UAB Sparkman Center for Global Health

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UAB Sparkman Center for Global Health Developing sustainable approaches to advance global health equity and social justice.

We are excited to bring back our "Fellows Fridays" highlights to spotlight our students in the 2026-2027 Sparkman Cente...
10/23/2026

We are excited to bring back our "Fellows Fridays" highlights to spotlight our students in the 2026-2027 Sparkman Center Fellows Mentorship Program! Meet Oluwagbemisola (Gbemi) Agunbiade, our first feature for this cycle.

Gbemi is currently a 3rd year Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) student in the Health Policy and Organization Department at the School of Public Health. Her global health experience spans disaster management volunteering with the Red Cross in Canada, oral health promotion and education among children in Uganda, and dental health care for children with disabilities in Poland. After completing her studies, Gbemi plans to continue advancing health prevention efforts, with particular interests in cancer prevention, dental health, and childhood injury prevention.

Meet the 2026-2027 Sparkman Fellows Cohort! Our newest cohort of fellows has been on their global health journey for the...
10/16/2026

Meet the 2026-2027 Sparkman Fellows Cohort!

Our newest cohort of fellows has been on their global health journey for the past few months, and we are excited to officially introduce them. We look forward to see all that they experience and learn, and the impact they make throughout the year.

Stay tuned for Fellows Fridays throughout the year as we spotlight our fellows, and learn more about their backgrounds, interests, and journeys in global health!

We are pleased to welcome two new members to the Sparkman Center for Global Health team! As graduate student assistants,...
10/15/2026

We are pleased to welcome two new members to the Sparkman Center for Global Health team! As graduate student assistants, Ameena and Holiness will be assisting in administrative and communication work, as well as research. We are excited to have them on the team and look forward to all they will contribute to global health🌍🌎🌏

Join us for a special Sparkman Center for Global Health Anniversary Seminar on Tuesday, September 22nd! The title is "Gl...
09/17/2026

Join us for a special Sparkman Center for Global Health Anniversary Seminar on Tuesday, September 22nd! The title is "Global Health at a Glance: Past, Present, and Future" presented by Dr. Sten Vermund,MD, PhD, CPH, MSc, MPhil, former Sparkman Center director.

Dr. Vermund is the Dean for the University of South Florida College of Public Health, Distinguished University Health Professor in the Department of Epidemiology, and the Chief Medical Officer for the Global Virus Network.

He is a pediatrician and infectious disease epidemiologist focused on disease in low-and-middle income countries. His work on HIV-HPV interactions among women in Bronx methadone programs motivated a change in the 1993 CDC AIDS case surveillance definition and inspired cervical cancer screening programs launched within HIV/AIDS programs around the world.

*Snacks provided and virtual option is available!

Link to register: https://uab.zoom.us/meeting/register/hTBJnvznRFivyq814PlgBw #/registration

Applications now open for the 2027-2028 Integrated Network of Scholars in Global Health Research Training program! The S...
08/31/2026

Applications now open for the 2027-2028 Integrated Network of Scholars in Global Health Research Training program!

The Sparkman Center is excited to be a member of the Integrated Networks of Scholars in Global Health Research Training (INSIGHT) consortium, part of the NIH-Fogarty International Center's Launching Future Leaders in Global Health Research Training Program. The INSIGHT consortium brings together four top-ranked universities, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Maryland Baltimore, the University of Pittsburgh, and their respective international research training sites in Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

INSIGHT aims to provide the next generation of aspiring global health researchers in the U.S. and in LMICs by giving scientists, early in their careers, a mentored research training experience in global health at established biomedical and behavioral research sites across 24 LMIC institutions in 20 countries. Trainee research projects are supported by experienced and dedicated mentors with expertise in clinical, public health, laboratory, and implementation research.

