https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-rss/?title=YIGH%20Stories&orgId=118812&keywordId=1813 A selection of the latest research, academic, and other newsworthy developments at Yale Institute for Global Health en-us Copyright 2026 Yale School of Medicine Thu, 16 Apr 2026 01:57:19 Z https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/global-health-connected-developing-suicide-screening-approaches-in-pakistan/ https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/global-health-connected-developing-suicide-screening-approaches-in-pakistan/ Suicide remains a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for nearly 800,000 deaths each year. The burden falls disproportionately on low- and middle-income countries, which account for roughly 75% of global suicides. In South Asia, where suicide rates are among the highest globally, stigma and legal barriers often make prevention efforts especially challenging. For Ashley Hagaman, PhD, MPH, associate professor of public health (social and behavioral sciences) at Yale School of Public Health (YSPH) and a faculty affiliate of the Yale Institute for Global Health (YIGH), addressing this issue means developing solutions that are not only evidence-based, but also locally feasible and culturally grounded. Wed, 15 Apr 2026 04:00:00 Z https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/global-health-connected-rethinking-palliative-care-delivery-in-ethiopia/ https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/global-health-connected-rethinking-palliative-care-delivery-in-ethiopia/ Palliative care focuses on improving quality of life for patients with serious illness – addressing pain, symptoms, and the emotional and social challenges that accompany disease. However, in many parts of the world, access to this type of care remains extremely limited. In Ethiopia, where access to palliative care is especially scarce, Eleanor Reid, MD, PhD, assistant professor of emergency medicine at Yale School of Medicine (YSM) and a faculty affiliate of the Yale Institute for Global Health (YIGH), has been working to expand access through community-based approaches. Mon, 06 Apr 2026 04:00:00 Z https://world.yale.edu/news/yigh-marks-next-chapter https://world.yale.edu/news/yigh-marks-next-chapter The Yale Institute for Global Health (YIGH) brought together faculty, students, and partners from across the university on March 25 for a campus open house, signaling a renewed phase for the institute under newly-appointed leadership. Dr. Ingrid Katz, who began her role as director in January 2026, opened the event and outlined priorities for the institute’s next chapter. Mon, 30 Mar 2026 04:00:00 Z https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/yigh-hosts-7th-annual-global-health-case-competition/ https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/yigh-hosts-7th-annual-global-health-case-competition/ On Saturday, February 7th, 50 students from Yale College and the Schools of Medicine, Management, Nursing, and Public Health came together for the 7th Annual YIGH Global Health Case Competition. Leading up to the competition, student participants spent two weeks preparing a proposal that used infectious disease surveillance to address the uptick in disease outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Wed, 18 Feb 2026 05:00:00 Z https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/meeting-malaria-where-it-lives/ https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/meeting-malaria-where-it-lives/ Yale epidemiologist Dr. Amy Bei is betting on a radical idea to stop malaria from ravaging populations: a new vaccine that stops mosquitoes from transmitting the deadly disease. “It basically becomes a dead end for that infected mosquito,” Dr. Bei explained. “It can no longer transmit malaria to the population.” Mon, 12 Jan 2026 05:00:00 Z https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/fall-2025-spark-award-recipients-announced/ https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/fall-2025-spark-award-recipients-announced/ The Yale Institute for Global Health (YIGH) has selected Dr. Kiran Sheikh and Dr. Brian Wahl to receive the Fall 2025 Global Health Spark Award. The $10,000 award provides initial funding to support global health research initiatives and partnerships among YIGH-affiliated faculty. Mon, 12 Jan 2026 05:00:00 Z https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/yale-and-ashoka-launch-new-training-program-in-biomedical-data-science/ https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/yale-and-ashoka-launch-new-training-program-in-biomedical-data-science/ This past August, Yale University and Ashoka University launched the Biomedical Data Summer Programme at Ashoka University (BDSA), a three-week course designed to give students from a variety of disciplines hands-on experience working with biomedical big data. Hosted at Ashoka’s Trivedi School of Biosciences in Sonipat, India, the program brought together faculty from both institutions for lectures, workshops, and mentored research. Fri, 09 Jan 2026 05:00:00 Z https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/project-hope-selected-for-kalyanpur-maheshwari-grant-for-global-health-innovation/ https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/project-hope-selected-for-kalyanpur-maheshwari-grant-for-global-health-innovation/ Each semester, participants in the Sustainable Health Initiative Venture Development Program (SHI VDP) have the opportunity to pitch their projects for additional funding through the Kalyanpur-Maheshwari Grant for Global Health Innovation pitch competition. This year’s winning venture was Project Hope, founded by Samson Wong (YC ’27). Project Hope is a peer-to-peer mentorship network for children who have undergone organ transplantation, with aspirations to become the world’s first global mentorship program within the transplant community. Thu, 04 Dec 2025 05:00:00 Z https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/advancing-emergency-and-humanitarian-care-sharon-chekijian-and-the-crisis-emergency-and-disaster-faculty-network/ https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/advancing-emergency-and-humanitarian-care-sharon-chekijian-and-the-crisis-emergency-and-disaster-faculty-network/ When Sharon Chekijian, MD, MPH, arrived in Armenia this fall, she was returning to a country where she has spent years working to establish a sustainable foundation for the specialty of emergency medicine. In recent years, the nation has faced multiple crises, from the COVID-19 pandemic to regional conflict, that have contributed to repeated waves of Armenian refugees arriving from Syria, Beirut, Iran, and the neighboring Republic of Artsakh. Chekijian’s efforts have focused on strengthening Armenia’s ability to respond to such crises. Tue, 11 Nov 2025 05:00:00 Z https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/india-philanthropy-forum-2025-building-data-shaping-intention/ https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/india-philanthropy-forum-2025-building-data-shaping-intention/ The India Philanthropy Forum 2025 brought together leaders, philanthropists, and innovators to explore how data, technology, and intentional giving can drive large-scale social impact. Held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the Forum drew strong participation from Yale Institute for Global Health affiliates. Members from YIGH’s Sustainable Health Initiative (SHI), including staff, alumni and supporters, and faculty from the Yale-India Health Faculty Network (FN), joined the event, highlighting the strong connections between Yale and partners across India. Wed, 08 Oct 2025 04:00:00 Z https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/the-changing-landscape-of-open-access-publishing-for-hiv-and-global-health-researchers/ https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/the-changing-landscape-of-open-access-publishing-for-hiv-and-global-health-researchers/ The Yale Global HIV/AIDS Research Network (GARNER) and the Yale Global Health Ethics Network (GHEN), in collaboration with the Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS (CIRA), recently hosted a virtual panel on open access publishing to accelerate public access to scholarly work. Tue, 10 Jun 2025 04:00:00 Z https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/yale-global-surgery-network-spotlight/ https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/yale-global-surgery-network-spotlight/ For Melanie Sion, Assistant Professor of Surgery (General, Trauma Surgical Critical Care), the Yale Global Surgery Network (YGSN) is emblematic of why she came to Yale – to combine her expertise in medicine with her interest in global health. Through the network, she has been able to build connections with other individuals interested in improving surgical outcomes around the world.  Tue, 10 Jun 2025 04:00:00 Z https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/2025-yale-collaborative-action-project-announced/ https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/2025-yale-collaborative-action-project-announced/ Two student teams representing the Yale School of Public Health and Yale College have received awards from the Yale-Collaborative Action Project (Y-CAP). The Y-CAP awards enable scholarly endeavors for teams of Yale undergraduate and graduate students working in global health. Tue, 10 Jun 2025 04:00:00 Z https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/experts-discuss-global-health-strategies-at-second-annual-symposium/ https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/experts-discuss-global-health-strategies-at-second-annual-symposium/ The Yale Institute for Global Health hosted its Second Annual Global Health Symposium on April 11, 2025, at the Yale School of Public Health. Topics included the important role academic institutions play in advocating for global health amidst the current policy environment, and how multidisciplinary academic and research partnerships at Yale support global health. Wed, 07 May 2025 04:00:00 Z https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/presixion-wins-shi-kalyanpur-maheshwari-global-health-innovation-pitch-competition/ https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/presixion-wins-shi-kalyanpur-maheshwari-global-health-innovation-pitch-competition/ On March 28th, seven teams in the YIGH Sustainable Health Initiative Venture Development Program (VDP) pitched their global health innovations at the Kalyanpur-Maheshwari Global Health Innovation Pitch Competition. Ideas that were pitched ranged from innovations to improve healthy eating for children to battling disinformation in public health. Wed, 02 Apr 2025 04:00:00 Z https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/yale-students-learn-about-us-global-health-policy-on-study-tour-to-washington-dc/ https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/yale-students-learn-about-us-global-health-policy-on-study-tour-to-washington-dc/ During a time of unprecedented shifts in U.S. global health and development assistance, from March 10th – 11th, 20 Yale students traveled to Washington, DC for the U.S. Global Health Policy and Advocacy Study Tour. During the visit, the group met global health policy experts, advocates, and congressional staff to understand the policy-making process and learn about strategies to advocate for global health. Wed, 02 Apr 2025 04:00:00 Z https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/yigh-faculty-networks-host-third-annual-vector-borne-and-zoonotic-diseases-symposium/ https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/yigh-faculty-networks-host-third-annual-vector-borne-and-zoonotic-diseases-symposium/ Faculty Network Spotlight: 3rd Annual Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases Symposium  On Friday, February 21st, two YIGH Faculty Networks – the Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases and MalarYale – hosted the third annual Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases Symposium. The initiative, led by Brian Weiss, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist in Epidemiology and Lecturer (Microbial Diseases), Chantal Vogels, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases), and Serap Aksoy, Ph.D., Professor of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases), included 