Johns Hopkins International Injury Research Unit Students Receive Endowed Awards

Please join the Johns Hopkins International Injury Research Unit as we recognize three of our students for receiving International Health Endowed Awards.

Casey Branchini, MHS, PhD candidate, Health Systems, is the recipient of the Humanitarian Assistance Award. This award provides support to masters and doctoral students who are committed to improving humanitarian response and health for refugees, displaced persons and populations affected by conflict and natural disasters. Later in the year, Casey plans on using her award to travel to Malaysia to conduct research on the scope and health impact of human rights violations committed against migrant laborers. She will look at the health impact of both intentional and unintentional injuries among individuals in and around the Kuala Lumpur area, including refugees and displaced persons from Burma, and migrant workers from many countries, including Indonesia, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Nepal.  Casey is the research assistant for the RS10 in Cambodia. 

Nasreen Jessani, BSc, MSPH, DrPH candidate, Health Systems, is the recipient of the Nancy Stevens Student Support award.  This fund was established in 1970 as the International Health Fund, and provides grants to masters or doctoral students in the Department of International Health who are completing their degrees. For 37 years Nancy Stephens was an immensely popular student coordinator in the Department of International Health. At her retirement in 2001, Dr. Robert Black, chairman of the Department honored her by renaming this fund the Nancy Stephens Student Support Fund. Nasreen is a research assistant for the RS10 project in Vietnam. She intends to use the award for tuition support at the Bloomberg School.

 Pooja Sripad, MPH, PhD candidate, Health Systems, is the recipient of the Robert D. and Helen S. Wright Fund. The award was established in 1983 by family members of former International Health faculty member, Robert Wright, MD, MPH ’40,  and provides support for a continuing doctoral student who expects to contribute to the improvement of public health in Africa. Pooja will use the award to support her dissertation work in Kenya, which focuses on health systems trust and women's experiences of maternity care in peri-urban contexts. She is a research assistant for the RS10 project in Brazil.

Congratulations to all award recipients!