Spotlights – Global Reproductive Health at Duke

Get to Know Coordinators Jeniffer & Breandan

March 21, 2025March 21, 2025 by Maren Webster and Amber SmithNo Comments

Jeniffer Ambaka and Breandan Beller Makhulo are key members of our team in Kenya. These two coordinators play leading roles in keeping our project operations running smoothly: communicating with community partners and health facility staff, staying on top of enrollment records and regulatory documentation and organizing the efforts of our team among many other responsibilities. These team members are passionate, dedicated, and a joy to work alongside. Keep reading to get to know Jeniffer and Breandan a little better! Jeniffer Ambaka – Coordinator and Clinical Officer Question: What inspires you to pursue your area of work? Answer: I have a passion for serving women and children. With the knowledge and skills I have I always ensure women are screened regularly and those with early signs [of disease]. Pre-cancer is managed so that they don't progress to advanced cancer. It is my responsibility to empower women with knowledge and ensure they get the right services they require without any problems. Q: What is the most rewarding...

Getting to Know our Research Assistants

January 30, 2025January 30, 2025 by Maren Webster and Amber Smith1 Comment

The research assistants on our team in Kisumu, Kenya serve in a variety of roles, all of which contribute to making the research and intervention work we do possible. This team recently conducted in-depth interviews with women and community health promoters (CHPs) who engaged with our Elimisha project. These interviews explored women’s experiences with receiving cervical cancer screening and care and their experience of stigma, and CHPs’ experiences guiding and counselling women through the process of cervical cancer screening and care. After delving into these topics with women and CHPs, this team has been working hard to transcribe, translate and review the conversations. Their dedication, curiosity, and drive to improve the lives of women and families in their communities are abundantly evident in their work. Keep reading for a window into the lives and personalities of Merceline, Moureen, Belinda and Javan! Merceline Alala Question: What is the most rewarding part of your work? Answer: The most rewarding part of my work is when a...

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT: AN INTERVIEW WITH DR. EMILY HERFEL

October 19, 2022December 10, 2024 by Amber SmithNo Comments

Emily Herfel, DO, Msc-GH, FACOG (Fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Obstetricians and Gynecologists), is an assistant professor at Duke Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, an affiliate at the Duke Center for Global Reproductive Health, and a volunteer professor at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center in Moshi, Tanzania. Dr. Herfel completed her undergraduate work at John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio followed by a Doctor of Osteopathy at Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine in Athens, Ohio. She completed residency at OhioHealth Doctors Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. She then went on to receive her Masters of Science in Global Health through a Women’s Global Health Fellowship at Duke University. During that fellowship, she received an NIH-Fogarty grant to complete her project in Kisumu, Kenya. I had an enriching conversation with Dr. Herfel to learn more about her experiences within the global health sphere and her passion for reproductive health care. “Right in the heart of COVID, in July 2020, I moved to...

Faculty Spotlight: An Interview with Dr. Jonas Swartz

May 2, 2022December 10, 2024 by Aarushi VenkatakrishnanNo Comments

Jonas Swartz, MD, MPH is an OB/GYN and an Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He completed his undergrad at Duke University and then his MPH and MD at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Oregon Health and Science University, followed with a fellowship in Complex Family Planning back at UNC. I had a conversation with Dr. Swartz to understand more about how he became involved in health policy and reproductive health access. “Well, I grew up in North Carolina and did Medical School here, and one of the striking things when I was a medical student was the discrepancy in care during pregnancy for people who were citizens versus non-citizens. And, in particular, thinking about low-income people who use Medicaid.” Swartz described his early medical training and becoming acquainted with the Federal Emergency Medicaid program, which only pays for labor and delivery services for authorized immigrants. He noted that...

Faculty Spotlight: An Interview with Dr. Sumedha Ariely

February 3, 2022December 10, 2024 by Angela HuangNo Comments

Dr. Sumedha Gupta Ariely is an associate Professor in the Global Health department and teaches courses such as Research methods in Global Health (GLHLTH371) and Global Health Ethics (GLHLTH373). She is also a faculty lead for Duke Global Health Institute’s Durham Research and Service work, demonstrating her commitment to the “Local-is-Global” approach in global health endeavors. She has mentored a variety of undergraduate and graduate students through Bass Connections and DukeEngage projects. In her research, she investigates maternal, child, and adolescent health across international contexts. Notable, she has worked extensively with Uganda, Kenya, and India across her time at Duke. Using her background in developmental psychology, she examines how cultural and social factors relate to a community’s health behaviors and outcomes. To explore more of Dr. Ariely’s revolutionary work, I interviewed her on her experiences and initiatives in the global health field during her time at Duke to see how they have informed her research. 1. You’ve led initiatives in the “Global Is...

