ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: MEET FIVE RESEARCH ASSISTANTS & TWO GLOBAL INNOVATION FELLOWS GRADUATING FROM START’S TRAINING PROGRAM

This past June, five research assistants and two Global Innovation Fellows graduated from the Strategic Analysis, Research & Training (START) Center’s training program, four of whom completed their graduate degrees. Liza Gorton-Sankar and Shubham Gosain, our Global Innovation Fellows for this academic school year, completed their MBA’s with the Foster School of Business. Amanda Brumwell was recently named as a 2024-2025 Magnuson Scholar in her work as a Global Health PhD candidate in Implementation Science. Amanda will continue to work towards completing her dissertation. Lasata Shrestha completed her Master of Public Health degree in Epidemiology along with successful completion from the START Center program. Nicole “Niki” Asa is a PhD candidate in Epidemiology and will continue to work towards completing her dissertation. Rezaul “Reza” Hossain completed his degree as a Master in Science in Epidemiology along with successful completion of the START Center program. Sarah Hicks is a PhD candidate in Epidemiology and will also continue to work towards completing her dissertation.

Below, learn more about our impressive graduates and the work they completed while engaged with START.

LIZA GORTON-SANKAR, GLOBAL INNOVATION FELLOW, MBA
Liza graduated from Wesleyan University with a degree in Science in Society in which she studied microbiology and biochemistry alongside the history of science.  After graduation she worked in the newsroom of The Huffington Post as a science writer covering topics from NASA’s first-ever close-up photos of Pluto to anthropological perspectives on race and racism. From the newsroom she moved into marketing and branding for myriad organizations including those within the healthcare industry such as Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and Humana. Whether in service of news coverage or advertising campaigns, Liza has always been driven by her love of qualitative research. Most recently she applied that skill as a human-centered design strategy consultant working with organizations such as Novartis and Lumedic.

Liza worked on four projects during her time with START, acting as the Project Manager for three of them. Below are highlights from two of the projects Liza worked on:

• Food Fortification in Latin America – Phase 2: The Foundation commissioned START to aid the Nutrition Program Strategy Team in implementing large-scale food fortification (LSFF) to tackle global micronutrient deficiencies. Phase I identified LSFF stakeholders and conducted case studies in Latin America (Chile, Costa Rica, & Guatemala), highlighting compliance monitoring programs.
• Climate Change & Health Research: The START Center, in conjunction with the Emergency Response team within the Global Development division of Bill &Melinda Gates Foundation, developed a comprehensive report that explores the escalating impact of climate change on public health in humanitarian setting and gives recommendations drawn from research for the climates adaptation strategies to prevent public health crises, focusing on Haiti, Ethiopia, and Pakistan. In particular, climate events and associated public health outcomes in nine low-and middle-income countries, the findings of which were then used to select narrowed focus on: 1) hurricanes and infectious diseases in Haiti; 2) drought and malnutrition in Ethiopia; and 3) flooding and infectious diseases in Pakistan.

Reflecting on her time at START, Liza said,  “START has made my time at UW so much richer. As an MBA student it can be difficult to find relevant coursework in science and global health, START is one of very few opportunities for business students to get hands-on experience in this area. Many of my most proud grad school achievements have come from my time at START, and I feel that I am a stronger job candidate coming out of this program. As I depart, I feel more connected to UW overall because, through START,  I’ve seen more of campus, met more people, become familiar with more graduate programs, and formed closer connections with faculty and staff. I would highly recommend START to any and all MBA students, it makes your time at Foster that much more rewarding and richer.”

Liza graduated with a Master of Business Administration in June and will be working as a Senior Product Manager at Amazon.

 

SHUBHAM GOSAIN, GLOBAL INNOVATION FELLOW, MBA
Before coming to Foster, Shubham worked as a project manager and consultant at Big 4 consulting firm. He managed three teams across Germany, Poland, and India, leading them to implement new SAP products. In addition, he also served as a consultant to implement digital transformation across many industries. Before working as a project manager, Shubham worked as a software development lead in the UK. With extensive experience in software development, risk management, leadership, strategic planning, and a global perspective, Shubham brings a wealth of experience to the table. Shubham holds a BTECH in Computer Science from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, in Delhi, India.

Shubham worked on four projects during his time with START, acting as the Project Manager for two of them. Below are highlights from two of the projects Shubham worked on:

• Early Learning Leaders and Drivers of Decision-Making in US Public Schools: The START team created a database of the early learning leaders in US’s largest most diverse public school districts in the 50 states. The START team worked in conjunction with the The Early Learning team to create surveys, and KII to identify the major consideration and factors that influences these leader’s selection of the formative and summative assessment. Additionally we identified major challenges these leader’s face in professional development and data utilization.
• Comprehensive Analysis of Non-symbiotic Nitrogen Fixing Mechanisms: The START team assembled up-to-date research on underexplored biological nitrogen fixation modes such as (1) stem modulating BNF (2) Cyanobacteria (3) Azolla-Anabaena , Nostoc and BGA. The team also identified products in the market based on these microbes; what are the bottlenecks to scale and translate them to crops of interest such as maize, sorghum, rice? What research interventions are required to translate them as products?

