Sparkman Scholars are part of a recognized network of UAB faculty working in the areas of global health and development. This network aims to facilitate developing new collaborations with colleagues across campus, as well as making linkages with students interested in global health and development.Sparkman Scholars will have the opportunity to serve as mentors to students from among a select group of students who will apply to become Sparkman Fellows through a competitive process
Faculty members in the field of global health and development who would like to expand their work may apply for the Sparkman Scholar designation through the application below. We hope many of you will join us in this exciting initiative!
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Current Sparkman Scholars
Moustafa Awaden, PhD
Southeastern Biosafety Laboratory Alabama Birmingham
Geographic Experience: Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region
Focus Area: Biosafety & biosecurity training and capacity building, lab-based surveillance studies and outbreak investigations of infectious diseases in LMICsLori Bateman, PhD
School of Medicine, Division of Preventative Medicine
Geographic Experience: Egypt
Focus Area: Colon cancer screening, socio-cultural and demographic factors; utilizationErica Bjornstad, MD, MPH
School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics
Geographic Experience: Malawi, Tanzania
Focus Area: Acute Kidney Injury, Nephrology, Epidemiology
Robert Blanton, PhD
College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Government
Geographic Experience: Cross-National
Focus Area: Human rights, labor rights, human trafficking, workplace safety
Carolyn Bolton Moore, MD
School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
Geographic Experience: Zambia/Africa
Focus Area: Implementation science, HIV, adolescent HIV, health systems strengtheningNancy Borkowski, DBA
School of Health Professions, Department of Health Services Administration
Geographic Experience: China
Focus Area: advancing health management as a profession in ChinaKatia Bruxvoort, PhD, MPH
School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology
Geographic Experience: Sub-Saharan Africa
Focus Area: infectious diseases, malaria, COVID, vaccines, intervention implementation & evaluation, community impactWaldemar Carlo, MD
School of Medicine, Division of Neonatalogy
Geographic Experience: US, developing countries, and the Global Network countries
Focus Area: Neonatal and childhood research in single and multicenter trials
Leandra Celaya, MSc
School of Health Professions, Department of Health Services Administration
Geographic Experience: Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, Brazil, Switzerland, Czech Republic, France, Spain, The Netherlands, and Honduras
Focus Area: Healthcare Management EducationAmy Chatham, PhD, MSPH
School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health Sciences
Geographic Experience: United States
Focus Area: Rural health, Health equity and access, WASH, soil-transmitted helminth ingection, Community-Based Participatory ResearchZhen Cong, PhD
School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health Sciences; Director, Climate and Health Initiative
Geographic Experience: United States, China
Focus Area: climate change, disasters, older adults' vulnerability and resilience to disasters, social and health disparities, disaster preparedness, mitigation, recovery, environmental justice, intergenerational relationships, family solidarity, filial piety, well-being.Renato Corbetta, PhD
College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Government
Geographic Experience:
Focus Area: Research methodology, international relations, major power states in international politics and international law
Loretta Cormier, PhD
College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Anthropology
Geographic Experience: Historical ecology, ethnoprimatology, ethnohistorical research
Focus Area: BrazilMartha Dawson, DNP, RN, FACHE
School of Nursing
Geographic Experience: Canada, Denmark, Philippines, Ghana
Focus Area: Impact of nurse mitigation on the cost of health care, nursing and global health
Jodie Dionne-Odom, MD
School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
Geographic Experience: Cameroon
Focus Area: HIV and coinfections in pregnancyPaul Erwin, MD, DrPH
<> School of Public Health, Department of Health Care Organization and Policy
Geographic Experience: Cuba, China, England
Focus Area: Health systemsColleen Fisher, PhD, MSW
College of Arts & Sciences, Department of Social Work
Geographic Experience: Kenya, India, Guatemala, Ecuador
Focus Area: HIV/AIDS; water, sanitation & hygiene (WASH); maternal and child health; microfinance and other livelihood interventions to improve health in low resource settingsEric Ford, PhD, MPH
School of Public Health, Health Care Organization and Policy
Geographic Experience: China
Focus Area: Improving organization and inforamtion management, healthcare managementKathryn Foti, MPH, PhD
School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology
Geographic Experience:Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Ghana, United States
Focus Area: Monitoring and improving the prevention and control of hypertension and elimination of cardiovascular health disparities locally and globally; health equityMarcela Frazier, OD, MPH, FAAO
