student presentations

student speakers

Tasfia Jahangir, Fourth Year Undergraduate Student at USC

Talk: What to expect when you’re expecting: Perceptions of postpartum depression among low-income mothers and families in Mumbai, India

Poster: Analyzing Lay Perspectives on Culturally Tailoring Mental Health Services

Tasfia Jahangir is in her final year of undergraduate study at the University of Southern California (USC), where she is majoring in psychology and minoring in Spanish and public health. Her research interests lie in the community- and systems-level facilitators of mental health among marginalized populations. Specifically, she is interested in studying how the cultural and contextual aspects of living in intergenerational poverty (and its correlates, such as substance use and violence exposure) can affect psychological well-being. She hopes to pursue a career in which she can bridge research and practice, by developing and delivering culturally-sensitive community-based mental health interventions. Currently, she is pursuing research under Dr. Stanley Huey in USC’s Department of Psychology, and Dr. Mellissa Withers in the USC Institute of Inequalities in Global Health. Outside of school and research, Tasfia is an avid traveler and a voracious reader of Jacobin.

Marissa Holden, Fourth Year Medical Student at UCLA

The Impact of Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) during a Short Term Medical Mission Trip to Haiti 

Marissa Holden is a fourth-year medical student at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Born and raised in San Francisco, she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Occidental College in 2012. In college, Marissa conducted qualitative research on multiracial identity development and traveled to Rwanda on a John Parke Young Grant to teach public health courses. Prior to medical school, she completed a post-baccalaureate certificate program at San Francisco State University and researched the effects of HIV on liver health in women at the Women’s Interagency HIV Study at UCSF.  During medical school, Marissa was the Co-President of the American Medical Women’s Association, class well-being representative, and Global Health Selective Leader. At the end of her third year, Marissa traveled to Haiti with H.E.A.L. Haiti and is currently a student leader. In her free time, Marissa enjoys playing with her cats, traveling, trying new restaurants, hiking, and taking dance classes.

Krupa Prajapati, Third Year Undergraduate Student at UCLA

Sustainable Global Health in Mexico: A Student Driven Initiative

Krupa is a third year undergraduate student at UCLA majoring in Human Biology and Society. She joined the Fellowship for International Service and Health (FISH) in Fall 2018 to learn more about global health, and how to provide need-based interventions to communities in a culturally competent manner. During her time in FISH, Krupa has expanded her knowledge on the complex health issues facing the community in Maclovio Rojas, and how to best address them. Outside of FISH, Krupa is a Resilience Peer for UCLA’s Depression Grand Challenge, and volunteers at the Homeless Outreach Center for the Venice Family Clinic. After graduating, she hopes to obtain an MD/MPH and become an infectious disease specialist, working for Doctors Without Borders. During her free time, Krupa enjoys exploring Los Angeles and trying new cuisines.

Arsal Zaheer, Fourth Year Undergraduate Student at UCLA

Sustainable Global Health in Mexico: A Student Driven Initiative

Arsal is a fourth year Economics major and Public Health minor at UCLA. His interests pertain to the interplay between economics, education, and health outcomes in both local and global environments. He serves as the Chief Administrative Officer in the UCLA based nonprofit organization F.I.S.H. (Fellowship for International Service and Health,) collaborating with the community of Maclovio Rojas, Mexico to provide sustainable service tailored to resident needs.Through his undergraduate experiences, he has become a major advocate of analyzing health barriers and disparities through a structural and cultural lens. Upon graduation, Arsal hopes to work in healthcare policy, bridging the gap between economics and healthcare on a national scale.

Sophia Taleghani, Fourth Year Medical Student at UCLA

The Impact of Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) during a Short Term Medical Mission Trip to Haiti 

Sophia is a 4th year medical student at UCLA DGSOM interested in providing care to underserved communities, especially in regards to refugee health both locally and internationally. She hopes to become an internal medicine physician when she grows up. 

Jessica Huang, Public Health Doctoral Candidate at Harvard

Learning from Practitioners: Enabling Innovation in Refugee Health Education in Kakuma, Kenya

Jessica Huang is currently a doctoral candidate in public health at Harvard, with dual concentrations in maternal and child health as well as humanitarian studies and human rights. She studied environmental engineering and business as an undergraduate, co-founding a social enterprise in India to increase access to safe drinking water. As her interests in capacity-building grew, Jessica completed a Master's in "Learning, Design and Technology" at Stanford to learn more about how to support community members in designing and engineering their own solutions. She worked as an instructor with D-Lab at MIT, facilitating collaborative design projects with community partners across four continents and organizing co-design summits with the International Development Innovation Network (IDIN). Jessica has also worked on humanitarian innovation projects with UNICEF, Oxfam, and other organizations hosting people who have been displaced by conflict or natural disasters in Puerto Rico, Greece, Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Nepal and Bangladesh. She has an unwavering belief in human potential, and seeks to help address the vast disparities in opportunities for people to realize their full potential.

student poster presentations

Jonquile Williams, MPH Candidate at Loma Linda University

A Formative Evaluation into the Barriers and Facilitators of Chronic Absenteeism in San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) High Schools

