Guest Blogger: Khalidah, 2nd year, GHP (and opportunity to support HSPH alum)

Hi all! So it's been a bit of time, but we have another student post! This is from a fellow GHP SM2 candidate, Khalidah Bello, who is interested in...oh, I'm getting ahead of myself; she'll tell you about herself! She's also included some information and an awesome chance to support a recent HSPH alum in his recent initiative! It really shows the great things that HSPH students go on to do! Check it out below:


My name is Khalidah Bello, and I am a graduate Student at the Harvard School of Public Health's (HSPH) Global Health program. My research interests are broad and include infectious disease, mental health, reproductive health, along with nutrition as it relates to obesity. I am particularly interested in helping to alleviate health disparities in underrepresented groups.

My colleague and friend, physician,  Michael Schwandt shares a similar passion. Michael Schwandt is a physician that received his MPH degree at HSPH, last year, 2010. We met while taking a course on HIV epidemiology with a phenomenal lecturer at HSPH,  Dr. Daniel Halperin. Since then, Michael and I have been involved in academic work and social groups at HSPH. I have found him to be an intelligent individual who is passionate about infectious disease, and alleviating the health burden in disadvantaged communities both in North America, as well as internationally.

Michael has since returned to Toronto to complete residency and medical training at University of Toronto (affectionately known as the Harvard of the North).  I fully endorse Michael on his latest project to secure government funding so that he can tackle the global health problem of malaria in a creative fashion. 

See the details below for more information. But above all, please show your support for Michael's project, by clicking the thumbs up sign in the following link:  http://gcc.eyeptv.net/blog/2011/03/14/the-mouse-vs-malaria-crowdsourcing-for-disease-surveillance-in-low-income-countries/

The deadline for support is  April 29th

1 min, 50 seconds. Google. Research Funding. Your Thumbs Up of Approval.  Battling Malaria. 
And Assisting an HSPH alum. April 29 deadline
Caption: Michael, HSPH alum,  was active when in Boston and  finished first in a marathon called Halloween Superheroes 5-K Road Race 2010 to Benefit Cambridge Women’s Crisis Organization  (Michael is in the middle)
Credits -Cambridge TV- (http://www.cctvcambridge.org/_Superheroes_Race_in_Cambridge)

With five minutes of your time. Let's Show him the Longwood Medical community Supports its Grads!!!!!

A thumbs up from you, can help a Havard Alum tackle Malaria using Google!   It takes just five minutes.

Michael, Harvard grad, and resident doctor , now in Canada,  performed as "Jay Z" in the song  "Empire State of Mind" at Harvard's International Night 2010 last year, and now he is aiming to perform on Canada's Global Health stage.

Rally behind Michael Schwandt online, HSPH Alum 2010, and help him get selected as a Canadian Rising Star in Global Health! It is as easy as clicking the the thumbs up button on his video submission for global health funding by the Canadian government.

Michael Schwandt is an African Canadian, and aims to secure funding as Harvard's Canadian Rising star in Global Health, with an innovative idea to track infectious disease such as malaria using internet search engines such as google.

He simply needs support of individuals worldwide to hit the "thumbs up" button on his video submission to show support for his idea, if they agree of course. Video link:1 min 50 seconds.

•  http://gcc.eyeptv.net/blog/2011/03/14/the-mouse-vs-malaria-crowdsourcing-for-disease-surveillance-in-low-income-countries/

Support  him online! Have your friends do so too!  Click the thumbs up button. Share this email with friends to Support him too.

Public voting Makes a Large difference for the online video in grant application!!  Support him with the click of one button. It takes 5 minutes. Even less!

He was a good friend of mine, and is a great person,

Khalidah
SM2 candidate
2011
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Optional Additional Reading (More background info)Details on the Grant Below:
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 Short Proposal Description:

Michael's proposal is titled: "The Mouse vs Malaria," and in short he suggests that we can find clues about infectious diseases around the world by looking at what people are doing online -- much the same way researchers have already been able to predict flu trends with information from Google searches (http://www.google.org/flutrends/ca/#CA)

CANADIAN RISING STARS IN GLOBAL HEALTH
	This program aims to tap into the creativity, knowledge and skills of emerging Canadian innovators to solve some of the most persistent health challenges in the developing world through scientific, business, and social innovation. We call this approach Integrated Innovation.

They are looking for inovative ideas to address complex real-world challenges that invovle a scientific or technological solution (new or existing) alone or in combination with social and/or business innovations. 

http://www.grandchallenges.ca/funding/