Student Spotlight: Ema Kuczura and Sarah Hubner

May 10, 2021December 10, 2024 by Aarushi VenkatakrishnanNo Comments

As we just finished the end of the spring semester, we wanted to highlight the work of two of our talented students: Ema Kuczura and Sarah Hubner. Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself. Ema: I am originally from Chicago, IL. I recently graduated Duke where I majored in Public Policy and Global Health. I am a member of the Duke Women's Rowing team where I am finishing up my last season. While at Duke, I also participated in the Rubenstein-Bing Athlete Civic Engagement program, served as Co-President of the One Love student club, and served on the executive board of Duke SHAPE (Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention and Education). Sarah: I am originally from Long Island, New York. I studied Political Science with a concentration in Security Peace, and Conflict and Global Health, and pursued a Markets and Management Studies Certificate. I have long been interested in the intersection of US foreign policy and economic development on health outcomes among marginalized populations...

Faculty Spotlight: Sara LeGrand or Liz Turner selected as part of WomenLift Health’s 2021 Global Leadership Journey cohort

March 8, 2021December 10, 2024 by Angela HuangNo Comments

Sara LeGrand Serving as an Associate Research Professor of Global Health and as the co-director of the Duke Sexual and Gender Minority Health Program, Sara LeGrand has done incredible work in exploring health care disparities worldwide through her research and her teaching. Across her 10 years at Duke, Dr. LeGrand’s research has investigated HIV prevention & disparities among sexual and gender minorities and developed digital health interventions to improve antiretroviral adherence. Her research on sexual and gender minorities also explores social determinants of health that affect mental, physical, and social health outcomes globally. Recently, Dr. LeGrand has recently been published in the International Journal of Transgender Health in the study “Mental health and challenges of transgender women: A qualitative study in Brazil and India”, exploring the lived experiences of transgender women in low - and middle - income countries with high rates of transphobia and gender-based violence. Elizabeth Turner In her work as the Director of Duke Global Health Institute’s Research and Design...

An Interview with Dr. Joy Noel Baumgartner

November 17, 2020December 10, 2024 by Hana HendiNo Comments

What originally sparked your passion in global sexual and reproductive health? I was originally interested in child welfare issues and realized how closely related that is with women’s ability to realize their reproductive intentions. Have you had any mentorship opportunities that brought you to where you are today? I didn’t get into SRH work until after my PhD, while working at FHI 360. I can’t say there was one particular mentor—more like a committed environment of like-minded individuals dedicated to social and reproductive justice issues. Do you have any guiding principles that keep you on track? I’m an applied researcher. At the end of day, I have to see how any project I’m working on will impact practice or policy—not “someday” but within a tangible time period. That usually means very close collaborations with my research partners endure past the end of the funding. Do you have any advice for students intending to follow the same professional pathway? If you’re interested in global SRH, know the countries/regions...

Faculty Spotlight: Joy Noel Baumgartner

October 7, 2020December 10, 2024 by Aarushi VenkatakrishnanNo Comments

By: Angela Huang Across the past 6 years with Duke, Dr. Joy Noel Baumgartner has done incredible work within the fields of global mental health, studying maternal mental health, psychotic disorders and HIV/RH services in low resources settings across the world. She acts as the Director of the Evidence Lab and the Global Mental Health Working Group in Duke’s Global Health Institute. Furthermore, she acts as an Associate Research Professor of global health teaching classes related to maternal and child health. She also collaborates as a Faculty Network Member of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences. She has conducted research everywhere from Tanzania to Jamaica, exploring how various community interventions may improve mental health and reproductive health. To highlight her recent work, she’s worked with other researchers in Duke and Guatemala to examine the factors that may prevent or promote implementing a perioperative patient safety program in the Roosevelt Hospital in Guatemala. They found that limited resources, leadership engagement, and knowledge were...

Dr. Elizabeth Bukusi’s Work on HIV Prevention and Care

December 10, 2019December 10, 2024 by Aarushi VenkatakrishnanNo Comments

To commemorate World AIDS Day held each year on December 1, we are highlighting Dr. Elizabeth Bukusi’s HIV research in Kenya! Dr. Bukusi is one of the foremost advocates for HIV care. She has conducted various studies in evaluating treatment options for high-risk populations. In one of her recent studies, she explored the value of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and the antibiotic doxycylcine (dPEP) as an STI prevention strategy in African women taking PrEP, PrEP, or HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, has been used over the past decade to prevent against HIV, however, there has also been a rising incidence of curable STIs in populations taking PrEP. The disproportionate risk that African women face from overlapping HIV-STI epidemics makes them an essential study population. dPEP is beneficial because it can be "woman-controlled," meaning that the effectiveness is not determined by partner participation, and that it's been shown to be safe for women. Dr. Bukusi predicts that dPEP will lead to a substantial reduction in the amount of...