Jonquile Williams is currently a second-year graduate student at Loma Linda University Global Health program. As a master’s student, Jonquile has capitalized on endeavors participating in various opportunities to expand her public health experience. Volunteering with the Adventist Health International (AHI) / Student International Missionary Services (SIMS) on the Maputo/Matola Mozambique Impact Project 2019 heading three separate program interventions including qualitative data collection, conducting an educational “Kids Corner,” and a gap analysis of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure of unimproved settlements. Working with Range of Motion Project (ROMP) Pilot Program Research utilizing the techniques of Community-Based Rehabilitation to inform recommendations and policy to improve further empowerment of people with amputations. In San Bernardino County, with the Randall Lewis Health Policy Fellowship: Partners for Better Health, Jonquile is currently working at the City of Rialto City Clerk’s Office in support of the healthy community’s initiative Healthy Rialto in partnership with Kaiser Permanente. Finally, Jonquile is working with Management Sciences for Health: Evidence, Performance, and Impact Unit a systematic review of literature to improve data quality and data use. In the future, Jonquile looks forward to implementing community-directed policy change, prevention programs, and empowering communities. “Empowered people, empower people.” In her free time, Jonquile enjoys Bollywood movies, music festivals, and reading Michael Crichton.

Nishita Matangi, MPH Global Health Candidate at Loma Linda University

A Formative Evaluation into the Barriers and Facilitators of Chronic Absenteeism in San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) High Schools

Nishita Matangi is a second year global health student at Loma Linda University School of Public Health. She graduated from Santa Clara University with a B.S in Public Health Science and a minor in Biology. She created and taught a health and hygiene curriculum for a Home for children whose parents have been affected by HIV/AIDS in Hyderabad, India. During this time she discovered her passion for global health.  

Through Loma Linda University School of Public Health she has had the opportunity to help conduct a situation analysis on community based rehabilitation in Quito, Ecuador in addition to helping organize a health fair to gather qualitative data on the needs of Venezuelan immigrants in Santo Domingo. For the past year she has worked with a team to identify the barriers to attendance among high school students in San Bernardino City Unified School District. She is also in a post graduate certificate program at Harvard Medical School titled Media and Medicine. In efforts to meet her requirement for the program both at Harvard and Loma Linda, she has chosen to share the stories of resilience in San Bernardino through a documentary style film call Berdoo. The inspiration for the film was found through the research conducted with the district. She is currently working with the community, schools and district leaders to give San Bernardino a chance to tell their own story.

Graciela Stephanie Molina, MPH Global Health Candidate at Loma Linda University

A Formative Evaluation into the Barriers and Facilitators of Chronic Absenteeism in San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) High Schools

Stephanie Molina is currently a second-year graduate student in global health at LLUSPH. She completed a B.A. at Southern Adventist University, in International Studies with an emphasis in French and a minor in Health and Wellness. During her time in France, Stephanie volunteered in several health fairs and gained a deeper understanding of public health. Additionally, she visited the World Health Organization (WHO), and the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency to expand her knowledge in health and leadership.

Through Loma Linda University School of Public Health, she has worked with two non-profit organizations in the country of Ecuador to assist in various research tasks. She helped conduct focus groups among Venezuelan immigrants for ADRA Ecuador (Adventist Development and Relief Agency International) and she helped conduct interviews among people with amputations for the Range of Motion Project organization. Currently, she is working alongside a team to provide a formative evaluation of the barriers and facilitators of chronic absenteeism to the San Bernardino City Unified School District. These experiences and the lessons learned through the process of applying global health, Stephanie is hoping to empower communities. Whether that might be providing evidence-based information or implementing positive and empowering programs.

Ashley Younger, Third Year PhD Student at UCSF School of Nursing

Systematic Review of Adverse Birth Outcomes Associated with Household Air Pollution from Cooking Fuel in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Ashley Younger’s research interests revolve around understanding and addressing maternal health disparities in low-resource settings. After graduating from Duke University, Ashley worked on global health projects in the Guatemalan highlands and Kathmandu, Nepal. She completed her Masters in Nursing from Boston College and then went on to pursue a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) at the Harvard School of Public Health (specialty Global Health) and a Diploma in Tropical Nursing from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Since graduate school, she has worked as a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner and a research consultant for reproductive health programs. Ashley is currently a third year PhD student at the University of California San Francisco School of Nursing. For her doctoral research, Ashley is investigating adverse birth outcomes associated with Household Air Pollution among pregnant women enrolled in the HAPIN Trial (Household Air Pollution Intervention Network). The HAPIN trip is a mulit-centered randomized control trial assessing the impact of LPG cooking stove and fuel interventions on health outcomes, particularly low birth weight.

Priya Dahiya, Fourth Year Undergraduate Student at UCLA

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Prevention and Treatment of Substance Abuse in India

Priya Dahiya is a fourth year undergraduate studying psychology and global health at UCLA. Priya is interested in the development and implementation of culturally-specific interventions for marginalized populations, and she hopes to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology to better understand racial/ethnic minority mental health. Priya is currently involved in researching mental health treatments for students in India and adolescent development broadly. She’s excited to present her research on substance use disorder in India at LAGHC.