School of Optometry
Geographic Experience:
Focus Area: Educational interventions for improving eye care and health care in the Hispanic communityMeredith Gartin, PhD, MA
School of Public Health, Department of Health Care Organization and Policy
Geographic Experience: Latin America, South Pacific, and US immigrant/refugees
Focus Area: Globalization and health; Food and water security; Climate change; Migration and refugee health
Devon Golaszewski, PhD
College of Arts & Sciences, Department of History
Geographic Experience: Mali, West Africa
Focus Area: History of Global Health, Histories of Gender, Sexuality and Medicine, STS and feminist STS, History of Reproductive Health, Health and Healing in African History, Health ActivismAchala Gunasekara-Rockwell, PhD, MA
College of Arts and Sciences, World Languages and Literatures Department; US Air Force-Air University
Geographic Experience: Sri Lanka
Focus Area: Languages and cultures of Asia and improving educational opportunities in South Asian communities, especially among young girls and physicially disabled childrenLily Gutnik, MD
School of Medicine, Division of Breast & Endocrine Surgery
Geographic Experience: breast cancer, oncology, surgery
Focus Area: sub-Saharan AfricaAkhlaque Haque, PhD
Akhlaque Haque, PhD
College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Government
Geographic Experience: Bangladesh
Focus Area: Big Data, social justice, and public health data. Geographic information systems (GIS) and health related applications of GIS
Ragib Hasan, PhD
College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Computer Science
Geographic Experience: Bangladesh
Focus Area: Provided free online courses to rural and disadvantaged students in Bangladesh and India, and online learning programs through YouTubeKristine Ria Hearld, PhD
School of Health Professions, Department of Health Services Administration
Geographic Experience:
Focus Area: Health care of vulnerable populations, global health, maternal and child health, health disparities, and mental health outcomesRenee Heffron, PhD, MPH
School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases; Director, UAB Center for AIDS Research
Geographic Experience:Eastern and Southern Africa
Focus Area:HIV prevention through biomedical intervention development and delivery optimizationZdenek Hel, PhD
School of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Geographic Experience: South Africa, Switzerland, Canada, Czech Republic
Focus Area: HIV/AIDS research, Pathology, Molecular Pathology, Immunology, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, cancerAnna Helova, DrPH, MA, MBA
School of Public Health, Department of Health Policy and Organization
Geographic Experience: East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Zambia), Central Europe (Slovakia, Czech Republic), and domestic programs
Focus Area: Outcomes research, HIV prevention, maternal & child healthGerman Henostroza, MD
School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
Geographic Experience: Central & South America
Focus Area: TB-HIV, Tropical medicineS. Robert Hernandez, DrPH
School of Health Professions, Department of Health Services Administration
Geographic Experience: Armenia, Western and Central Europe, Russia, Saudi Arabia
Focus Area: Management and leadership development, healthcare management researchShannon Houser, PhD, MPH, RHIA, FAHIMA
School of Health Professions, Department of Health Services Administration
Geographic China
Focus Area:Education and research in the areas of Healthcare/Hospital Administration, Health Information/Informatics, health behavior, and epidemiologyNataliya Ivankova, PhD, MPH
School of Health Professions, Department of Health Services Administration
Geographic Experience: No specific area, generally international
Focus Area: Qualitative inquirt, mixed-methods research, community-based and action research implementation science and translational researchElizabeth Jackson, MD, MPH
School of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Disease
Geographic Experience: Kenya
Focus Area: Cardiovascular prevention, digital health, women's health
Gavin Jenkins, PhD
School of Health Professions, Department of Occupational Therapy
Geographic Experience: South Africa, Uganda, Rwanda
Focus Area: education abroad programs for occupational therapistsGrace Jepkemboi, PhD
School of Education, Early Childhood and Elementary Education
Geographic Experience: Kenya, Swaziland, Jamaica
Focus Area: Psychosocial aspects on Children and families impacted by HIV/AIDS, HIV /AIDS and Adolescents population
James Michael Johnston, MD
School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery
Geographic Experience: Vietnam, Ghana
Focus Area: Surgical Training and Capacity Building; Pediatric Neurosurgery; Hydrocephalus; Spina Bifida; Brain Trauma; Surgical Outcomes/Education; Craniofacial Surgery; Brain TumorsPauline Jolly, PhD, MPH
School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology
Geographic Experience: Ghana, Jamaica, Kenya, Guatemala, Tanzania, Peru
Focus Area: HIV/AIDS, STIs, Genetics of hypertension, Complementary/Alternative Medicine use for Hypertension and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Cervical cancer screening and preventionSuzanne Judd, PhD, MPH
