MHIRT Award Recipients by Year
2019 Awardess
| NAME | HOME INSTITUTION | FIELD OF STUDY | RESEARCH PROJECT | SITE |
| Arika Allen | University of Iowa | Medical Anthropology | The EvaSOY Project: Assessing and improving the knowledge of the northwest population of Romania on soybean product types and the impact of nutrition on human health. | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Sandra Amouzou | University of Iowa | Health and Human Physiology | DIYPES – Do it yourself! A participative approach to increase participation and engagement of high school students in physical education and sports classes. | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Edan Belihu | University of Kansas | Social Welfare | Domestic violence needs assessment in Armenia | Yerevan, Armenia |
| Michael Berger | University of Iowa | Public Health |
|
Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Mileena Borges | University of Iowa | Sociology | Domestic violence needs assessment in Armenia | Yerevan, Armenia |
| Isabelle Breitfelder | University of Iowa | Global Health Studies; Ethics and Policy | In situ technology to control human exposure to historical environmental pollution in oil industry areas | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Robin Jones | North Carolina A&T State University | Biology | Transformations of maternal health in Romania towards more autonomy of birth workers and of birth-giving women | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Jack Mason | University of Iowa | Biomedical Sciences | Observational study of seat belt use and distraction | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Margaret Mungai | University of Iowa | Biomedical Sciences | Prevalence of thyroid gland diseases in Armenia, risk factors and social-economic consequences | Yerevan, Armenia |
| Oluoma Obi | University of Iowa | Public Health | Under-vaccination in Romania: Identifying and addressing the barriers involved | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Maiti Peters | University of Iowa | Global Health Studies | The ADVANTAGE Joint Action project: A comprehensive approach to promote a disability-free advanced age in Europe. | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Isabella Reyes | University of Iowa | Global Health Studies; Chemistry | Immigrants’ Integration Index in Romania (IIIR) | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Marjorie (Naila) Segule | North Carolina State University | Biomedical Engineering | Prevalence of thyroid gland diseases in Armenia, risk factors and social-economic consequences | Yerevan, Armenia |
| Kelsey Strandberg | University of Iowa | Business Management, Public Health | AGRIOEPES – Occupational exposure to pesticides – Knowledge and safety practices in agriculture. | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
2018 Awardees
| NAME | FIELD OF STUDY | RESEARCH PROJECT | SITE |
| Gricelda Arroyo | Global Health Studies | Do it yourself! A participative approach to increase participation and engagement of high school students in physical education and sports classes | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Micah Augusma | Medical Anthropology | Identify and describe current traumatic brain injury (TBI) data collection practices and capacity | Yerevan, Armenia |
| Morgan Bobb | Epidemiology (PhD, MD) | Peditel Program: Evaluation of physician-staffed pediatric healthcare telephone program | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Glorie Borsay | Global Health Studies | Domestic violence against women and children in Armenia | Yerevan, Armenia |
| Cindy Chavez | Global Health Studies | Risk assessment of heavy metals in an historically contaminated primary shelter area: social marketing activities | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Alyssa Conrad | Epidemiology (MS) | Child safety seat survey in Cluj-Napoca, Romania | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Lucas Fagre | Global Health Studies; Medical Anthropology | Immigrants’ integration index in Romania | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Zoe Horak | Health and Human Physiology | International collaboration to increase traumatic brain injury (TBI) surveillance in Europe | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Breanna Kramer-Riesberg | Microbiology | Pata-Cluj social intervention project | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Claire Mitchell | Global Health Studies; Spanish | Identify and describe current traumatic brain injury (TBI) data collection practices and capacity | Yerevan, Armenia |