Harseerat Jajj, Fourth Year Undergraduate Student at UCLA

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Prevention and Treatment of Substance Abuse in India

Harseerat Jajj: Harseerat (Seerat) Jajj is a recent fall graduate of UCLA in neuroscience and global health. From traveling between India and Arizona at a young age, Seerat became passionate about solving the troubling disparities in her surroundings and strives to pursue medicine to serve her community. On campus, Seerat is the current Co-Director of Alternative Breaks, a social justice organization grounded in education, service and reflection, and is involved in treatment research for recovering methamphetamine users in Dr. London’s Laboratory for Molecular Neuroimaging. Outside of school, Seerat loves to paint and try new cuisines with her friends.

Victor Hsiao, MD Candidate at Keck School of Medicine of USC

Understanding Lived Experiences of At-Risk Teenage Boys in Taiwan Through Photovoice

Victor Hsiao is a medical student at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. He has a passion for global health and working with medically underserved communities. Victor’s global health experience includes collaborating with the China CDC to model the epidemic dynamics of hand-foot-and-mouth disease in China. Victor’s dedication to supporting and further understanding at-risk youth led to his selection as a Keck School of Medicine Dean’s Research Scholar. He conducted a yearlong Photovoice study examining the social determinants of health among Taiwanese teenage boys in foster care or juvenile detention. The study identified common themes about the youth’s lived experiences and needs, generated compelling evidence to better advocate for them, and empowered participants by helping participants to share their needs and experiences with others. His work was presented at numerous local and international conferences, research exhibits, and featured in the newspaper and on television. 

Stephanie Sumstine, MPH, Research Associate at UCLA Global Center for Children and Families

Preventing Campus Sexual Violence Abroad: Global Seed Grants

Stephanie Sumstine, MPH, is a research associate at the UCLA Global Center for Children and Families, where she assists on the development and testing of several behavioral interventions involving the intersection of substance use, sexual health, and empowerment. She is also the Center Coordinator for the UC Global Health Institute’s Women’s Health, Gender, and Empowerment Center of Expertise where she helped manage the ‘UC Speaks Up’ study at UCLA. Stephanie’s past experience consists of helping with several community and place-based evaluation initiatives, including the California Endowment-funded Building Healthy Communities Long Beach activities, the Female Leadership Academy and the Narrative Change Strategy for Youth Investment projects. She has also been continuously involved in a study that examines the illicit use of prescription stimulants among undergraduate college students in California.

Iqra Amin, MBBS

Spectrum of Diseases and Multi-morbidity in Internal Medicine Clinics

Dr. Iqra Amin (MBBS) is a medical graduate from Karachi, Pakistan. Along with clinical work, her interests include global health, health policy and digital health. She is passionate about addressing the disparities in delivery of quality healthcare and improving healthcare outcomes in low resource settings.

Devika Shenoy, Second Year Undergraduate Student at UCLA

The University Report Card: A Measure of Equity in Biomedical Research and Education

Devika Shenoy is a 2nd-year undergraduate student pursuing a degree in Human Biology and Society. She works for the nonprofit organization Universities Allied for Essential Medicines, where she strives to increase the affordability and accessibility of medicines. In addition to attending medical school, Devika hopes to work towards a Masters in Public Health, in order to fuse her interests in health policy and advocacy with her desire to practice medicine. 

Sapna Ramappa, Second Year Undergraduate Student at UCLA

The University Report Card: A Measure of Equity in Biomedical Research and Education

Sapna Ramappa is a 2nd year undergraduate student at UCLA majoring in Human Biology and Society. Through her experience with UAEM (Universities Allied For Essential Medicines) and AMSA National’s Just Medicine Campaign, she works to increase access to medicines through advocacy. She hopes to attend medical school and work at the intersection of healthcare, advocacy, and social justice.

Matthew Tsai, First Year Undergraduate Student at UCLA

Socioeconomic Factors Associated with Anxiety Symptoms in the Asian and Pacific Islander Population Attending Community Health Fairs

Matthew Tsai is currently a first year undergraduate student at UCLA majoring in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology (MCDB). He is most passionate about the improving healthcare accessibility, particularly for disadvantaged groups. In high school, he was a participant in the Parkinson's Disease Biomarkers DREAM Challenge, an international initiative to develop a free interactive smartphone app that could screen for symptoms of Parkinson's Disease using motion data. At UCLA, he is a member of APA Health Care, a collaboration between UCLA undergraduate students, graduate students, medical professionals, and community partners in order to increase access to healthcare for Asian and Pacific Islander populations in the Los Angeles area. As a client navigator, he assists UCLA medical and nursing students in conducting free health screenings at local community health fairs. In his free time, Matthew enjoys playing basketball, watching movies, and cooking.

Hong-Ho (Jason) Yang, Fourth Year Undergraduate Student at UCLA

Socioeconomic Factors Associated with Anxiety Symptoms in the Asian and Pacific Islander Population Attending Community Health Fairs

Jason is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree at UCLA. With his minor in public health, Jason has a career interest in health insurance and policy.