School of Public Health, Department of Biostatistics; Director of Lister Hill Center for Health Policy
Geographic Experience: Untied States, France
Focus Area: Diet and environment as mediators of racial disparities in the risk of hypertension, kidney disease, and stroke; nutrition science, obesity, community healthMirjam-Colette Kempf, PhD, MPH
School of Nursing
Geographic Experience: Nepal
Focus Area: Infextions disease, HIV/AIDSAndrzej Kulczycki, PhD, MSc
School of Public Health, Department of Health Care Organization and Policy
Geographic Experience: Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Lebanon, Mexico and Poland
Focus Area: Reproductive health; Behavior and policy; Demography and population studies; Maternal and early child health; Vaccination and primary health care, health service delivery, and health policyChris Kyle, PhD
College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Anthropology
Geographic Experience: Mexico
Focus Area: Criminal violence and Narcotics, production, trafficking, use, and the associated violenceJayme Locke, MD, MPH, FACS
School of Medicine, Division of Transplantation
Geographic Experience: South Africa
Focus Area: transplant of incompatible organs, and HIV-infected end-stage patientsBhekie Lukhele, PhD, MPH
School of Public Health, Department of Health Policy and Orgranization
Geographic Experience: Eswatini, Japan, London, Uganda
Focus Area: Socio-epidemiology, clinical Nursing, government & NGO management, health informaticsSarah MacCarthy, ScD
School of Public Health, Department of Health Behavior
Geographic Experience: Brazil
Focus Area: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) healthAlbert Manasyan, MD
School of Medicine, Division of Neonatology
Geographic Experience: Zambia
Focus Area: perinatal research, maternal & child health, cervical cancer, stigma, perinatal depressionSimon Manga, PhD
School of Medicine, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Geographic Experience: Cameroon, Sub-Saharan Africa
Focus Area: Cervical cancer prevention, Women's reproductive health care
Ada Markaki, PhD, RN, PHCNS-BC
School of Nursing
Geographic Experience: Latin American and Caribbean Region, Greece
Focus Area: Health systems research in primary health care; collaborative practice; compassionate care; organ donation
Lynn Matthews, MD, MPH
School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease
Geographic Experience: South Africa, Uganda
Focus Area: HIV prevention and disclosure, reproductive health, safer conception, reproductive rights, women's healthStacy Moak, JD, PhD
College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Social Work
Geographic Experience: Nairobi and Maasai Mara, Kenya
Focus Area: Clean water, sustainable agriculture, education in orphanages, feminine hygiene produces to adolescent girls to promote education, and promoting policies to end the process of female genital mutilation in the Maasai cultureDavid Morris, PT, PhD
School of Health Professions, Deaprtment of Physical Therapy
Geographic Experience:
Focus Area: Physical therapyPhillip Musa, PhD
Collat School of Business, Department of Management Information Systems and Quantitative Methods
Geographic Experience: Sub-Saharan Africa and other low resource regions
Focus Area: IT diffusion/adoption; Public Health Disease Surveillance and Containment; Health Equity and Access; IT for Development, IT Preparedness for Telemedicine, etc.Van Nghiem, PhD, MSPH
School of Public Health, Department of Health Policy & Organization
Geographic Experience: Vietnam
Focus Area: Economic evaluations for healthcare programsLynn Nichols, PhD, RN
School of Nursing
Geographic Experience: Haiti and Thailand
Focus Area: Sustainable development goals and social determinants of health; interprofessional teamworkStephen Obaro, MD, PhD
School of Medicine, Pediatric Infectious Diseases
Geographic Experience: United States, Nigeria, Rwanda
Focus Area: Vaccine preventable infections of childhood, Antimicrobial resistatnce, Pathogen genomics, Infectious disease diagnostics, Hemoglobinopathies and infections,Enhancing surveillance for the diagnosis of meningitis and meningoencephalitis, ONE Health approachAna Oliveria, DrPH, MS, MSPH
School of Health Professions, Department of Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences
Geographic Experience: Brazil
Focus Area: Infectious Diseases, Parasitolgy, Epidemiology and Public Health Practice (ex: outbreak investigation), EducationTina Kempin-Reuter, PhD
College of Arts and Sciences, Departments of Government & Anthropology
Geographic Experience: Middle East and North Africa, Europe, Kenya, Peru
Focus Area: Human rights, ethnic conflict and conflict resolution, peace studies, international politics/lawHolly Richter, PhD, MD, FACOG, FACS
School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecologyy
Geographic Experience: West Africa
Focus Area: recto-and vesicovaginal surgery and research; pelvic floor surgery (prolapse, incontinence); global fellow educationBrandon Rocque, MD, MS
School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery
Geographic Experience: Vietnam
Focus Area: Neurosurgical education, hydrocephalus inciden and treatment, epilepsy surgery program developmentChristina Rodriguez, PhD
