Anisa Iqbal
Anisa is a Pakistani-American who grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia. She was recruited to college to cox for Yale Women's Crew and studied Ecology & Evolutionary Biology while there. Her passion for global health grew out of experiences in rural parts of Pakistan. Among medical fields, she has always been drawn most to infectious disease because of its ability to affect multiple body systems, and the detective work involved. In her spare time, she enjoys sailing, gardening and reading.
Identifying Risk Factors for Leprosy Transmission Related to Co-infections, Unsafe WASH and Undernutrition Using Novel Serologic Multiplex and High Resolution Metabolomic Assays
Governador Valaderes, Minas Gerais, Brazil
What does the Kean Fellowship mean to you?
The Kean Fellowship will grant me the opportunity to build my experience in global health research as well as give me a taste of tropical medicine. It will make travel to the site possible at a time when the funding of university research is uncertain; though I can plan for the project and analyze data from home, being able to see the community in person helps to inform new ideas and understand the delivery of healthcare in a rural setting.
What do you anticipate learning?
I hope to learn a lot about the manifestations of leprosy and how to clinically recognize it, as well as gather experience about the logistics of international clinical research. I am also expecting to learn about how the environment and socioeconomic factors influence sanitation and hygiene practices, and therefore affect community health.
What interests you about tropical medicine and what problems are you interested in solving?
I am interested in the effect of climate change on infectious disease. As one of the biggest problems facing our generation, changing water temperatures and increasing frequency of natural disasters will change disease incidence and enable spread of vector-borne organisms. Investigating these changes and deciding how to support diagnosis and treatment will be crucial.