One of the advantages of the Master of Science in Global Health at Duke University is the opportunity to work with incredibly smart and exciting faculty who are conducting some of the most important research of our time. This research often involves interdisciplinary collaboration from within Duke, as well as partnership with local experts. Here is a first-hand account from Chris Woods, associate professor of medicine and global health and director of graduate studies at DGHI. There’s still time to apply! The MSc-GH deadline has just been extended to March 14.
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By Chris Woods, associate professor of medicine and global health
Director of Master of Science in Global Health, Duke Global Health Institute
I have to admit that I am excited….probably as much as any of our MSc-GH students on the eve of their departure for their research projects. I am about to leave for the Democratic Republic of Congo. I have never been to this part of Africa and am anxious to explore this country and its storied history and mystery.
Together with Brian Hare in evolutionary anthropology at Duke, Linfa Wang of Duke-National University of Singapore, and Annie Rimoin of UCLA, I am beginning a research program looking at interspecies transmission of respiratory pathogens. It’s a project that MSc-GH students will be a part of starting this summer. Typically, we focus on the threats to humans posed by animals and their germs. While that is certainly of interest and a component of our evaluation, the threat to the famous Bonobos of Congo posed by humans is of equal importance. (The bonobo is an ape….a close cousin of the Chimpanzee.)
We will be hosted by Claudine Andre at the Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary just outside of Kinshasa. Claudine is a remarkable individual with a lifelong commitment to the bonobos. I am looking forward to meeting her. The sanctuary, which cares for orphaned bonobos is under great strain due to accelerated human intrusion on their environment. Extraction of resources from the region is nothing new, but the current pace is being fed by factors such as deforestation, mining, and new roads.
Political turmoil and discontent is nothing new for the region, but the victimization of the bonobos is something quite remarkable. Concurrent with our research study’s initiation, Brian is hosting a conference focusing on Asian-African research opportunities that will be hosting a number of individuals from Western countries, China, Singapore, and Africa. The purpose of this conference is to bring researchers to work with the bonobos in Africa with a goal of highlighting issues of human, animal, and environmental health and is therefore entitled a “One Health” workshop. I encourage everyone to check out Brian’s website…friendsofbonobos.org.
Learn more about the multi-university One Health collaboration of which Duke is a part.
