Students Collaborate to Solve Global Health Concern at Intramural Case Competition

Students from disciplines across Northwestern collaborated to pitch solutions to complex, real-world global health challenges at the Intramural Global Health Case Competition. A part of the Robert J. Havey, MD Institute for Global Health‘s 14th annual Global Health Day, the competition challenged students to present solutions to the case, Tackling Pediatric Malaria in Nigeria.

The event, held on November 19 in the Robert H. Lurie Medical Research Center, began with introductory remarks delivered by Amelia Van Pelt, PhD, MPH, assistant professor of Medical Social Sciences and associate director of research at the Ryan Family Center for Global Primary Care at the Havey Institute for Global Health.

“It has been an incredible privilege to bring this intramural competition to Northwestern,” Van Pelt said. “This event offers a truly unique applied learning experience that empowers trainees to tackle real-world global health challenges through multidisciplinary collaboration, innovation and critical thinking. It’s more than a competition; it’s a platform that prepares the next generation of researchers and practitioners to drive meaningful global impact.”

Thirty students joined from eight Northwestern schools: Feinberg School of Medicine, The Graduate School, Henry and Leigh Bienen School of Music, Judd A. and Marjorie Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, McCormick School of Engineering, Pritzker School of Law, School of Communication and the  School of Education & Social Policy.

Each of the six teams was composed of four to six trainees from a minimum of three Northwestern schools. The competition grants teams one week to formulate comprehensive case solutions to a hypothetical, yet plausible, global health challenge. Each team then presents their case to a panel of expert judges.

Rebecca Marcus, MD/MPH candidate (Class of 2028) from Feinberg, served as case lead for the event. Marcus, whose team placed first in last year’s intramural case competition, wrote this year’s case.

The case stated that each team represented a non-governmental organization (NGO) who has been invited to submit a proposal for a five-year grant of $10 million (USD) to address the challenge of pediatric malaria in Nigeria.

Each team shared 12-minute presentations with their solutions.

The judging panel included faculty with expertise in global health, business, health systems, infectious diseases, malaria, and dissemination and implementation science.

Serving as competition judges were Robert Garofalo, MD, MPH, chief of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics; Claudia Hawkins, MD, MPH, director of the Center for Global Communicable and Emerging Infectious Diseases; Becca Kirby, MBA, research assistant professor and lecturer in Kellogg’s Social Impact + Sustainability; Matthew Laurens, MD, MPH, professor of pediatrics at the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine; Kathryn Macapagal, PhD, associate professor of Medical Social Sciences in the Division of   Implementation Science; and Gabriel Shedul, MBBS, MPH, PhD candidate in the Health Sciences Integrated PhD Program (HSIP) and faculty at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital in Nigeria.

The judges highlighted the teams’ innovative solutions, comprehensive proposals and impressive communication skills, and noted that participants now have practical experience that can be applied to future projects such as grant writing.

The first-place team presented Faith in Immunity: A Campaign for Reducing Malaria Cases in Nigeria, which focused on reducing malaria rates in children using education incentivization as well as vaccination.

Members of the winning team included Diya Bhakta, undergraduate student at Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences; Imaan Arshad, medical and Master of Public Health student at Feinberg; Amy Petschek, medical student at Feinberg; Kaylee Henry, PhD student at The Graduate School; Sharlet Mathew, juris doctor student at Pritzker School of Law; and Sarah Huang, medical student at Feinberg.

When sharing judge feedback during the awards ceremony, Kirby noted the novelty and feasibility of their solution, specifically citing the team’s implementation of baby kits with essential health and safety items.

“There was innovation in the simplicity of the solution,” Kirby said. “This was the only team who chose a different region, but they provided a very clear and actionable practical solution.”

Case advisors were assigned to each team for one hour of virtual consultation. Advisors included researchers from Nigeria and experts in global health, infectious diseases and implementation science.

These advisors volunteered their time to meet with each team to provide feedback and input on their solutions, noted Van Pelt, who is also the project lead on the competition.

Case advisors included Kira DiClemente-Bosco, PhD, MPH, research assistant professor of Medical Social Sciences in the Division of Implementation Science; Sahera Dirajlal-Fargo, DO co-director of the Center for Global Pediatric Health; Larry Kociolek, MD, MSCI, associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases; Bill Leonard, PhD, co-director of the Center for Global Health Education; Chisom Obiezu-Umeh, PhD, postdoctoral research fellow in Center for Dissemination & Implementation Science; and Emmanuel Okpetu, MBBS, MPH, PhD candidate in the HSIP.

Gregory Buchanan, assistant director of the Program in Global Health Studies at Weinberg and member of the competition planning committee, praised the event’s teamwork.

 “The case competition is a wonderful example of the ongoing collaboration between Feinberg and Global Health Studies,” Buchanan said. “Our students and our program benefit tremendously from the partnership.”

Global Health Day, hosted by the Havey Institute for Global Health, recognizes global health research, education and outreach efforts. The Global Health Case Competition was funded by the Havey Institute for Global Health Global Health Project Award.

Global Health Case Competition Winning Teams

• 1st place: Team 3 (Imaan Arshad, Diya Bhakta, Kaylee Henry, Amy Petschek, Sarah Huang, Sharlet Mathew) — “Faith in Immunity: A Campaign for Reducing Malaria Cases in Nigeria”
• 2nd place: Team 2 (Joseph Biju, Shail Belani, Sanjana Shankar, Erika Ruiz-Yamamoto) — “Kare Yaranmu ‘Protect our Children’ An Adaptable, Multi-Pronged Malaria Intervention”
• 3rd place: Team 1 (Cheryl Tang, Evan Morgan, Shreeniket Bendre, Aryan Kalluvila) — “#RoadToImmunity”

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