START Center Research Assistant, Provost Award

PhD in Implementation Science program

Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

Tina Mensa-Kwao is a doctoral student in the Global Health Implementation Science & Metrics program at the University of Washington School of Public Health, where she focuses on understanding how to enhance the implementation of evidence-based practices to improve the mental health of young people globally. In this Q&A, she shares why she’s passionate about global health, her research efforts and its potential impact, her future goals as a professional, and advice for new students. 

Marie-Claire Gwayi-Chore has spent the better part of a decade traveling the globe – examining what public health interventions work, for whom and under what circumstances, and how they can be adapted and scaled up in ways that are accessible and equitable.

It’s no surprise that she's taking the same approach to create a healthy, safe and supportive learning environment for University of Washington School of Public Health students, particularly students of color.

From Myanmar and Mozambique to the US and Egypt, 90 participants from 22 countries around the world traveled to Seattle August 26-30 for the University of Washington Department of Global Health intensive summer course in The Fundamentals of Implementation Science in Global Health. The one-week course taught participants systematic approaches that can be used to bring research findings to on-the-ground settings, with the ultimate aim of improving health for people around the world.