College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology
Geographic Experience: Spain, Peru
Focus Area: Parenting, child abuse, intimate partner violenceMartin Rodriguez, PhD
School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease
Geographic Experience: Peru
Focus Area: Tropical diseases including malaria, tuberculosis, metabolic complications in HIV; education interventions in Infectious Diseases for developing countriesCynthia Ryan, PhD
College of Arts and Sciences, Department of English
Geographic Experience: India, Nepal, Zambia, Poland, The Netherlands
Focus Area: Medical rhetoricMichael Saag, MD
School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease
Geographic Experience: Zambia
Focus Area: HIV/AIDSMansoor Saleh, MD
School of Medicine
Geographic Experience: Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East, Central and Southeast Asia
Focus Area: Global oncology, clinical investigator training, clinical trials, overcoming barriers to cancer care and cancer clinical trialsIsabel Scarinci, PhD
School of Medicine, Division of Preventative Medicine
Associate Director, O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center
Geographic Experience: Brazil, Colombia, Sri Lanka
Focus Area: Tobacco control, cervical cancer prevention and controlDavid Schwebel, PhD
College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology
Geographic Experience: China, Iran, Uganda, Canada
Focus Area: Child and adolescent unintentional injuryLisa Sharlach, PhD
College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Political Science and Public Administration
Geographic Experience: South Africa, Rwanda, North Korea, India
Focus Area: Violence against womenSadeep Shrestha, PhD
School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology
Geographic Experience: Nepal
Focus Area: Epidemiology, Infectious Diseases, women's health, HPV and HPV-related cancer, reproductive healthMichael Straughn, MD
School of Medicine, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Geographic Experience: Mekelle, Ethiopia
Focus Area: Cervical precancer and cancers screening and education, gynecologic care, OBGYN trainingMagdalena Szaflarski, PhD
College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Sociology
Geographic Experience: Eastern Europe, former USSR/Russia
Focus Area: Immigrant health, HIV, mental/behavioral health, neurological diseases, and comparative health care systems, faith-based community factors in HIV prevention and careAlan Tita, MD
School of Medicine, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology Director, Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health
Geographic Experience: Sub-Saharan Africa
Focus Area: Pregnancy, Infections, Epidemiology, Gynecology, Reproductive Health, Women's HealthBulent Turan, PhD, MA
College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology
Geographic Experience: Turkey
Focus Area: Mechanisms underlying the relationship between social bonds and well-being across the life-span, stigma and discriminationJanet Turan, PhD, MPH
School of Public Health, Department of Health Policy and Organization
Geographic Experience: Kenya, Turkey, Eritrea, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Jordan, and Egypt
Focus Area: Maternal and child health (MCH) in low-resource settings; Stigma as it relates to a variety of reproductive health conditions/services, including abortion, obstetric fistula, HIV/AIDS, and gender-based violenceBarbara Van Der Pol, PhD
School of Medicine
Geographic Experience: Sub-Saharan Africa and Caribbean
Focus Area: STI's and HIVR. Marty Vander Noot, MD
School of Medicine
Geographic Experience: Peru, Kenya, Cambodia
Focus Area: Tropical Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Ultrasound UtilizationMichael Vinikoor, MD
School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease
Geographic Experience: Zambia
Focus Area: HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, alcohol misues, mental health, implementation science
Ursula Wesselmann, MD, PhD
School of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology and Periopertaive Medicine, Division of Pain Medicine
Geographic Experience: Asia
Focus Area: Pain and racial health disparitiesJeffrey Wickliffe, PhD, MS
School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health Sciences
Geographic Experience: Caribbean and South America
Focus Area: Exposures to environmental chemicals and hazards, maternal and child health, neurodevelopment and neurological disease, cancer.Amanda Willig, PhD
School of Medicine, Department of Infectious Disease
Geographic Experience: Zambia, Panama
Focus Area: Nutrition and Exercise interventions, HIV and TB, education of health professionalsCraig Wilson, MD
School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology
Geographic Experience: Zambia, Ethiopia
Focus Area: HIV/AIDS, Healthcare workforce development and use of IT innovations to deliver educational contentNabiha Yusuf, PhD
School of Medicine, Department of Dermatology
Geographic Experience:
Focus Area: Cancer and infectious diseaseMajd Zayzafoon, MD, PhD
School of Medicine
Geographic Experience: China, Taiwan, Central America, Middle East
Focus Area: International human trafficking -
How do Sparkman Scholars mentor Fellows?
