UC Global Health Institute | UC Global Health Institute

Community-Building as Resilience-Building: The Power of Support Groups for HIV-Positive Trans Mental Health Services

Ms. Billie Cooper knows exactly when she was diagnosed with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). It was May 15, 1985. “I’m a walking testimony for HIV and AIDS [acquired immunodeficiency syndrome] because I was there in the early days,” she says.

Navigating Challenges & Inspiring Success: The Significance of Queer Mentorship in Academia

Queer mentorship holds transformative power that extends beyond shaping the lives of sexual and gender minority (SGM) scholars; it has the potential to revolutionize the hierarchical systems within academic institutions.

Essential to Capitalism but Forgotten in the Harvest: LGBTQIA+ Farmworkers and the Continued Rise in Anti-Queer Regimes

Over the last year, the criminalization of marginalized identities has increased substantially. Specifically, U.S. laws and policies that criminalize Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual (LGBTQIA+) people and undocumented individuals have even been debated at the federal level, creating uncertainty for many individuals.

The Power of Research to Create Dialogue About AAPI Women’s Experiences with Sexual Violence

What was reported as the first large cluster of the COVID-19 virus initially in Wuhan, China quickly devolved into a sharp increase in racist and violent attacks against people of Asian descent online and in-person, often the elderly. This rise in the visibility of hate crimes highlighted the often unreported anti-Asian sentiments already present in American society.

Get to know CGHJ’s New Associate Director, Sean Arayasirikul!

We caught up with the Center for Gender & Health Justice’s new Associate Director, Sean Arayasirikul, PhD to learn more about their inspiration working in public health, the ways in which their genderqueer Thai American identity has influenced their journey, advice to future public health scholars, and their path to UCGHI.

Taking Root Across the UC: Expanding Latinx and the Environment to UC Riverside and Beyond

After the inception of Latinxs and the Environment (L&E) at UC Berkeley by Dr. Federico Castillo, PhD, and Lupe Gallegos-Diaz, MSW in 2017, the program recently added a branch at UC Riverside (UCR) under the direction of Dr. Sam Ying, PhD. We spoke to Dr. Ying and some of the key student leaders from L&E to get an insider's perspective on it's growth and expansion.

Deeper Than Race: How Reluctance to Examine Black American Diversity Obscures the Maternal Health Crisis

Today, Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy than white women in the US. UC Berkeley MPH Candidate and UCGHI MASS Program Awardee Mariah Jiles writes about the necessity of addressing disparities in the health between Black and white pregnant people.

How Iran’s Woman. Life. Freedom. Movement Shaped a Movement across the UC System

The unjust death of Mahsa Amini on September 16, 2022, sparked outrage and protests in Iranian streets and abroad. Yalda Shahram, MD, along with colleagues, formed WomanLifeFreedom at UCSF with a mission to achieve solidarity and raise awareness about the growing movement in Iran.

Paving the Way for the Field of Disability Studies

There are individuals at the University of California driving the rapid growth of Disability Studies across US-based college campuses. Scholars and students such as David Serlin, Rachel Fox, and Zoha Raad-Mazzeo are paving the way for this field, combining scholarship, activism, and advocacy in revolutionary ways.

How a UC scholar and UC faculty member are centering Black health

In the battle against systemic racism, the realm of global health is far from immune to its negative and often destructive impact. As Black communities remain disproportionately and deeply affected by racist policies and structures that obstruct their well-being and access to care, the work of leaders like Bridgette Smith and Dr. Karen Lincoln becomes imperative.

UCGHI Receives UC Online Awards

Congratulations to UCGHI Education Director Dele Ogunseitan for receiving $150,000 from UC Online for digital inclusion to further support UCGHI's educational activities across UC in global health!

UCSF CHESA Statement on the Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria

A Message from Doruk Ozgediz, Director of CHESA, Professor of Pediatric Surgery

A Message From UCGHI Director Madhavi Dandu

UCGHI Director Madhavi Dandu reflects on recent tragedies and setting intentions for the year to come.

Former GloCal fellow Dr. Archana Siddaiah publishes book on mental health

GloCal alumnus Archana Siddaiah, MD, made great use of her recent maternity leave to write a book on mental health in Kannada, the official language of the Indian state of Karnataka where she works.

University of California Global Health Institute Annual Report: 2021-2022

We are proud to share with you UCGHI’s second annual report — featuring our biggest accomplishments during the last year. We invite you to learn more about our work and our vision for creating a stronger future for global health.

