Global Health

Mission Statement

We are committed to:

• Providing medical students with comprehensive global health education, emphasizing the socio-political, economic, and environmental determinants of health;
• Fostering an environment of intercultural understanding and respect, empowering students to communicate and collaborate effectively across diverse settings;
• Encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration, tapping into the expertise of various fields to provide holistic and sustainable solutions to global health problems;
• Facilitating immersive experiences, allowing students to witness firsthand the health care issues and challenges faced by different populations in various environments, and to participate in collaborative problem-solving; 

Cultivating a lifelong commitment to global health advocacy and service among our students, preparing them to be champions of health equity and ambassadors of positive change in the global medical community

Vision Statement

Empowering the next generation of medical professionals with global perspectives, cultural humility, and enduring domestic and international collaborations to address and innovate in the ever-evolving landscape of global health challenges.

Goals of the Program:

1) Acquiring Different Perspectives:
Objective: Broaden horizons by exposing students to the diverse methodologies, distinct health systems across the world, and the myriad challenges of global health.
Outcome: Graduates will cultivate a multidimensional understanding of health, fostering a capacity for critical and innovative thinking in addressing global health issues.

2) Global Cultural Humility:
Objective: Engage students in experiential learning across varied cultural settings, emphasizing the significance and nuances of cultural perspectives in health and wellness.
Outcome: Graduates will demonstrate cultural sensitivity and dexterity, allowing them to serve diverse communities with empathy, understanding, and effective communication.

3) Establishing Personal Connections and Legacies of Trust for Future Collaboration:
Objective: Facilitate robust domestic and international networks for students, promoting collaboration, and mutual growth among healthcare professionals locally, regionally, nationally, and globally.
Outcome: By fostering these early connections, we aim to seed a future where collaborative research, shared knowledge, and global teamwork become the norm in advancing medical science and patient care.


Global Health Seminar Series Schedule

Dr. Peter Hotez’s Global Health Seminar Series Lecture

The Bonita F. Stanton, MD Global Health Research Center

The research activities of the Bonita F. Stanton, MD Global Health Research Center encompass a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to global health challenges, and include a number of initiatives/areas of study and inquiry:

Determinants of Health: The Center studies the foundational aspects that contribute to healthy outcomes. This includes mental health, highlighting the importance of psychological well-being, and substance use and overdose prevention education, where research focuses on the drivers of addiction and effective interventions. The center also investigates practices in systemic health environments, like healthcare systems, and how changes can improve patient outcomes.

Ethics: The Center places a strong emphasis on ethical considerations in global health. Cultural humility indicates an approach that respects diverse cultures and incorporates this understanding into health practices. The promotion of ethical policies and practices supports long-term health and well-being, not just for current populations but for future generations as well.

Climate Change and One Health: Research in this area examines the impact of climate change on health. This includes how technological innovation can help mitigate these effects and how emerging infectious diseases are influenced by changing climates. The center conducts studies on the preparedness for disasters and how to effectively respond to them, with an eye towards climate-related events.

Emergent Disease Response: The Center is actively involved in formulating and improving responses to urgent health crises, such as pandemics. Long COVID research focuses on understanding and addressing the long-term consequences of COVID-19 infections.

Health Policy and Management: Here, the Center’s research activities include studying industrial and environmental impacts on health, advocating for better nutrition and addressing malnutrition, and providing humanitarian assistance, likely through improving health care practices in areas in need.

Nutrition: The Center addresses both ends of the malnutrition spectrum: undernutrition and overnutrition. Research activities range from studying the causes and effects of these conditions to developing interventions to promote better nutrition globally.

Across all these areas, the Center’s research activities are interdisciplinary, involving collaborations across various fields such as medicine, public health, environmental science, sociology, and technology. The goal is to create a holistic body of knowledge that can inform effective policies and interventions to improve global health outcomes.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Bonita F. Stanton MD Global Health Research Center is to conduct innovative research that addresses the multifaceted determinants of health, advocates for ethical health practices with cultural humility, responds to the impacts of climate change on health, and enhances emergency disease preparedness. We are committed to improving nutrition and to enhancing health systems through education, policy development, and humanitarian efforts. Our aim is the creation of actionable knowledge that leads to healthier lives, resilient environments, and equitable health outcomes for all.

Vision Statement

To be a beacon of innovation and excellence in global health, transforming the well-being of communities worldwide through a sustainable, ethical, and comprehensive approach to understanding and solving health challenges exacerbated by climate change, emerging diseases, chronic diseases, and social determinants of health.