The Next Generation of Global Public Health Leaders
We are committed to training and mentoring the next generation of global health leaders with a strong foundational understanding of primary health care and people-centered care approaches. The scholars program provides students and health professional trainees the opportunity to conduct mentored research projects and support program implementation. Our current collaborators include the Partnership for Health Advancement in Viet Nam (HAIVN) (a collaboration between Harvard Medical School, the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center), the University of Philippines Manila and the Praboromarajchanok Institute (PBRI) in Thailand.
The scholars program centers on a 12-month curriculum and mentored research project that will contribute to our work within partner countries to advance primary healthcare and people-centered care approaches to health system reform through knowledge generation, innovation and advocacy. All Scholars are mentored by Harvard and local, site-based faculty and will receive monthly teaching and regular support to assist them in completing their project. Each project includes a 4-6 week placement with the local project teams in Vietnam, the Philippines, or Thailand.
Become a 2024-25 Scholar
Do you have an interest in people-centered care? Harvard health professional students are welcome to apply to the 2024-2025 student scholar opportunities.
Criselle Angeline C. Peñante, MD, MA
Student, Master of Medical Sciences in Global Health Delivery (MMSc-GHD)
Harvard Medical School
“Upon learning about the ongoing collaboration between HMS and the Philippines, I immediately applied to the Scholars Program at the Program in Global Primary Care and Social Change, eager to contribute to a project dedicated to delivering effective and equitable healthcare for Filipinos.”
Criselle is a student in the Master of Medical Sciences in Global Health Delivery program at Harvard Medical School. She is a physician, educator, clinical researcher, and mental health advocate who focuses on strengthening the Philippine mental healthcare system through digital health solutions. Criselle is a faculty member at the University of Santo Tomas (Manila, Philippines), teaching subjects related to human anatomy and clinical epidemiology among pre-med and medical students. She is actively involved in professional organizations and non-profit work in the Philippines and globally, and she serves as the Director of Culture, Diversity, and Inclusion at Harvard Alumni for Mental Health.
Project Focus: Primary care workforce development for hepatitis management in the Philippines
James Ricks
MD Candidate, Class of 2027
Harvard Medical School
James is a second-year medical student at Harvard Medical School. He graduated magna cum laude from Washington and Lee University in 2021 with a degree in English and a minor in Poverty and Human Capabilities Studies. In 2022, James was a Fulbright Scholar in Nepal, where he conducted original research and spent time shadowing and working as a patient guide and medical assistant at a local clinic. He also has experience as a research assistant in the Heart and Vascular Research Department at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, Washington.
Project Focus: Stigma reduction in the HIV system in Vietnam
Marwatunnisa Al Mubarokah, MD
Student, Master of Medical Sciences in Global Health Delivery (MMSc-GHD)
Harvard Medical School
Marwa is a student in the Master of Medical Sciences in Global Health Delivery program at Harvard Medical School. She is a general practitioner from Indonesia with broad experience working in primary healthcare in remote areas of Java, Indonesia. Her research and work experience focuses on community-based healthcare services and community health workers, primarily to improve maternal and child health and treatment for non-communicable diseases. As a PGPCSC Scholar, Marwa will be involved in the STITCH (Strengthening the Integrated Treatment and Care for Hepatitis) project. Through the program, she hopes to learn more about how to strengthen primary healthcare to deliver high-quality healthcare services for all people.
Project Focus: Primary care workforce development for hepatitis management in Vietnam
Naeema Hopkins-Kotb
MD Candidate, Class of 2025
Harvard Medical School
“I was drawn to the Scholars Program because of the unique opportunity to contribute meaningfully to established global health partnerships, and to do so under the guidance and mentorship of experts in global health, both at PGPCSC and with the country teams.”
Naeema is a fourth-year MD candidate in the Pathways program at Harvard Medical School. She graduated summa cum laude from Duke University in 2021, with bachelor’s degrees in biology and Global Health. Naeema is Egyptian-American and grew up around the world in Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, Ghana, and Malaysia, in addition to the US. She is passionate about global health and sexual/reproductive health and plans to specialize in obstetrics and gynecology. Her other academic and extracurricular interests include birth equity, mentorship of underrepresented students in medicine, and medical education.
Project Focus: Primary care workforce development for hepatitis management in the Philippines
Naomi Schmeck, M.Sc.
Graduate Research Student
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
“I was motivated to participate in the Scholars Program because of the program’s commitment to novel approaches to primary health care delivery and training around the globe, and collaborations with in-country students and professionals. This program fits into my career goals of working in primary care, specifically in pediatrics.”
Naomi Schmeck has a Master of Science degree from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. As a student in the Department of Global Health and Population, she has concentrations in Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Child Protection. She is a research student with the Global AIM Lab at Brigham and Women's Hospital, where her research focuses on global neonatal sepsis, including antibiotic efficacy and diagnostic accuracy of individual signs to identify sepsis and meningitis and predict mortality in young infants across the globe. She hopes to continue working in infectious disease management and prevention research, to improve health outcomes and promote the safety and well-being, of all children.
Project Focus: Evaluation of central-line associated blood stream infections (CLABSI) at Vietnam National Hospital
Saravanan Thangarajan, MDS, MBA, FICOI, FAD
Student, Master of Medical Sciences in Global Health Delivery (MMSc-GHD)
Harvard Medical School
Global Health Research Scholar
Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Medical Center, Brigham Women’s Hospital
Dr. Saravanan Thangarajan is a student in the Master of Medical Sciences in Global Health Delivery program at Harvard Medical School. He is a Global Health Equity Researcher and Climate Change Advocate focused on innovative healthcare solutions integrating oral health, non-communicable diseases, and climate science, particularly in under-resourced settings. His work as a Data Analysis Research Associate at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health involved groundbreaking research on dietary patterns and Type II Diabetes. Saravanan also has an MBA in Healthcare & Hospital Administration from Dr. M.G.R. Educational & Research Institute, and a Master of Dental Surgery in Prosthodontics & Crown and Bridge from Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education.
Project Focus: Integrating climate science into the medical curriculum in Vietnam