| Ashley Morrow | Global Health Studies; Spanish | Strengthening public health research capacity to inform evidence-based policies in Tunisia | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Amama Nasir | Health and Human Physiology; Pre-dentistry | Bad habits and their association with dental health | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Xiomara Santana | Public Health | Increase participation of cervical and breast cancer screening in Romania | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Darian Thompson | Public Health; Pre-medicine | An mHealth intervention to prevent smoking uptake after birth | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Gabrielle Young | Psychology | Assessment of psycho-social factors among cancer patients and caregivers | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
2017 Awardees
| NAME | FIELD OF STUDY | RESEARCH PROJECT | SITE |
| Michael Anderson | Epidemiology (MPH) | Assessment of human exposure to heavy metals in Rosia Montana, Romania | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Shanea Condon | Global Health Studies | Assessment of under-five children through analysis of demography and quality of health systems in Armenia | Yerevan, Armenia |
| Hannah Demoss | Global Health Studies | Child growth stunting in Armenia | Yerevan, Armenia |
| Barbara Okeke | Human Toxicology (PhD) | Toxic exposures to drinking water and health concerns in Buza, Romania | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Michael Parisi-Mercado | Pharmacy; Public Health (MPH) | Antimicrobial stewardship across the world | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Marisa Perry | Global Health Studies | Using non-formal education to address health illiteracy in rural Romania | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Nathan Spitz | Psychology | Literature reviews of various aspects of psycho-oncology in Romania and across the world | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
2016 Awardees
| NAME | FIELD OF STUDY | RESEARCH PROJECT | SITE |
| Bryan Anderson | Epidemiology (MPH) | Internship at the International Trypanotolerance Centre (ITC) & Veterinary Laboratory | Brikama, The Gambia |
| Leslie Chareunsab | Health and Human Physiology | Improving Type-1 diabetes health outcomes in adolescents: a randomized clinical trial using a motivational interviewing approach | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Morgan Dodson | Political Science; International Studies | An intervention to support smoking cessation among chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients in Cluj-Napoca, Romania | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Peggy Douglas | Epidemiology (MPH) | Understanding barriers to HPV screening and treatment in rural Gambia | Brikama, The Gambia |
| Alejandra Escoto | International Studies | Mental health care in oncology setting sin southeastern Europe | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Jasmine Mangrum | Pharmacy; Public Health (MPH) | Rural health disparities in Romania: Physical activity | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Josie Rudolphi | Occupational and Environmental Health (MS) | Agricultural safety and health in Romania; Need for hazard assessment | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Tessa Heeren | Social Work (MSW) | Integrating evidence into health policy: Navigating cross-sector and interdisciplinary collaboration | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Azzah Nasraddin | Psychology | A 20-year battle: the status of female genital mutilation in the Gambia | Brikama, The Gambia |
| Gocale Nicoue | Global Health Studies; Environmental Policy | Evaluating the use of an electronic data collection system for global health risk assessment | Brikama, The Gambia |
| Tracy Vo | Biology; Anthropology; Global Health Studies | The effectiveness of cloth filtration in the removal of fecal coliforms in drinking water in rural Gambian villages | Brikama, The Gambia |
2015 Awardees
| NAME | FIELD OF STUDY | RESEARCH PROJECT | SITE |
| Richard Barajas | Public Health (MPH) | Evidence-informed policy development in Romania: Best practices and recommendations | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Kelsey Frisk | Global Health | Occupational injury surveillance system in Romania | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Elise Hill | Medicine (MD) | Breastfeeding trends initiative and clinical shadowing | Brikama, The Gambia |
| Caitlyn Kavan | International Studies; Global Health | Assessment of psychiatrists’ workplace preferences | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Rylee Kerper | Medical Anthropology | The relationship of depressive symptoms and secondhand smoke exposure in a sample of Romanian adolescents | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Clara Keum | Epidemiology (MS) | Research on traffic injury and female genital mutilation in The Gambia | Brikama, The Gambia |
| Susie Koch | Medicine (MD) | Internship at Serrekunda General Hospital and Gambia Family Planning Association | Brikama, The Gambia |