Shubham graduated with a Master of Business Administration in June.

 

AMANDA BRUMWELL, MAS
Amanda Brumwell is a PhD Student in Implementation Science in the Department of Global Health at the University of Washington. Prior to this, she served as the Managing Director of Advance Access & Delivery, overseeing the implementation of programs providing care for tuberculosis, chronic disease including diabetes and hypertension, and harm reduction in South Africa, India, Peru, and on the US-Mexico border. Amanda’s research has focused primarily on understanding strategies to improve case-finding and care delivery for TB and chronic disease in low- and middle-income settings. Most recently, she has led operational and implementation research for improving the delivery of TB diagnostics and multi-disease care platforms with the Zero TB Initiative. She was the lead social scientist for a FIND-led study on values and preferences for COVID-19 self-testing in South Africa. Her past research projects include a review of TB treatment literacy materials with the Harvard Medical School Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, formative research related to opioid use in South Africa, and research on maternal and perinatal mental health in displaced populations. She earned her master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Population Health Management and earned a BS in Biology and BA in Global Health at Duke University.

Amanda worked on nine projects during her two-year engagement at START, acting as the Project Manager for two of them. Below are highlights from two of the projects Amanda worked on:

• National MS Society: The objective of this project was to determine what resources, including financial, human, infrastructure, and time would be required to test an approved EBV vaccine in a real-world MS prevention clinical trial.
• Gender Equality Data Analytics and Modeling: The START team was tasked to support the Gender Equality Data Analytics & Modeling team with their work on the Pathways project. This project aimed to understand which women are most vulnerable within certain settings & what factors contribute to this vulnerability. The START team focused on preparing quantitative data & supporting the analysis for the updated Kenya segmentation using DHS data with a wider sample.

Amanda will continue her dissertation research that is focused on advancing the field of diabetes care by investigating health systems and community-level approaches to managing and preventing type-II diabetes.

 

LASATA SHRESTHA
Prior to her masters, Lasata graduated magna cum laude from Troy University with a BS in Biological sciences in 2019. Before joining START, she worked as a research scientist at the University of Washington Virology Laboratory investigating the genetic epidemiology and immunology of SARS-CoV-2 and other infectious diseases. She also collaborated with the Kenya Research and Training Center to investigate the impact of herpes virus infection in HIV-infected Kenyan infants. Her research interests include infectious disease epidemiology, maternal and child health, molecular immunology, and community-based surveillance.

Lasata worked on eleven projects during her two-year engagement with START, acting as the Project Manager for two of them.

Below are highlights from two of the projects Lasata worked on:

• Case Study Analysis of Food Fortification Compliance Systems in Latin America: The Nutrition PST at the Foundation engaged with the START Center to build three narrative case studies existing national food fortification programs in Chile, Costa Rica, and/or Guatemala to identify successful archetypes in monitoring and sustaining adequate levels of fortification, and a regional stakeholder analysis to understand regional support of fortification and how it impacts national programs.
• Immunization & Healthcare Gender Barriers in Nigeria: The START team was engaged to conduct a literature review to answer the following questions for Nigeria & neighboring countries: How does gender affect health literacy and knowledge-seeking behavior? How does caregiver gender affect healthcare-seeking behavior for dependent children, including immunizations and other preventive care as well as care for ill children? How does child gender affect caregiver healthcare-seeking behavior for that child?

Lasata graduated with her Master of Public Health with the Department of Epidemiology from the University of Washington.

 

Nicole “Niki” Asa, MPH
Nicole Asa is a PhD student in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Washington. She received her MPH in Epidemiology at the University of Washington, and her undergraduate degree in public health from the Ohio State University. During her undergraduate studies, Nicole was introduced to injury and violence prevention research while working for the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, where she focused on physical and cognitive recovery from sports-related concussions. Throughout Nicole’s MPH program, she worked with the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center (HIPRC) researching various policies aimed at reducing firearm related injuries and deaths. She also worked with the Center for Obesity Research and Action evaluating Seattle’s Sweetened Beverage Tax.

Niki worked on six projects during her two-year engagement at START, acting as Project Manager for two of them. Below are highlights from two of the projects Niki worked on:

• Economics of Academic Publishing: The START team explored the true cost of publishing academic research and purpose potential transformative models for ways to effectively execute a sustainable open access model of publishing.
• India Mentoring Training: The Strategic Analysis Research and Training Center (START) was commissioned by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) to support the India Country Office (ICO) in conceptualizing an interdisciplinary research/consultancy partnership in India. The START team was tasked with gathering evidence to understand the adaptability and sustainability of an interdisciplinary research/consultancy partnership and identify key institutions and organizations that are exemplars in interdisciplinary research.

