Fall 2024 Spark Award Recipients Announced

The Yale Institute for Global Health has selected Nidhi Kadakia, MD, MPH; and Aline Herlopian, MD to receive the Fall 2024 Global Health Spark Award.

Each recipient will receive an award of up to $10,000. The Global Health Spark Award aims to provide initial funding to support global health research initiatives and partnerships among YIGH-affiliated faculty. Candidates were selected based on five criteria: innovativeness, feasibility, sustainability, and connection between "spark" and anticipated outcomes. Below is a summary of the projects:

Nidhi Kadakia, MD, MPH, Instructor of Emergency Medicine

Project Summary
The project focuses on assessing the prevalence and management efficacy of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension, diabetes, chronic respiratory illness, and malnutrition among over 200,000 forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals (FDMN) in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. By conducting a retrospective chart review and engaging in patient focus groups, Dr. Kadakia and team aim to uncover unique epidemiological patterns, treatment efficacy, and obstacles in disease management specific to this vulnerable population. This project will identify critical facilitators and barriers to effective NCD care in a humanitarian setting, providing a foundation for the development of tailored health interventions. Ultimately, the research aspires to significantly enhance the quality of life of the FDMN community and inform best practices for NCD management in other refugee and crisis contexts.

Aline Herlopian, MD, Associate Professor of Neurology; Medical Director, Clinical Neurophysiology/EEG lab, Neurology; Director, Clinical trials in Epilepsy, Neurology

Project Summary
Armenia experiences a shortage in subspecialized EEG/epilepsy training and education, alongside limited access to diagnostic and therapeutic interventions in epilepsy care. This situation is exacerbated by the widening disparity in epilepsy-related services between urban and lower-income rural areas. This project aims to:

a) provide education and clinical training for neurology residents in epilepsy and EEG interpretation to equip them with essential skills, as there are currently no subspecialty fellowship programs.

b) develop a strong EEG infrastructure for long-term monitoring of critically ill patients in intensive care units and emergency departments (minimal capabilities of ICU-EEG monitoring); and outpatient short-term EEG studies.