailing understandings of health and disease in different socio-historical contexts, and the values of drug consumption, use, and exchange.

Since drugs do not produce universal biological effects, such concepts as addiction, efficacy, side-effects, (non)compliance, misuse, and rational use cannot be detached from the “set” and the “setting” of the drug experience. Pharmaceuticals are thus a particularly fitting object of study to elucidate the relationships between body, society, and culture. Such studies can prompt reflections about macroscopic issues like national or international health policies and social security systems, as well as investigations about conceptions of risk, wellbeing, mind/body balance, (il)legitimate suffering, vulnerability, prevention, and treatment in specific social environments.

The project “Drug Trajectories: Interviews with Researchers from the Anthropology, History, and Sociology of Pharmaceuticals” started in 2019, when Dr. Rafaela Zorzanelli completed the first set of interviews designed for sketching out an overview of the research scenario of anthropologists, sociologists, and historians in the field of drug studies, ranging from some of its founding scholars to authors from newer generations, to present readers with their specific contributions to the area. It intends to be useful not only for junior researchers - as a guide to authors, the core literature, theoretical frameworks, and methodological approaches in the field - but also for experts, who will be able to draw on it as a bibliographical resource and source of updated information.

The first batch of interviews already started to be launched online. The “Drug Trajectories” website is an essential part of this project. Through this platform, the project results are released. They include printed extracts in scholarly journals and edited videos. Portuguese and English book compilations of the full-length interviews are also forthcoming.  The “Drug Trajectories” project continues to identify new subjects and to conduct new interviews. As the world copes with and adapts to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is crucial to re-examine the role and the understanding of pharmaceuticals in diverse systems of belief, in our everyday lives, and as part of our desires for the future.

Intern Responsibilities:

• Collect project data, propose and develop ideas, and contribute proactively to the project

• Website management

• Promote the website in the academic-related environment using social media tools

• Write original content (supervised by the PI)

Qualifications: Fluency in Portuguese, excellent writing skills.

Websites: drugtrajectories.org and www.researchgate.net/profile/Rafaela_Zorzanelli and uerj.academia.edu/RafaelaZorzanelli