| Jacob Kundert | Community and Behavioral Health (MPH) | All are poor, none are hungry: Complexity and disparity in The Gambia’s food system | Brikama, The Gambia |
| Nicoll Manhica | Human Physiology; Biochemistry | An evaluation of PASI as an assessment of psoriasis severity’s impact on Romanian patients’ social and emotional health | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Lisett Tito | Social Work; Global Health Studies | Health care systems and gender-based violence | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
2014 Awardess
| NAME | FIELD OF STUDY | RESEARCH PROJECT | SITE |
| Maisara Abdelrazig | Interdepartmental studies | Experimentation with electronic cigarettes in young adults in three Eastern European countries | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Marcus Barlow | Community and Behavioral Health (MPH) | A process evaluation of ‘Hands on Care’ NGO: Orphan and vulnerable children food program | Brikama, The Gambia |
| Steven Dominguez | Biochemistry; Chemistry | Assessment of health professionals working preferences using discrete choice experiments | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Brittney Donovan | Epidemiology (MPH) | Assessment of socioeconomic determinants of high abortion rate in Romania | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Ioanna Florakos | Health and Human Physiology; Spanish | Factors influencing policy implementation in the reproductive and child health units in the West Coast of The Gambia | Brikama, The Gambia |
| Gabriel Jardim | Biomedical Engineering | Overview of the expanded program for immunization in The Gambia | Brikama, The Gambia |
| Brandon Lyle | Medicine (MD) | Case findings of the comorbidity of clubfoot with Mobuis Syndrome | Lima, Peru |
| Evan McClain | Health and Human Physiology | Psychosocial work environment and burnout syndrome among emergency medical and nursing staff | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Minh Nguyen | Pharmacy; Public Health (MPH) | Development of a novel quality management system for use in dental practice | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Lena Thompson | Community and Behavioral Health (MPH) | A social media campaign for parents of children and young adults with different abilities | Lima, Peru |
| Jiselle Verdinez | Health and Human Physiology | Develop and validate a nutrition literacy scale for adolescents (NiLSA) | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
2013 Awardees
| NAME | FIELD OF STUDY | RESEARCH PROJECT | SITE |
| Jaime Butler-Dawson | Occupational and Environmental Health (MPH) | Exploring gender differences in pesticide exposure and cognitive function in The Gambia | Brikama, The Gambia |
| Breona Carroll | Journalism; Global Health | Photovoice: Gambian beach beautification project: Waste disposal and sustainable living along the coastline | Brikama, The Gambia |
| Hunter Harig | Epidemiology (MPH) | Barriers and facilitators of men who have sex with men (MSM) communicating with family physicians in Romania | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Marco Jimenez | Psychology; Spanish | Internship at Centro Ann Sullivan del Peru | Lima, Peru |
| Elizabeth Mello | International Studies | Internship at National Nutrition Agency of The Gambia and Serekunda General Hospital | Brikama, The Gambia |
| Gabriella Perez | Speech and Hearing Science | Hearing loss trends among students with disabilities attendings | Lima, Peru |
| Allison Pletch | Medicine (MD) | A participatory research method to study caregiver adherence to the Ponseti Method in Lima Peru | Lima, Peru |
| Morgan Price | Biomedical Engineering | Evaluation of pedestrian injury locations in Cluj-Napoca, Romania | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Mehwish Qasim | Health Services and Policy (MPH) | Emergency response and health disparities | Lima, Peru |
| Elizabeth Rabie Ahmed Altahra | Public Health (MPH) | Developing a total quality system for dentists in Romania | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Simone Renault | Biology; Philosophy; International Studies | Utilizing immunizations and school-based interventions to ameliorate health disparities in The Gambia | Brikama, The Gambia |
| Mackenzie Treloar | Medicine (MD) | Outcome evaluation of clubfoot relapses treated by the Ponseti Method | Barcelona, Spain |
2012 Awardees
| NAME | FIELD OF STUDY | RESEARCH PROJECT | SITE |
| Alfonza Brown | Psychology | Internship at National AIDS Control Program (NACP) & Directorate of Planning and Information (DPI) | Brikama, The Gambia |
| Lauren Gaines | Anthropology; Human Physiology | Internship at Gambia Family Planning Association (CFPA) & Serrekunda Health Center | Brikama, The Gambia |
| Maia Griffith | Microbiology | The prevalence of uterine fibroids in women of African descent | Brikama, The Gambia |
