Lisa Woodson, MPH, a doctoral student in public health, is working with fellow global health researchers on a new project, Beyond Global Health, that highlights art and poetry to promote scientific inquiry and global health equity.
Lisa Woodson, MPH
Lisa Woodson, MPH, a doctoral student in public health, is working with fellow global health researchers to start a new project, Beyond Global Health, that uses art and poetry to promote scientific inquiry and global health equity. Through art, the Beyond Global Health team aims to facilitate the shift in global health research and programs from a culture of colonization to a culture of dialogue and reconciliation.
A PhD Epidemiology candidate with a focus on Global Health in the Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona, Lisa has extensive international experience. She served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal and later, as a Fulbright Fogarty Scholar, she conducted research on the effects of COVID-19 on adolescent pregnancy and educational attainment in the Amazon Basin in Peru in 2021. The following year she transitioned her research through the NIH’s Global Health Equity Scholars fellowship program to investigate the feasibility of adolescent pregnancy interventions. She earned her MPH from the University of Arizona and has gained global health experience in Peru, Nepal, Thailand, and Senegal. Looking ahead, in addition to Beyond Global Health, Lisa aims to create career pathways for minority women in global health and to continue advocating and promoting research that advances the rights of women, children, and other vulnerable populations to equitable access to care, especially within Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs).
To create Beyond Global Health (BGH), Lisa partnered with other women who are leaders in global health, including Shameka Poetry Thomas, PhD, who worked as a former postdoc with National Institutes of Health Intramural Research Program (2020-2022) and Purnima Madhivanan, MBBS, PhD, MPH, a researcher and professor at the Zuckerman College of Public Health. The BGH team encourages submissions from global health professionals on their website:
Beyond Global Health is excited to announce a call for submissions for our first volume where we use art, poetry, prose, and photography to explore global health research, highlighting the human stories behind the data. We believe that this intersection of artistic expression and scientific inquiry can reveal new perspectives, foster empathy, and give voice to the voiceless.
We invite submissions from researchers, health professionals, artists, and anyone passionate about global health. Share your insights, experiences, and creative expressions with a global audience, contributing to a dialogue that bridges science and art to inspire change.
From all of us in the Zuckerman College of Public Health, congratulations Lisa, Shameka, and Purnima on this exciting new project that is expanding how we think about global health! Visit their website beyondglobalhealth.org to learn more and submit creative work.