What is the connection between the Sparkman Scholars (faculty) & Sparkman Fellows (student) programs?
Each academic year around 15 Sparkman Scholars serve as a mentor for a Sparkman Fellow student. This mentorship opportunity is at the core of the Sparkman Fellows program. Mentorship can focus on global health research, global health practice, or leadership/career development, or a combination of these three priority areas. Each Scholar/Fellow match is different. Our goal in the Sparkman Center is to facilitate matches between faculty & students that lead to positive experiences & growth for all involved.
Who are Sparkman Fellows?
The Sparkman Fellows Program is intended for highly motivated and engaged students seeking to enhance their understanding of global issues in a stimulating learning environment. Current UAB students apply to be Sparkman Fellows mid-spring semester. Each year, the Fellows program runs for an academic year, starting in the Fall.
Around 15 students are selected each year. Fellows could be studying at the undergraduate, masters, doctoral and/or professional level. Just as global health professionals study & work in a variety of disciplines, so do Sparkman Fellows. Provided a Sparkman Fellow has demonstrated an interest and passion for global health, they can be studying in any school or track across the various schools at UAB.How are Fellows and Scholars matched?
After their acceptance into the Sparkman Fellows program, students fill out a match form outlining their global health interests and top 2 priority areas for mentorship (research, practice, or leadership/career development). Fellows outline what skills they have and skills they look to potentially develop through mentorship. Finally, they identify a few Scholars they would be interested in being paired with and why (shared interest, previous experience, etc.)
The Sparkman Center then reviews Fellow match forms along with global health project activities reported to us from Sparkman Scholars to identify potential matches. The Sparkman Center emails a Sparkman Scholar if there’s a potential Fellow match to see if they would be willing/able to work with the Sparkman Fellow mentee.
What are the expectations of Sparkman Scholars who serve as mentors to Sparkman Fellows?
Be available throughout the school year to meet with your Sparkman Fellow mentee (minimum of 8 meetings over the academic year with the first meeting happening by the end of August)
- Communicate with the Fellow to understand their interests and experiences in order to figure out how to engage them in your global health & development projects or activities over the course of the year. Examples of ways that students can get involved include…..
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- work on qualitative analysis of data
- carry out a literature review
- develop education/training materials
- support development of global health focused education abroad program
- compile background research for new projects
- contribute to project write-ups through creation of figures & graphs, paper revisions & poster design
- assist with IRB submissions for global health research projects
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- Communicate with the Sparkman Center if there is an issue or if there is a way the Sparkman Center can support you & your Fellow mentee
What are the expectations of Sparkman Fellows?
- Communicate with their Scholar mentor to schedule meetings, and come to each meeting with a list of topics they would like to cover
- Provide a mid-point evaluation in December to the Sparkman Center including: number & frequency of mentor meetings, progress to program goals, changes to goals (if applicable), and support they need to meet their goals
- Submit a final presentation by the end of Spring semester outlining: start of program interests & goals, project/program/activities engaged in with Scholar mentor, & outcomes of the mentorship (lessons learned,
Do all Sparkman Fellows want to be involved in a research project?
Many, but not all, Fellows are interested in being involved with a global health research project. If that is the case, the Sparkman Center will communicate this when we email Scholars about a potential Fellow match.
Other Fellows are more interested in mentorship on global health practice or career/leadership development. Some Fellows might be interested in a Scholar mentor advising them on a project they already have underway, while others might appreciate help networking with global health professionals or thinking through potential career paths for working in global health and development.
Other questions? Email us at
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - Communicate with the Fellow to understand their interests and experiences in order to figure out how to engage them in your global health & development projects or activities over the course of the year. Examples of ways that students can get involved include…..
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Submit to Become a Sparkman Scholar
Requirements
- UAB faculty in any school
- Currently engaged in (or interested in becoming engaged in) research or practice projects in the fields of health and development (as broadly defined) outside the United States
- Willing to be listed as a resource in a Sparkman Scholars directory on the Sparkman website
Commitments
- Attend Scholars meeting/seminar 4 times a year
- Be willing to present your global health and development work to the group, and to give constructive feedback to others
- Be willing to mentor stellar students interested in / engaged in global health and development topics (1-2 students per year)
For more information, faculty should contact
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Click here to submit your information