The Impacts of COVID-19 on People Living with HIV/AIDS

This year’s 2022 World AIDS Day slogan, Equalize is a call to action and as the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) describes, “a prompt for all of us to work for the proven practical actions needed to address inequalities and help end AIDS.”

Letter from UCGHI Director, Madhavi Dandu

Announcing the UCGHI Master’s Student Stipend Program

UCGHI strives to diversify the global health workforce by providing supplemental funding opportunities for master’s level students from historically excluded communities such as BIPOC students and First-Generation students.

GloCal/UPCH "Conducting Global Health Research" certificate program initiated

On Wednesday, October 5, 2022, the first class of the "Conducting Global Health Research" international certificate program was launched, with seven GloCal fellows from the U.S., Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Thailand, and Bolivia participating.

Join our Learning Institute on Improving Health Equity through Cultural Humility Training for Public Health Professionals at APHA 2022

Saturday, November 5th, 9am - 4:15pm
Learn the tenets of cultural humility and how to apply these towards respectful and effective engagement with diverse communities in your public health work.

UCGHI statement in response to Roe v. Wade

Last Friday’s news that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision declaring the constitutional right to abortion, is a gut punch to the local and global health community’s work in health, gender equity, and social justice.

UCGHI Welcomes new Director!

The UC Global Health Institute is excited to announce that Dr. Madhavi Dandu will serve as UCGHI’s new Director starting July 1^st, 2022.

Dr. Tom Coates Reflects on a Trailblazing Career as he Fulfills his term as UCGHI Director

It is not an exaggeration to say that Dr. Tom Coates, PhD–the UC Global Health Institute’s outgoing director–is a trailblazer in the field of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) prevention research.

UCSF CHAT Study Aims to Break Barriers of Access in Abortion Telehealth Services

The California Home Abortion by Telehealth (CHAT) team at UCSF, led by Ushma Upadhyay, PhD, MPH, recently wrapped up a successful first year of research.

UC Global Health Day 2022

May 7, 2022
Santa Cruz, California

New GloCal Site PI Council convenes first meeting

On May 24th the GloCal Health Fellowship held its first Site PI Council meeting.

The UC Global Health Community Gathers to Connect and Build Relationships at UC Global Health Day 2022

On Saturday May 7th, 270 people gathered at University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) in-person to take in the incredible work and wisdom of five inspiring plenary speakers, 50+ poster presenters, 13 breakout sessions and to connect with colleagues committed to transforming the field of global health at the UC Global Health Day 2022.

As UCGHI's Deputy Director, Sun Yu Cotter Works to Cultivate More Diversity in Global Health and Take Up More Space as an Asian-American

As a child of Korean immigrants who learned English at age five and a first-generation college graduate, Sun Yu Cotter, MPH, faced challenges in the process of achieving the level of success she has today.

Six UC graduates receive fellowships for projects in women’s health, gender justice, and empowerment

The UCGHI Women’s Health, Gender, and Empowerment Center of Expertise (WHGE COE) is funding $2,500 fellowships to six graduate students to provide seed funding for research projects of their own design.

GloCal fellow Schola Matovu, PhD, RN, awarded UCSF 2022 Jane Norbeck Distinguished Service Award

We are very pleased to share that current GloCal fellow Schola Matovu, PhD, RN, has been presented with the prestigious 2022 Jane Norbeck Distinguished Service Award from the UCSF School of Nursing!

Sexual Assault Awareness Month: A UCGHI Student Ambassador Reflection

A crowd gathered outside with a woman holding up a sign that says Believe Survivors

Content Warning: This post includes a statement on sexual assault awareness.

How UC Santa Cruz’s New Global and Community Health Program Will Work at the Intersection of Social and Natural Sciences

To UC Santa Cruz (UCSC) alumna Manya Balachander who majored in psychology and community studies, a unique aspect of the UCSC campus is that "you’re constantly surrounded by academic activism rooted in social justice,” she says.

How Dr. Samantha Ying is Leading Social Justice-Focused Scientific Inquiry through Student-Centered Mentorship

“I can view the institution from the outside while I’m in it, which gives me this comfort to speak up.” For students who hear this perspective, they can feel empowered to do the same.

Dr. Vandana Shiva's Decades-Long Environmental Activism is Rooted in Health of All Beings

Dr. Vandana Shiva was born in the forests of the Indian Himalayan Region, her father a forester and mother a farmer. “I literally grew up between the forest and the farm,” she says. “That was my childhood–there was continuity between the forest and the farm because we worked with biodiversity.” But as she grew up, she learned that there were entities actively breaking that continuity.