| Hiba Irshad | International Studies; Global Health | Physical activity policies in Romania and the European Union | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Thuy Nguyen | Epidemiology (MS) | Needs assessment of HIV/AIDS practices in The Gambian healthcare and public health system | Brikama, The Gambia |
| Melissa Palma | Medicine (MD) | The Ponseti Method: Barriers for a low-cost clubfoot treatment in Peru | Lima, Peru |
| Brittney Ross | Nursing | Maternal healthcare disparities and increased maternal morbidity and mortality | Brikama, The Gambia |
| Tah Tangyie | Pharmacy; Public Health (MPH) | HIV/AIDS response in a resource-limited country | Brikama, The Gambia |
| Sean Tolentino | Computational Epidemiology (MS) | Model-based optimization of HIV combination prevention: Portfolios in resource-poor settings with generalized HIV epidemics | Matieland, South Africa |
2011 Awardees
| NAME | FIELD OF STUDY | RESEARCH PROJECT | SITE |
| Kaitlin Flannery | Medicine (MD) | Child mental health in Romania | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Jeanette George | Nursing; Global Health | Internship at Department of Social Welfare: Adoption Unit; Children’s Shelter | Brikama, The Gambia |
| Kaitlyn Jones | Psychology | Internship at Department of Social Welfare: Family Unit; Gambia’s Organization for the Visually Impaired | Brikama, The Gambia |
| Zainab Khan | Epidemiology (MS) | BCG Tuberculosis vaccine study for infants | Brikama, The Gambia |
| Lindsay McConnell | Medicine (MD) | Descriptive Epidemiology of clubfoot in Romania: A clinic-based study | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Anthony Pulliam | Health and Sports Studies | Internship ad Serrekunda General Hospital: Accident and Emergency Unit; Maternal child healthcare in a rural community | Brikama, The Gambia |
| Patrick Snell | Economics; Public Health | Breastfeeding and infant health in The Gambia | Brikama, The Gambia |
| Wilkister Tangasi | Speech and Hearing Science; Psychology | Internship as St. Johns School for the Deaf; Serrekunda General Hospital – Pediatric and Maternity ward | Banjul, The Gambia |
2010 Awardees
| NAME | FIELD OF STUDY | RESEARCH PROJECT | SITE |
| Shruthi Bhatt | Epidemiology (MS) | Evaluating Maternal Distress in Romania | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Brianne Black | Nursing (MSN) | Nursing and Public Health | Brikama, The Gambia |
| Kalyani Eko | Microbiology | Isolation and Ribotyping of Clostridium Difficile from Patient Stool Samples | Bratislava, Slovakia |
| Rhonda Endecott | Public Health (MPH) | Developing an Educational Module to Address Barriers to the Ponseti Method of Clubfoot Treatment in Guatemala | Guatemala City, Guatemala |
| Almaz Getachew | Counseling; Rehabilitation and Student Development (GR) | College Student Attitudes Towards Physical Disabilities in Ethiopia | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
| Sharde Hameed | Chemistry; Economics | Possibilities and Effectiveness of E-Learning Tool Utilization in Health Education for Adolescents | Bratislava, Slovakia |
| Simon Holoubek | Occupational and Environmental Health (MPH) | The Roma: Health Assessment of the Slovak Republic’s Forgotten People | Trnava, Slovakia |
| Nadin Mustafa | Global Health | Prevalence of Tobacco Shops Near Schools in Khartoum and Possible Tobacco Prevention Programs | Khartoum, Sudan |
| Jennifer Oh | Nursing; Psychology | Mental Health Stigma Among Adolescents in Romania | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Mohammed Said | Integrative Physiology | Prevalence of Hypertension and Assessment of Risk for Cardiovascular Disease in Palestine | Tulkarm, Palestine |
| Tarik Smith | Pharmacy (MS) | Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) and HIV/AIDS Patient Compliance in South Africa | Cape Town, South Africa |
| Megan Srinivas | Medicine (MD) | Leishmaniasis Research | Tegucigalpa, Honduras |
| Habie Timbo | International Studies; Business Administration | Mentoring Programs in the Health Sciences in Romania | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
2009 Awardees
| NAME | FIELD OF STUDY | RESEARCH PROJECT | SITE |
| Pooja Chiteni | Medicine (MD) | Host and Parasite Determinant in Human Leishmaniasis | Natal, Brazil |
| Alexis del Rosario | Cell and Developmental Biology | Herbicide Exposure in Honduras: Identifying Risk Factors in an Effort to Reduce Exposure | Juticalpa, Honduras |
| Michelle Gin | International Studies | Health Promotion and Female Genital Modification | Banjul, The Gambia |
| Christine Haddad | Integrative Physiology | The Role of Inflammatory Mediators in Failure of Pancreatic Islets in Type 2 Diabetes | Zurich, Switzerland |
| Donielle Johnson | Psychology | Parental perspectives and experiences with autism in Romania | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Ning Lu | Medicine (MD) | The Ponseti Method of Treating Clubfoot in China | Shanghai, China |
