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Student Research Assistants

MaPHSA was created in 2000 to represent students in the Master of Public Health (MPH) program at the University of Southern California (USC). Later in fall 2002 MaPHSA introduced its constitution, identifying the purpose of the organization and its structure, and subsequently received recognition as an official USC student association from the Graduate & Professional Student Senate (GPSS). The MaPHSA Board is comprised of the following elected Officers: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Communications Chair, Program Activity Chair, International Student Relations Chair, First Year Representative, and the GPSS Representative.

For more information and details about upcoming student events, visit the MaPHSA events.

You can order MaPHSA apparels at http://mph.usc.edu/maphsa/apparelOrders.php

The Global Health Review has been established to serve as a community of interest for those who are concerned about issues and concerns in global health and recognize the urgent need for change. The website is a work in progress and its development depends very much on your input, advice, and participation so feel free to join us and share the opportunity. We want to work with you to make a real difference in the world.

We are an international organization whose goals and objectives are to enlighten, educate and inform colleagues in government, academia, industry, civil society and the general public on issues, challenges, opportunities and needs in global health and development; to develop and disseminate well researched multimedia materials (including websites, weblogs, slide presentations, videos, student developed mini-documentaries, audio podcasts, etc) as well as print student-driven publications (including white papers, reviews, research papers, student journals, etc) and to make these available as through appropriate channels (including the web, conference presentations, workshops, public education seminars, etc); and to take the lead to organize events, competitions, workshops and other opportunities for members throughout the world and other partner institutions and organizations to come together to address issues, challenges and opportunities in global health and development.

With our team of multidisciplinary global health specialists, we provide analysis and recommendations encompassing a gamut of critical aspects in global health and development. It is also our vision to design, implement, and evaluate global health programs and interventions targeted at vulnerable populations. We also look forward to taking initiative in creating new as well as supporting existing international projects addressing needs in global health and development. We are constantly looking to network with global health organizations to collaborate and optimize and align fiscal and human resources, so contact us if you're interested in working together.

Student Research Assistants

Several MPH students have had the opportunity to be involved in over 25 research studies conducted through the Institute for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research (IPR) as well as outside the institute in other departments at the Keck School of Medicine. Students engage in research activities while fulfilling their duties as research assistants, and while conducting research on their independent projects and course studies. Below are profiles of some current MPH students, which include descriptions of their current research interests and activities.

Britni Belcher is a doctoral student in the PhD Program in Preventive Medicine/Health Behavior Research and a second-year MPH student in the Biostatistics/Epidemiology Track. She received her B.S. in Health Promotion Disease Prevention with a minor in Spanish from the University of Southern California. As an undergraduate, Britni worked at the Institute of Preventitive Research assisting Dr. Donna Spruijt-Metz as a research assistant. Britni is currently a research assistant for Dr. Spruijt-Metz and Dr. Marc Weigensberg. She is the project coordinator for the Food, Adolescence, Mood, and Exercise (FAME) and is a project assistant for the Imagine Health Study, both of which are pilot studies. She also administers an intervention in San Juan Capistrano for the Quick! Help for Meals Study.

Melissa Gunning Melissa Gunning is a doctoral student in the PhD Program in Preventive Medicine/Health Behavior Research and a second-year MPH student in the Health Communication Track. She received her B.A in international relations and psychology with a minor in peace and conflict studies from the University of Southern California. As an undergraduate, Melissa worked all four years at the Institute of Preventive Research assisting numerous projects as a data collector, interviewer, TND observer and Health Educator. She also assisted TPRC in designing their website and creating an online library. Melissa is currently a research assistant for Dr. Luanne Rohrbach on Project Towards No Drug Abuse (TND) Dissemination. TND Dissemination is a five-year project, which looks to examine the effects of TND, a 12-session drug prevention curriculum, when delivered by regular high school teachers across the United States. As part of her research duties, Melissa has collected data in Los Angeles, Sacramento and Santa Rosa, California, and across the country in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Washing ton D.C. and Boston. Beginning this Spring she will be traveling to Maryand, Georgia, and South Carolina.

Keosha Partlow is a doctoral student in the PhD Program in Preventive Medicine/Health Behavior Research and is also enrolled in the Nutrition Track of the MPH Program. She received her B.A. in psychology from UC Berkeley. Before she joined the HBR program, Keosha taught high school biology for two years in Pomona , California . Currently, Keosha is a research assistant for Dr. Kim Reynolds where she is working on her first paper examining the relationship between social support and physical activity levels. She is also beginning to investigate the effects of westernization on dietary behaviors in China , by analyzing the China Seven Cities data. She hopes to make this the focus of her dissertation. Her interests are in the relationships between culture, socioeconomic status and diet, as well as the effects of globalization on dietary behaviors. Keosha is balancing her work, studies, and raising two young sons with her husband of 5 years.

Pallav Pokhrel is a doctoral student in the PhD Program in Preventive Medicine/Health Behavior Research and is also enrolled in the Biostatistics/Epidemiology Track of the MPH Program. After leaving his native home of Nepal, Pallav immigrated to the U.S. and enrolled at Occidental College where he later received his degree B.A. in Biology. As an undergraduate he obtained international research grants to conduct independent research projects in India and Botswana. Pallav currently works on various projects as a research assistant for his mentor, Dr. Steve Sussman. His interests are in adolescent depression, substance use, and social dynamics; however, his research so far has focused on adolescent pro/anti-drug use, spirituality, and adolescent peer group identification. During his time at the Institute for Prevention Research, Pallav has learned from excellent researchers and has taken advantage of the many opportunities to participate in seminars, conferences, and poster presentations. He likes his new home in Los Angeles.