Global Health: Science, Medicine, and the Social Determinants of Health Summer Scholars Session II
The field of global health is much broader than finding a cure for a disease. This track is designed not only for students who plan to enter a medical profession, but anyone with an interest in learning about the complexity of global health challenges. We will discuss the important role of medical professionals in the field of global health, in addition to other initiatives in disease control, prevention programs to reduce disease incidence, and the importance of addressing the other social determinants of health.
The global health track will provide an overview of the major global health challenges in under-resourced settings both within the United States and in developing countries. Students will learn how to calculate the “burden of disease,” how epidemiologists project the seriousness of an outbreak of disease and learn innovative strategies used to improve health. We will also discuss the role of different players in global health and its truly interdisciplinary nature. Global health challenges must be solved by medical professionals, development practitioners, policy makers, scientists and you!
Course Schedule
This course will be offered during Summer Scholars Session II (June 29 - July 13, 2024) on campus.
Academic Director
Jennifer Robichaud
Jennifer Robichaud, Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, received her Bachelor’s degree in Clinical Laboratory Science (College of Saint Scholastica, 1995) and Master’s degree in Medical Microbiology (University of Georgia, 1997). She then was a fellow in the Emerging Infectious Disease Training program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, GA, investigating the excretion of Mycobacterium tuberculosis proteins in patients with HIV/AIDS. This research was continued through the Oak Ridge Institute of Science and Engineering Fellowship program with CDC and Emory University, in Atlanta, GA. Jennifer went on to work as a Diagnostic Parasitologist at Purdue University and teach Veterinary Parasitology within the Veterinary and Veterinary Technician programs (2000 to 2006). Since 2008, she has taught at the University of Notre Dame in the Department of Biological Sciences. Jennifer has been a mentor in undergraduate research, has mentored capstone projects in the Global Health Master’s Program and teaches various courses in the Department of Biological Sciences including the Introductory Biology Laboratory sequence, Medical/Veterinary Parasitology lecture and laboratory (BIOS 40415/41415), and Vertebrate Physiology (BIOS 30344). Additionally, Jennifer is involved with and advises several student clubs on campus, in particular those related to Global Health and PreVeterinary Medicine. She received Notre Dame's Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C. Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching in 2016.