22 presentations across four sessions and featured three keynote speakers: Dr. Photini Sinnis, MD, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Albert Ko, MD, Yale School of Public Health, and Jeff Powell, Ph.D., Yale School of Medicine. Wed, 02 Apr 2025 04:00:00 Z https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/6th-annual-yigh-global-health-case-competition-focuses-on-strategies-to-address-climate-change-and-food-insecurity/ https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/6th-annual-yigh-global-health-case-competition-focuses-on-strategies-to-address-climate-change-and-food-insecurity/ On February 15th, students across Yale participated in the 6th annual YIGH Global Health Case Competition. During the competition, participating students are randomized into multidisciplinary teams. After receiving case materials, teams had two weeks to develop a proposal to address the challenge of climate change and food insecurity in the Ecuadorian Andes. Seven teams presented their proposals to a panel of judges on the day of the competition. Wed, 05 Mar 2025 05:00:00 Z https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/ivy-liao-mph-25-leadership-in-global-health-fellow-with-undp/ https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/ivy-liao-mph-25-leadership-in-global-health-fellow-with-undp/ Ivy Liao, MPH ‘25, spent last summer working at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) office in New York City. Liao worked with the HIV and Health team on projects related to pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. Wed, 12 Feb 2025 05:00:00 Z https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/advanced-mph-student-participates-in-unga-and-world-bank-meetings/ https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/advanced-mph-student-participates-in-unga-and-world-bank-meetings/ Driven by the desire to learn more about global health policy and health systems, Dr. Mohamed Zarroug, MPH ‘25, signed up for the United Nations General Assembly’s Summit of the Future, an initiative that was held adjacent to the United Nations General Assembly meetings last September. At these meetings, he had the opportunity to learn from global leaders working on issues related to sustainable development, including the role of health policy in promoting a more equitable world. Fri, 07 Feb 2025 05:00:00 Z https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/yale-faculty-present-findings-from-research-funded-by-hecht-awards/ https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/yale-faculty-present-findings-from-research-funded-by-hecht-awards/ Faculty affiliated with the Yale Institute for Global Health (YIGH) gathered on December 5th for the Hecht Global Health Faculty Network Award Event. Hecht Awards winners from 2023 and 2024 presented findings from research studies funded by the awards and highlighted the impact this source of funding has had on several global communities. Mon, 13 Jan 2025 05:00:00 Z https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/yigh-sustainable-health-initiative-announces-inaugural-kalyanpur-maheshwari-grant-for-global-health-innovation/ https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/yigh-sustainable-health-initiative-announces-inaugural-kalyanpur-maheshwari-grant-for-global-health-innovation/ On November 15th, participants in the Yale Sustainable Health Initiative Venture Development Program (VDP) pitched ideas for innovative global health ventures as part of the Kalyanpur-Maheshwari Grant for Global Health Innovation Pitch Competition. The winning group, Respond Crisis Translation, was selected by a panel of judges based on innovativeness, quality of their pitch, ongoing engagement with the VDP, and demonstration of impact. Respond received t $5,000 to support their ongoing work. Thu, 21 Nov 2024 05:00:00 Z https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/new-beginnings-presidential-policy-platform-to-improve-health-and-wellbeing-for-children-and-families/ https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/new-beginnings-presidential-policy-platform-to-improve-health-and-wellbeing-for-children-and-families/ To improve health outcomes for children and families across socioeconomic gradients and sociocultural contexts, it is crucial to understand biological embedding of adversity and mobilize this new knowledge to inform health policy. This understanding is especially timely during changes in presidential administrations. Accordingly, the Yale Biological Embedding, Global Research Intervention Network (BEGIN) Faculty Network of the Yale Institute for Global Health convened a facilitated dialogue on November 4th to launch a new project, “New BEGINnings: Presidential Policy Platform,” which seeks to embed health equity in federal initiatives by advancing policies that promote health and well-being for children and families. It takes a holistic, “Triple Bottom Line” justice approach, committing to equity in health, the environment, and economics. Thu, 21 Nov 2024 05:00:00 Z https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/yale-institute-for-global-health-hecht-award-sparks-collaboration-in-american-samoa/ https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/yale-institute-for-global-health-hecht-award-sparks-collaboration-in-american-samoa/ Over a decade ago, Dr. Nicola Hawley, PhD, connected with a colleague in American Samoa to learn more about prenatal care delivery and how pregnancy might provide an opportunity to impact chronic disease prevention interventions. Obesity and overweight are highly prevalent among pregnant Samoan women, and a previous study conducted by Dr. Hawley and her colleagues found those conditions to be associated with adverse maternal and infant health outcomes. They also discovered a lack of data about gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in the U.S. territory, but they estimate that about 40% of women in American Samoa will develop GDM during pregnancy. At the time, screening rates for gestational diabetes were low, largely due to a lack of awareness about the condition and issues with supply-side service provision. Wed, 20 Nov 2024 05:00:00 Z