For students at the UW Department of Global Health, being a Research Assistant (RA) offers an enriching experience for both personal and professional growth. In 2018, 14 PhD and MPH students are undertaking Research Assistantships. Meet the current UW Department of Global Health batch of RAs, learn about their backgrounds, and get their first-hand perspective of life as an RA.
Tanvi Arkatkar
1st year PhD student, Pathobiology, Department of Global Health
Tanvi's research background is in biotechnology, molecular mechanisms of chlamydial pathogenesis, and dysregulated B cells in Lupus. As an RA, she has had the opportunity to study broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies from HIV positive individuals. Read more
Colin Baynes
1st year PhD student, Implementation Science, Department of Global Health
Colin has 14 years of experience in the field of global health and has interests in population, reproductive, and child health epidemiology and implementation science. As an RA, he is working on an implementation science and impact evaluation project in Mozambique. Read more
Natasha Bourgeois
1st year PhD student, Pathobiology, Department of Global Health
Natasha's research background in molecular biology includes topics such as ecology, innate immunology, and tuberculosis. As an RA, she has had the opportunity to study the immunology of HIV and TB during laboratory rotations. Read more
Yanni Chang
1st year MPH student, Department of Global Health
Yanni is a concurrent MD/MPH student at University of Washington and has worked on various topics such as dengue virus transmission factors and schistosomiasis surveillance. As an MPH Excellence Fellowship recipient, she is examining attitudes towards novel HIV prevention strategies and is looking forward to improving her analytical skills during the program. Read more
Esther Choo
1st year PhD student, Implementation Science, Department of Global Health
Esther has 10 years of international development experience with non-governmental organizations and health agencies and has worked on programs in various fields. As an RA, she is working to understand factors driving increased mortality among undernourished children admitted to a hospital with acute illness. Read more
Mame Mareme Diakhate
1st year MPH student, Department of Global Health
Mareme has worked with Americorps and provided mentoring to underrepresented students in the health field. As an MPH Excellence RA, she is studying factors that present in children who are stunting as well as cause of death in malnourished children. Read more
Nafiso Egal
1st year MPH student, Department of Global Health
Nafiso is a first-generation college student who was born and raised in Seattle and worked on public health education during her undergraduate years at University of Washington. As an MPH Excellence Fellowship recipient, she is interested in working with refugee communities on maternal and child health. Read more
Anna Furuta
1st year PhD student, Pathobiology, Department of Global Health
Anna's research background is in Toxoplasma gondii, specifically examining host-pathogen interactions and parasite components. As an RA, she has had the opportunity to pursue her interest in infectious diseases and study vaccine development for tuberculosis. Read more
Yao He
1st year PhD student, Implementation Science, Department of Global Health
Yao has worked on China's global health diplomacy and medical education and has interests in health policy, systems strengthening, and global affairs. As an RA, she is working on monitoring and evaluating the performance of health facilities in Côte d’Ivoire. Read more
Alana Lopez
1st year MPH student, Department of Global Health
Alana studied Medical Anthropology and Global Health at University of Washington before joining the Peace Corps in Ecuador. Alana is an MPH Excellence Fellowship recipient. In the future, she hopes to work in health education and advocacy with immigrant populations in the Pacific Northwest. Read more
Nina Njeri Nganga
1st year MPH student, Department of Global Health
Nina was born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya and moved to the US in 2011. She studied human biology and journalism and is interested in exploring the intersection of maternal and child health and communication during the MPH program. Nina is an MPH Excellence Fellowship recipient. Read more
Nicole Potchen
1st year PhD student, Pathobiology, Department of Global Health
Nicole's research background is in innate and adaptive immunity as well as the parasite that causes malaria. As an RA, she has had the opportunity to pursue her interest in infectious diseases and study new drugs for tuberculosis during her lab rotations. Read more
Sean Windle
1st year PhD student, Pathobiology, Department of Global Health
Sean's research background is in the oral microbiome and antimalarial drug resistance. As an RA, he has had the opportunity to continue his research on malaria, specifically designing and improving Cas9 approaches in malaria parasites. Read more
Briana Williams
1st year MPH student, Department of Global Health
Briana studied engineering during her undergraduate years and after graduation, became involved in global health projects in Guatemala. As an MPH Excellence RA, she is working with Health Alliance International (HAI) on evaluation and data analysis of sub-award recipients. Read more