Dominic Lucero completed his undergraduate degree in Biology at the University of Notre Dame before earning a Master of Science in Global Health in 2015. He now works as an epidemiologist at the Clinton Health Access Initiative.

After finishing my undergraduate degree in biology, I was uncertain about my next step. I considered options such as medical school and graduate programs. However, when I learned about the Global Health Master’s program, I became interested in the opportunity to use my scientific background to work with individuals from various countries to enhance health outcomes. I decided to attend Duke University for the program because it appeared to be the ideal setting and community for studying epidemiology, and I appreciated its interdisciplinary approach.

When I first entered the program, my primary interest was in epidemiology, and as it turned out, my career ultimately led me to epidemiology. However, the opportunity to take classes in other departments expanded my perspective and exposed me to a variety of possibilities. One class that particularly stood out to me was a policy class on the politics of international aid. This class provided me with a new perspective on global issues. Additionally, I took a class on GIS mapping from the School of Environment, which taught me a skill that was useful in getting some of my jobs.

While studying at Duke, I carried out research on Leishmaniasis in the Peruvian Amazon with Professor Bill Pan as my mentor. I found the experience to be very enjoyable, particularly because it was my first-time conducting data collection in this type of setting. Additionally, I learned how to analyze and present the data that was collected.

The program helped me develop several valuable hard skills, such as a proficiency in Stata and ArcGIS, that have been useful in my career. Furthermore, the program taught me the importance of flexibility. In research, unexpected obstacles can arise and one must be able to adapt. I was exposed to diverse cultures, both through my classmates and fieldwork and this experience has been valuable in my current career, as knowing how to work with people from different backgrounds is an important skill.

I am an epidemiologist working for the Clinton Health Access Initiative and currently based in South Africa. My role is focused on malaria surveillance and analytics in eastern and southern Africa. My team provides technical assistance to government programs to enhance measurement and achieve the objectives of malaria control and elimination. I am passionate about my work and I hope to continue learning and developing my skills within this field.

I have learned that when working in the global health field, it is essential to be an attentive listener. This means listening to the individuals and communities you are working with, including governments, local organizations, and research groups. It is important to understand their priorities and collaborate on finding effective solutions to challenges.

One of the most valuable pieces of career advice I received was from Dr. Chris Woods, who was the director of the Global Health program at the time. When I was searching for a job, he suggested that I focus on developing specific hard skills during my time in the program, such as ArcGIS which I still use in my current role. He also recommended that I reach out to people whose work I found interesting and ask for their advice on their experiences. I followed both pieces of advice, and they have been beneficial to me.