Eligibility
- US Citizens & Permanent Residents: Completed a doctoral/terminal degree within the last 8 years OR by June 2027
- US Citizens & Permanent Residents :Currently enrolled in a doctoral/terminal degree program AND have completed at least one year of studies
- LMIC Citizens & Permanent Residents: Completed a doctoral/terminal degree within the last 8 years OR by June 2027

Requirements
- Determine US and LMIC mentor
- Dedicate 40 research hours per week for 12 months at international site
- Available to begin fellowship in July 2027

Research Tracks
- Diseases: HIV, Communicable Diseases, Non-Communicable Diseases, Mental Health
- Populations: Key, Male, Adolescents and Young Women, Maternal/Neonatal/Children
- Sciences: Health Systems, Implementation Science, Laboratory Science, Data Science

Register for the virtual information session on Thursday, September 10 at 3 pm CST to learn more! https://uab.zoom.us/meeting/register/hNnoCGzLQRKjmw5OvCBdCw #/registration

INSIGHT applications close on Friday, October 16 @ 11:00 pm EST. https://redcap.umaryland.edu/surveys/?s=YRR3MJFTMWE8AWW4

The INSIGHT consortium comprises four US academic institutions and their affiliated global institutions.

Meet our 2026-2027 Sparkman Fellows Cohort!We received an extensive and competitive pool of applications this year and w...
08/26/2026

Meet our 2026-2027 Sparkman Fellows Cohort!

We received an extensive and competitive pool of applications this year and want to extend a BIG congratulations to these phenomenal students! We can't wait to see what they accomplish this year in the field of global health!

Stay tuned for more details about our fellows, scholar mentors, and their future projects as we kickoff this fellowship year

As the fall semester kicks off, let take a look back at an incredible week at the Sparkman Center Summer Institute this ...
08/24/2026

As the fall semester kicks off, let take a look back at an incredible week at the Sparkman Center Summer Institute this past June! This year, the Institute brought together over 20 participants from over 10 countries in an intensive five-day workshop. The Institute focuses on implementation research (IR) in global health settings and provides training on how to apply IR concepts and methods to address health inequities in global health research and practice.

The workshop was led by four instructors including Dr. Olakunle Alonge, Professor and Director of the Sparkman Center for the UAB School of Public Health (SOPH); Dr. Janet Turan, former Sparkman Center director and SOPH professor emeritus; Dr. Stef Baral, Professor at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and director of the doctoral program in implementation science; and Dr. Malabika Sarker, Associate Dean of Global Engagement, Professor of Behavior of Social Science Implementation at Brown University, and founding director of the Center of Excellence for Science Implementation and Scale-up at BRAC University in Bangladesh.

We took a moment during the week to celebrate Dr. Janet Turan, a longtime pillar and cherished mentor, colleague, and friend to many, who recently reach retired from from UAB. Guests enjoyed cupcakes while Dr. Turan was presented with a framed illustration of the Ryals School of Public Health building signed by colleagues and friends. We are grateful for everything she has done for the Sparkman Center, the School of Public Health, and for UAB, and wish her all the best in the next chapter!

The Summer Institute will continue in 2027 and more virtual info sessions are being coordinated for the fall and spring to engage with former and potential attendees. Stay tuned and check out our website for more details!

Congratulations to our team on a new publication! "Implementation Research for Advancing Health Equity: Design and Compe...
06/05/2026

Congratulations to our team on a new publication! "Implementation Research for Advancing Health Equity: Design and Competency-Based Assessment of a Short-Term Implementation Research Training Program Focused on Health Equity in Global Health," is now published in PLOS Global Public Health.

In this paper, authors Dr. Anna Helova, Dr. Kevin Owuor, Camryn Durham, Erin Tech, and Dr. Olakunle Alonge evaluate the 2024 Sparkman Center Summer Institute, which is a one-week intensive workshop at the UAB School of Public Health designed to train global health practitioners in implementation research, with a focus on health equity. The study draws on 28 participants from 12 countries, which found significant improvements in self assessed IR knowledge and confidence following the training. Participants reported high satisfaction and highlighted the value of hands-on application, mentorship, and peer learning. The authors also explore how IR can be used to address health inequities in global health settings, and how future training programs can build on these findings.

Read the full article at the link in our bio!

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