Tulane-Xavier MHIRT Program

Overseas Student Opportunities - Summer 2008

The following research opportunities are available for students applying for the summer 2008 term. Further details of research areas available at each site can be found on the Site Descriptions page. When applying for MHIRT, please indicate those positions for which you wish to be considered by ranking your top three choices.  All summer positions are available during the months of June through August.

Position A-2008 - Peru #1
U.S. Mentor: Richard Oberhelman, MD; Associate Professor of Tropical Medicine and Pediatrics, Tulane University SPHTM
Overseas Mentors: Lilia Cabrera, RN; Robert Gilman, MD
Location: Lima, Peru
Research Area: Field-based research in gastrointestinal diseases, including parasite infections such as Cyclospora and Cryptosporidia, or bacterial infections such as Helicobacter pylori infections. Opportunities to become involved with one of several projects on diarrheal diseases or water quality ongoing in the rural shantytown population south of Lima (Pampas de San Juan).
Student Level: Undergraduate (junior or senior) or graduate student.
Prerequisites: Conversational Spanish, intermediate level or above required; biology background preferred.

Position B-2008 - Mexico
U.S. Mentor: Mark James, PhD; Professor and Vice Chair of Tropical Medicine, Tulane University SPHTM
Overseas Mentors: Eric Dumonteil, PhD
Location: Merida, Mexico
Research Area: Collaborative tropical disease research at the Autonomous University of Yucatan focuses on the development of control tools for Chagas' disease and leishmaniasis. Both diseases represent important public health problems in large parts of Latin America. The general aim of the research program is to develop new tools for intervention and control of the diseases, including therapeutic treatment of Chagas' disease and leishmaniasis and investigating DNA vaccines for the prevention of infection. Other research activities include entomological surveillance and designing new vector control strategies using a combination of field work, population genetics, GIS and mathematical modeling.
Student Level: Undergraduate (junior or senior), graduate or pre-doctoral student.
Prerequisites: Conversational Spanish, intermediate level, is preferred.

Position C-2008 - Argentina #1
U.S. Mentor: Pierre Buekens, MD, PhD; Professor and Dean, Tulane University SPHTM
Overseas Mentors: Jose Belizan, MD, PhD
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Research Area: Maternal and child health research. Projects will involve work in hospitals in Buenos Aires and surrounding areas that are participating in the follow-up study of the Guidelines Trial, which is funded by the Global Network for Women's and Children's Health Research, NICHD. Possible focus areas include childbirth and the implementation of clinical trials in developing countries.
Student Level: Undergraduate (junior or senior) or graduate student.
Prerequisites: Conversational Spanish, intermediate level; a background in biology, medicine, epidemiology, public health or social sciences is preferred.

Position D-2008 - Argentina #2
U.S. Mentor: Pierre Buekens, MD, PhD; Professor and Dean, Tulane University SPHTM
Overseas Mentors: Fernando Rubinstein, MD, and Frederico Augustovski, MD; Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Research Area: Health technology assessment; methods in epidemiological research. Projects will involve hands-on experience in economic evaluation, health technology assessment reports, resource-allocation decision making (HTA area) and data management, data analysis and follow-up of epidemiological research protocols.
Student Level: Undergraduate (junior or senior) or graduate student.
Prerequisites: Conversational Spanish, intermediate level; a background in biology, medicine, epidemiology, public health or social sciences is preferred.

Position E-2008 - China
U.S. Mentor: Jiang He, MD, PhD; Professor and Chair, Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University SPHTM
Overseas Mentor: Yonghong Zhang, MD
Location: Suzhou, China
Research Area: Studies of the epidemiology of cardiovascular disease and stroke in China, along with associated conditions such as hypertension and diabetes.
Student Level: Undergraduate (junior or senior), graduate or pre-doctoral student.
Prerequisites: Previous coursework or experience in epidemiology and biostatistics is required. Some conversational Chinese or self-study/tutoring in basic Chinese language prior to travel is preferred but is not required.

Position F-2008 - Mali #1
U.S. Mentor: Donald Krogstad, MD; Professor and Chair, Department of Tropical Medicine, Tulane University SPHTM
Overseas Mentor: Ouseman Koita, PharmD, PhD
Location: Missira Field Site (160 km northwest of Bamako); Mali, West Africa
Research Area: Evaluation of chloroquine for asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum (malaria parasite) infection. The rationale for this project is that susceptibility to antimalarials may increase when they are no longer used in the community. Therefore, the specific aim of this project is to examine the susceptibility of P. falciparum parasites in the community during the rainy season (the time of peak prevalence) by testing the in vivo efficacy of chloroquine in persons with asymptomatic P. falciparum infection. The results of this longitudinal prospective study will determine whether this phenomenon (which has been reported in Cameroon and Malawi) is also occurring in Mali in an area where the use of chloroquine has recently been discontinued.
Student Level: Undergraduate (junior or senior), graduate or medical student.
Prerequisites: Conversational French is preferred.

Position G-2008 - Mali #2
U.S. Mentor: Donald Krogstad, MD; Professor and Chair, Department of Tropical Medicine, Tulane University SPHTM
Overseas Mentor: Ouseman Koita, PharmD, PhD
Location: Missira Field Site (160 km northwest of Bamako), Mali, West Africa
Research Area: Artemisinin derivatives for symptomatic, uncomplicated P. falciparum (malaria parasite) infection. The rationale for this project is that susceptibility to the currently recommended treatments for P. falciparum infection must be monitored to determine whether those recommendations remain valid. Thus, the specific aim of this project is to examine the susceptibility of parasites causing symptomatic, uncomplicated P. falciparum infection to the currently recommended treatment for those infections in Mali. The results of this longitudinal prospective study will provide an essential baseline for the treatment of malaria in Mali, with results reviewed by the National Malaria Control Program within the Ministry of Health in Mali.
Student Level: Undergraduate (junior or senior), graduate or medical student.
Prerequisites: Conversational French is preferred.

Position H-2008 - Sierra Leone
U.S. Mentors: Daniel Bausch, MD, MPH&TM; Frederique Jacquerioz, MD, DTMH, MPH
Overseas Mentors: Augustine Goba; Sheik Humarr Khan, MD; Tiffany Imes, MPH
Location: Kenema Government Hospital, Kenema, Sierra Leone
Research Area: Behavioral risk factors for Lassa fever. Students will take part in a case-control study of patients recovered from Lassa fever to assess risk factors for transmission.
Student Level: Undergraduate (junior or senior) or graduate student.
Prerequisites: Biology background preferred.

Position I-2008 - Thailand
U.S. Mentor: Mark VanLandingham, PhD
Overseas Mentor: Sureepron Punpuing, PhD
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Research Area: Students will assist in the development of a multi-dimensional assessment of young adults' health for migrants and non-migrants in sending areas (rural Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand) and receiving areas (Kanchanaburi and Bangkok metropolitan areas).  Research will also target an assessment of changes of various dimensions of health status over time for both migrants and non-migrants.
Student Level: Undergraduate (junior or senior) or graduate student.
Prerequisites: Self-study or tutoring in basic Thai language prior to travel. Prior experience with statistical software packages (e.g., SPSS).