Niki had this to say about her time with START, “I had a great time being a part of START, and it was instrumental for both my professional and personal growth. I had the opportunity to work on a wide range of projects, and got to develop different skills including project management, public speaking, time management, data analysis, and forecasting. The START community really contributed to experience, and it was really fulfilling to be able to work with faculty and other RAs throughout the years. I will take these skills with me throughout the rest of my PhD program and in future careers.”

Niki completed her research assistantship with START, and will continue with her PhD program with the UW’s Department of Epidemiology.

 

Rezaul “Reza” Hossain, MBBS
Rezaul is a Bangladeshi registered physician and clinical researcher by profession. He received his Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) degree from the University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh. Later, he graduated from BRAC University’s James P Grant School of Public Health’s global classroom with his first international MPH (general track). Rezaul began his career in December 2019 as a Clinical Fellow at the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he offered his services as a front-line COVID-19 treating physician and as a clinical researcher in Bangladesh. During his three years of service (two as a clinical fellow and one as a research trainee), he gained experience in clinical research and public health program implementation on a national level, in collaboration with the government of Bangladesh. His research includes the pioneering study of COVID-19 emerging variants and their clinical outcomes among Bangladeshi COVID-19 patients. Rezaul is passionate about transferring biomedical innovations from the lab to clinical and community settings.

Reza worked on eight projects during his two-year engagement at START. Below are highlights from two of the projects Reza worked on:

• Polio Campaign Quality Metrics: The START team was approached to investigate the landscape of campaign coverage metrics and methods with respect to pros and cons across domains of technical requirements, statistical strengths/limitations, ability to collect near-real-time data, field feasibility, cost, and accuracy.
• Menstrual Health Systematic Review: The START team conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on the effect of menstrual health on vaginal health, female reproductive tract, and urogenital infections. The team was specifically tasked to prioritize their research from Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia regions.

Reflecting on his time with START, Reza said, “reflecting on my journey with START, I am genuinely thankful for how it’s shaped me. I have grown immensely. Starting with the START experience, combined with the support and insights from the project team and OP’s team, has boosted my confidence and skills in ways I couldn’t have imagined. It was an opportunity that START truly enrichen my path, both personally and professionally. I am very thankful!”

Reza graduated with a Master of Science with the Department of Epidemiology from the University of Washington.

 

Sarah Hicks, MPH
Sarah Hicks is a PhD student in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Washington. She graduated with an MPH in Epidemiology from UW in 2022, and cum laude from the UW with a BS in Public Health in 2018. Sarah joins the START Center with a diverse research background, including collaborating on the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation’s Global Burden of Disease project, evaluating support tools for adolescents living with type 1 diabetes at Seattle Children’s Hospital, and investigating road injuries at the Harborview Injury and Prevention Research Center. Prior to START, Sarah worked on a study investigating PrEP implementation strategies among maternal and child health clinics in Kenya. She had the opportunity to develop data visualization tools, lead trainings with international stakeholders, and identify PrEP delivery strategies for future implementation and testing. Her research interests include HIV and STI prevention, improving maternal and child health outcomes, and implementation science.

Sarah worked on seven projects during her two-year engagement at START, acting as Project Manager for four of them. Below are highlights from two of the projects Sarah worked on:

• MNCH & Climate Change: The START team explored the true cost of publishing academic research and purpose potential transformative models for ways to effectively execute a sustainable open access model of publishing.
• Sex- and Gender- Considerations in Global Health R&D: The START team was engaged to provide a summary of evidence and existing frameworks of the current state of sex- and gender- integration in health R&D, with a particular lens on (1) LMIC contexts and (2) Foundation health priorities. The guiding questions for this project centered on (1) what frameworks, policies, guidelines, and approaches are in place? (2) what is the impact of integrating sex & gender into upstream product development? and, (3) where are there opportunities for innovation?

Sarah had this to say about her time with START, “The START Center has been a pivotal part of my experience as a graduate student. As a STARTer, I was afforded the unique opportunity to play a role in large-scale, global health decision making and develop leadership skills that are not often taught explicitly in formal coursework. As a result of joining START, I am a more confident, capable researcher with the ability to effectively lead teams, communicate complex topics with both expert and lay audiences, and quickly build proficiency across a wide range of public health topic areas. I am so thankful for the amazing community that START has provided as well as the mentorship I received from the START leadership, Operations Team, faculty leads, content experts, and fellow research assistants. It has been a truly rewarding experience that has helped shape the trajectory of my personal development and career path.”

Sarah completed her research assistantship with START, and will continue with her PhD program with the UW’s Department of Epidemiology.

These seven START graduates will continue to engage with START’s extensive alumni network, established in 2011. START often invites alumni to share their experiences after graduating from the training program at all-team meetings and, additionally, taps into the alumni network for content expertise on projects. The alumni network is comprised of highly skilled START graduate professionals employed in global health, business, and consulting across disciplines.