As the inaugural participant in the Heersink Student Mobility Program, McMaster University graduate student Dua Khan spent 10 weeks at UAB exploring community health, cancer disparities research and clinical medicine, gaining a broader understanding of how research, patient care and community engagement intersect to improve health outcomes.When Dua Khan, a Master of Science in Global Health candidate at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, told family and friends she would be spending her summer in Birmingham, Alabama, she often heard the same question: Why Alabama?
Her answer was simple: to become the first participant in the Heersink Student Mobility Program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine.
Over 10 weeks, Khan completed her graduate practicum with the UAB Comprehensive Healthy Living Research Center under the supervision of Lori Bateman, Ph.D., assistant director for the center’s Partnerships and Engagement Program. Along the way, she gained experience in community health research, clinical care and life in the American South.
“Dua’s practicum at UAB demonstrates the potential of the McMaster-UAB partnership to prepare the next generation of global health leaders,” said Deborah DiLiberto, Ph.D., director of Education at McMaster’s Mary Heersink School of Global Health and Social Medicine and assistant professor of global health at McMaster University. “We are excited to see this initiative come to life and look forward to creating more opportunities for learners in the years ahead.”
Seeing community health firsthand
Much of Khan’s work focused on the BC-NiCE study, which examines access to breast and cervical cancer screening and follow-up care among African American women in Alabama. She conducted literature reviews, participated in data analysis, met with investigators and developed her master’s scholarly paper.
Outside the research setting, Khan joined Live HealthSmart Alabama’s Mobile Market and Mobile Wellness teams as they delivered fresh food, health screenings and other resources directly to Birmingham communities.
“Until you get into the community, until you’re on that truck, you don’t truly grasp how impactful these initiatives are,” Khan said. “When you see the impact that it has in people’s lives, that’s when you realize how important it actually is.”
The experience gave her a firsthand view of the relationships Live HealthSmart Alabama has built with residents.
“The future of improving health outcomes depends on developing leaders who can connect research, clinical care and community engagement. Dua embraced every aspect of that experience during her time at UAB,” said Mona Fouad, M.D., director of the Comprehensive Healthy Living Center and CEO of Live HealthSmart Alabama. “By engaging directly with the communities we serve, she gained a broader understanding of the factors that shape health, which will serve her well throughout her career.”
Connecting research and medicine
Khan will begin medical school at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland after completing her master’s degree. While she arrived at UAB committed to becoming a physician, she was less certain about the role research would play in her future.
Through workshops, research meetings and clinical shadowing opportunities, she connected with faculty across UAB, including Andrea Cherrington, M.D., director of the UAB Division of General Internal Medicine and Population Science.
In Cherrington’s diabetes clinic, Khan observed how factors such as insurance coverage, transportation and food access can influence patient care.
“When you’re doing research, it’s not just about numbers and words and statistics,” Khan said. “These are real people that you’re talking about. Real people, real stories, and every story is different.”
The experience reinforced her belief that research and clinical care are deeply connected.
“Being in the diabetes clinic and seeing these interactions happening has shown that you can’t separate these two disciplines,” Khan said. “They very much go hand in hand.”
Learning to say yes
If one theme defined Khan’s summer, it was a willingness to embrace new opportunities.
She attended a grant-writing retreat, learning from experienced physicians and investigators, and discovered that simply asking questions often opened unexpected doors. A conversation with Bateman led to a connection with Denyse Thornley-Brown, M.D., professor emeritus in the UAB Division of Nephrology, which ultimately resulted in shadowing opportunities and a visit to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.
“I felt really shy at first,” Khan said. “But I knew that, if I didn’t ask, I was going to miss out on these opportunities, and I didn’t want that.”
Her advice to future participants is straightforward:
“You get 100 percent out of this experience what you put into it,” Khan said. “You just have to put yourself out there.”
Bateman says Khan’s enthusiasm stood out throughout the program.
“It was such a pleasure working with Dua this summer in the Heersink Student Mobility Program Pilot program,” Bateman said. “She brought energy, enthusiasm and curiosity to the various research teams with which she worked and has established professional relationships that will last well beyond the program’s conclusion.”
Strengthening the McMaster-UAB partnership
As the inaugural participant, Khan demonstrated the potential of the student exchange program.
“The Heersink Student Mobility Program marks an important initiative within our Mary Heersink School of Global Health and Social Medicine, and our collaboration with UAB,” said Sonia Anand, M.D., Ph.D., associate vice president, Global Health, and professor of medicine and epidemiology at McMaster. “We are proud to see Dua’s accomplishments and to partner with UAB to bring the Heersinks’ vision to life.”
Anupam Agarwal, M.D., senior vice president for Medicine and dean of the UAB Heersink School of Medicine, says the experience reflects the broader goals of the partnership.
“As the inaugural exchange under this initiative, Dua’s practicum marks an important step in bringing to life the Heersinks’ vision to connect our students, faculty and populations in ways that will only deepen the impact of the collaboration between UAB and McMaster in years ahead,” Agarwal said.
“Congratulations to Dua for piloting the Heersink Student Mobility Program,” said Alan Tita, M.D., Ph.D., associate dean for Global and Women’s Health at the Heersink School of Medicine. “Her practicum with Dr. Mona Fouad, Dr. Lori Bateman and the Comprehensive Healthy Living Research Center team, focused on access to cancer screening and follow-up care in Alabama, is exactly the kind of opportunity this program was built to create.”
As she prepares for medical school, Khan leaves Birmingham with a clearer vision for her future.
“Because of my opportunity here at UAB,” Khan said, “I’m able to see that in my future.”