How Drs. Adriann Begay and Cristina Rivera Carpenter Center Indigenous Relational Approaches to Medicine through The HEAL Initiative

As Indigenous women, Dr. Adriann Begay, MD and Dr. Cristina Rivera Carpenter, PhD, MSN, RN-BC of the HEAL (Health, Equity, Action & Leadership) Initiative recognize an important element to reaching their goals in healthcare including increasing accessibility in healthcare for the community of people around them who have had similar cultural experiences as them.

Dr. Ushma Upadhyay’s Journey to Becoming Co-Director of the Women's Health, Gender and Empowerment Center of Expertise

As a junior faculty member, Dr. Upadhyay was awarded a UCGHI fellowship through the COE--which funded her work--to measure reproductive autonomy. As her research has expanded, so has her involvement with the WHGE COE.

Dr. Rupa Marya Brings Her Multitudes to All She Does

UCGHI is pleased to announce Dr. Rupa Marya as a plenary speaker and musical performer with her band Rupa & The April Fishes for the UC Global Health Day 2022 celebration at UC Santa Cruz.

Op-Ed: The FDA may be about to make the abortion pill more accessible

Co-Director of the Women's Health Gender and Empowerment (WHGE) Center of Expertise, Dr. Ushma Upadhyay reflects on the future of safe and effective abortion access following the recent SCOTUS cases in her op-ed for The Los Angeles Times.

CHAT Study's 2021 Illustration Contest

The Women's Health Gender and Empowerment (WHGE) Center of Expertise’s newest signature project is the California Home Abortion by Telehealth (CHAT) Study. This contest is for artists to create three illustrations that will be featured on the pages of the CHAT study’s website and other communication materials. Submission deadline: January 9, 2022

The UCGHI Student Ambassador Program’s Personal and Professional Impact

We connected with five 2020-2021 student ambassador alumni who expressed how the energy and insights gained throughout their six-month experience will be applied to their future endeavors, all relating to justice and equity. Application deadline: November 15, 2021.

GloCal Health Fellowship congratulations two program alumni on receiving NIH K awards

The GloCal Health Fellowship congratulates two of its alumni on recently receiving K awards from the NIH Fogarty International Center. Dr. Helen Byakwaga (2014-2015) received a K43 award to continue her HIV-related Kaposi Sarcoma research in Uganda while Dr. Matthew Bramble (2017-2018) received a K01 award to expand his study of the consumption of cassava and the motor neuron disease known as konzo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

A bold Berkeley program is improving human lives in low-income countries

An innovative program based at UC Berkeley’s Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) is reporting remarkable results achieved by building multinational, cross-cultural partnerships to address needs in low-income countries.

UC Davis to lead groundwater and irrigated agriculture sustainability study

UC Davis has been awarded a $10 million grant by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to find ways to sustain irrigated agriculture while improving groundwater quantity and quality in the Southwest under a changing climate.

How one UC Berkeley initiative is championing for Latinx representation in the environmental science

The Latinxs and the Environment initiative is a 3-year-old effort which aims to establish a comprehensive program designed to generate knowledge and encourage increased study and research on Latinxs and the environment — both in the U.S. and abroad.

Former GloCal Fellow Advances Malaria Research and COVID Testing Capacity in His Native Peru

Former GloCal fellow Dr. Jaeson Calla used his fellowship for important molecular and cell biology research on malaria, which harms many children in Peru.

UC Global Health Day 2022 CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

UCGHI invites abstracts for poster presentations and proposals for breakout sessions that exemplify the breadth, depth and transformative possibilities of current global health research, education, and program development. Submission Deadline: December 19, 2021

Apply now for GloCal Health Fellowship

Now accepting applications for its 2022-23 program, GloCal is recruiting individuals interested in HIV research, non-HIV-related mental health research and other global health priority research areas.

Seeking applicants for UCGHI Student Ambassador Program 2021-2022

The University of California Global Health Institute is seeking applicants across all UC campuses and partnering with Historically Black College and University (HBCU), Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, for its 2021-2022 Student Ambassador Program.

October NIH Diversity Supplement Webinar

Please join UCGHI on October 28th in promoting National Institutes of Health (NIH) Diversity Supplements for students, postdocs, and faculty in a webinar event. This webinar will amplify the experiences of three successful NIH Diversity Supplement recipients from UC Irvine, UCSF, and UC Merced.