| Esperanza Martinez | Public Health (MPH) | Herbicide exposure in Honduras: Identifying risk factors in an effort to reduce exposure | Olancho Honduras |
| Diana Mina | Medicine (MD) | Mapping Genes Responsible for Congenital Blindness | Doha, Qatar |
| Thoa Phan | Nursing; Chemistry | Promoting taxi safety | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Carmen Smith | Biostatistics (MS) | The Interaction Between Several Isolated Cytokines and Trachoma Caused by Chlamydia Trachomatis | Banjul, The Gambia |
2008 Awardees
| NAME | FIELD OF STUDY | RESEARCH PROJECT | SITE |
| Loretta Cain | Epidemiology (MPH) | The Effect of Indoor Air Quality on Roma Populations in Slovakia | Trnava, Slovakia |
| Zenab Chowdhry | Political Science; International Affairs | Changes and Reform to Romania’s Health Care System due to their Transition to Democracy and Overall Decentralization | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Majd Haddad | Dentistry (DDS) | Oral Health in Urban and Rural Chinese Populations | Shanghai, China |
| Krishna Kothary | Nursing; Global Health | The Role of Romanian Maternity Services in Breastfeeding Promotion: Prenatal and Postnatal education services in Cluj-Napoca, Romania | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Ting-l (Ann) Lee | Biochemistry; Chemistry | The effects of the use of EDTA and heparin as anticoagulants on levels of cytokine expression in HIV positive infants in The Gambia. | Brikama, The Gambia |
| Audrey Leung | Biomedical Engineering; Japanese | HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Slovakia: Laboratory and Public Health Aspects | Bratislava, Slovakia |
| Jessica Pletz | Environmental Bioscience; Theater Arts | The Gambia: A New Approach to Malaria Control | Brikama, The Gambia |
| Anjuli Shivshanker | Community and Behavioral Health (GR) | Evaluation of a type 2 diabetes self-management and education program run by a local hospital in rural Ghana | Kpando, Ghana |
| Sangeeta Tanden | Pharmacy (GR) | Evaluating DNA Repair Enzymes based on Dietary Intake by Allelic Discrimination | Bratislava, Slovakia |
| Tiffany Williams | Medicine (GR) | Virulence implications of genomic organization and composition of Streptococcus pneumoniae type 1 | Brikama, The Gambia |
2007 Awardees
| NAME | FIELD OF STUDY | RESEARCH PROJECT | SITE |
| Christina Aguilar | Medicine (MD) | Analysis of Nutrition and Morbidity Status Among Rural and Urban Children and Adolescents In Romania | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Alison Brown | Psychology | Malnutrition in The Republic of The Gambia | Keneba, Fajara, The Gambia |
| Kadia Bundu | Medicine (MD) | Aboriginal Health and Human Promotion | Sydney, Australia |
| Marc Doobay | Medicine (PA) | The Ponseti Method in China | Shanghai, China |
| Rob Fernandez | Public Health (MPH) | Prevalence of Depression and Alcohol Use among Pregnant Women in Cluj-Napoca, Romania: A Pilot Study | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Karan Gadhok | Biomedical Engineering | Pneumonia in The Gambia | Fajara, The Gambia |
| Janet Ho | Health Promotion; Global Health | Sexual Exploitation among Youth: An Analysis of the Situation in Romania | Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
| Laura Lee | Public Health (MPH) | Prospective Studies of Avian Influenza Transmission in Asia | Kamphaeng Phet, Cambodia |
| Esperanza Pintor | International Health | The Gambia: Women’s Health | Sobeya, Fajara, The Gambia |
| ShanQuiesha Robinson | Community and Public Health | Female Genital Modification in The Gambia | Sobeya, Fajara, The Gambia |
| Marianna Wong | Biology; Neurobiology | The Use of Roma Mediators to Aid in Improving Roma Welfare | Trnava, Slovakia |
2006 Awardees
| NAME | FIELD OF STUDY | RESEARCH PROJECT | SITE |
| Andrew Bayer | Chemical Engineering; Toxicology | Immunotoxicity of Industrial Chemicals | Bratislava, Slovakia |
| Osman Chowdhry | Psychology; Chemistry | Rare and New Emerging Pathogens | Bratislava, Slovakia |
| Isaac DeLong | Health Promotion; Global Health | Community Health, AIDS Prevention | Kumba, Cameroon |
| Lisa Dorado | Biomedical Engineering | Radiation Protection | Bratislava, Slovakia |
| Nonso Enekwechi | Medicine (MD) | Occupational and Environmental Exposure to Bioaerosols | Lodz, Poland |
| Victor Estrada | Psychology | Enteroviruses, Pathogenicity and Diagnostics | Bratislava, Slovakia |
| DeShauna Jones | Community and Public Health | Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS | Brikama, The Gambia |
| Katrina Longhini | Biology; Chemistry; Psychology | Genotoxicity and Repair Mechanisms | Bratislava, Slovakia |
| Dottie Saintange | Health and Sports Studies; African-American World Studies | Community Health, Health Administration, Malaria | Brikama, The Gambia |
| Angela Stover | Cultural Geography; Environmental Studies | Community Health, Tuberculosis | Brikama, The Gambia |