Besides being a world-class centre for epidemiological research, NDPH is also committed to training the next generation of health researchers. This week, the department welcomed the new intake of students studying either the MSc in Global Health Science and Epidemiolgy, the MSc in Clinical Trials or a DPhil in Population Health. Here, some of the students studying on campus share their thoughts about starting the first term, and why they chose NDPH.
MSc students studying Global Health Science and Epidemiology
Maddalena Ardissino, Italy
‘I am very excited to start the new term. After my clinical and academic training, I am looking forward to really focussing on the methods of how research is done. I have a specific interest in cardiovascular diseases, especially how we can address risk factors such as diabetes and obesity to prevent cardiovascular events. After completing this course, I hope to undertake a doctorate in cardiology.’
Naseem AlKhoury, Syria
‘As a medical graduate and doctor working in Syria, I loved working with individual patients, but I realised that if I wanted my career to have a bigger impact – including communities beyond my country – I had to look at the population level. I see this course as just the start of my career in population health, as it will give me valuable skills and knowledge no matter what direction I take. I am really excited and happy to start the new term – it is a dream come true before my eyes. It will be a whole new experience from studying and working in Syria. It is particularly nice to work with such a diversity of people and appreciate the beauty of our differences.’
Adanna Ewuzie, UK
‘Health research is so important – if we want to help patients, we need strong, robust evidence so that doctors can be sure that the treatments they prescribe will benefit them and not cause harm. My career goal is to be a clinician with the ability and skills to conduct research as part of my role, whether in a hospital setting or elsewhere. This course will give me the training I need to analyse numbers, patterns and statistics, which is highly relevant in clinical practice.’
Emma Taylor-Gallordo, UK/Spain
‘I am particularly interested in cancer epidemiology, and would like to pursue a mixed clinical academic career in this field. I was attracted to NDPH because of the amazing research reputation of the Cancer Epidemiology Unit. I also love the international mix of students and the diversity of interests here. I haven’t had a single boring conversation since I arrived!’
DPhil students studying Population Health
Bastian Bohrmann, Germany
‘I chose this course because I wanted to go deeper into a topical area of population health and to work with renowned supervisors in the field. I am particularly interested in the disease risks conferred by unhealthy lifestyles, for example, adiposity, how these risks are interlinked with societal factors and how they can be mitigated. Ultimately, I hope to have a research career and this course will equip me with the skills and knowledge I need.’
Elise Racine, from Washington, USA
‘My education so far has been at the intersections of ethics, global health and technology, but the COVID-19 pandemic confirmed for me the importance of population health research. I was drawn to NDPH because it is clearly at the forefront of this field and driving incredible advances. I also found the perfect project for me, investigating the ethics of infectious disease surveillance technologies. I can’t wait to get started!’
Danial Qureshi, Canada
‘I worked as a health researcher in a hospital for a few years after my masters, so I already have a good insight into how research is conducted from beginning to end. I now feel ready to undergo training for a leadership role, so that I can set my own research questions and investigate the topics I am curious about. I chose to study at NDPH because I liked the focus on big data, and the opportunity to work with large-scale datasets such as the UK Biobank study, alongside world-leading researchers who are well-versed with using these data sources’.
Sanjula Singh, The Netherlands
‘I chose to study population health in addition to clinical medicine because it impacts healthcare on the global level. Instead of treating one patient at a time, population health aims to get to the core about why people get ill in the first place. In addition to this, partly because I am half-Indian and half-Dutch, the diversity at NDPH really appealed to me, and the fact that their work embraces low- and middle-income countries. As a recipient of a departmental scholarship, it feels like a dream come true to be at one of the best epidemiological centres in the world, learning from researchers who are leaders in their field.’