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Sonali Chaudhary

Dr. Sonali Choudhari is a Faculty of School of Epidemiology & Public Health; and Professor, Dept of Community Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences (Deemed to Be University), Wardha (Maharashtra). She was the organising secretary for recently conducted IAPSM-IPHA Maharashtra state Conference and IAPSM Young Leader’s National Public Health Conclave held in March 2020. Currently, she is working as coordinator of the Master of Public Health programme; Vice Dean, Research & Development cell of her institution. She is also the faculty of Department of Assessment & evaluation, at Centre of Excellence of Health Professions Education & Research AND resource faculty of Nodal centre for National Faculty Development in Medical Education Technology. She is also the secretary of the Bioethics Unit at the DMIMS University, under UNESCO Chair (Haifa) and was the Organising Secretary for ETHOS-2019 the Medical, Bioethics and Research National conference of students. Her thrust areas are epidemiology, community based research, program evaluation, IYCF, bioethics, Public Health education, curriculum development; Assessment & evaluation. 

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Shalote Chipamaunga-Bamu

Shalote Chipamaunga is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Health Professions Education, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe. Prior to this, she held a similar position at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa where she obtained her PhD in Medical Education. For the past 13 years, Shalote has combined her background in nursing, midwifery and adult education to monitor and improve the quality of teaching and learning in health professions education. She has been instrumental in the conceptualisation and introduction of new programs to meet the demands presented by the complexities of the health field. In addition to academia, Shalote has over 25 years of work experience with international non-governmental organizations in senior managerial, technical advisory and consultancy roles in reproductive health programs based in eastern and southern Africa. With expertise in qualitative research, she has published in peer-reviewed journals. 

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Wendi Cuscina, BS, CPM, PACT

Manager, Global Health Program
Manager, Policy Governance
Certified Project Management

Wendi has been with Nuvance Health for eight years. She is currently Policy Governance Manager for the System’s policy platform, Ethics Committee Coordinator, and until recently, supported the office of the Chief Medical Officer. Prior to joining Western CT Health Network, she was Payroll and Benefits Manager at a pharmaceutical company in NY.


Wendi received her BS in Accounting from Southern Massachusetts University in Dartmouth. In 2017, she received certification in Professional Project Management, and is both a NY and CT Notary. She lives with her two dogs in Newtown, CT and enjoys jogging, participating in 5k road races, and helping others achieve a healthier lifestyle as a certified personal trainer.

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Khoa Duy Duong, MD, MPH 

Dr. Duy Khoa Duong, Global Health Scholar, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Recipient of Fulbright Scholarship

 

Khoa Duy Duong, MD, MPH is a young faculty at Department of Internal Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City (UMP). He received his MD from UMP and his MPH from Université Paris-Sud.

His medical interests are pulmonary - sleep medicine, tobacco control, palliative care, and global health.

He also works for UMP’s Medical Education Center and is in charge of research and development in medical education. As a medical educator, he is passionate about sharing knowledge, skills, professionalism, mindful and compassionate care. He also works with other youth empowerment organizations to promote integrity to Vietnamese young people. He is awarded the Fulbright Scholarship 2022 to pursue Master’s in Medical Education in the United States.

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Wilson Hernandez (Ecuador)

Wilson Hernandez was born in Ecuador. He Immigrated to USA in 1985. Living in Danbury for the last 22 years. Restaurant owner in the City of Danbury. Completely committed to the common good. Member of the Ecuadorian Civic Center of Greater Danbury for 19 years: former president, vice-president, and treasurer of the organization. Member of the Board of Director of ARC (Association of Religious Communities) for 17 years. Always willing to do my part to build a better society. Ready to join fellow human beings who work for peace, justice, and equal opportunities for all.

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Stanley Kowalski

Having successfully sold my previous company, FloDesign Sonics, I find myself at a juncture where I am eager to channel my entrepreneurial experience into meaningful endeavors that drive positive change.

 

In considering the next chapter of my career, I am intrigued by the idea of contributing to a commercialization and venture building endeavor, especially tailored for regions with exceptional yet underutilized innovations. I firmly believe that providing the right support and frameworks could unleash a wave of progress, making these groundbreaking solutions globally accessible. I see this as an opportunity not only to share my expertise but also to learn and collaborate with brilliant minds in the field. I am genuinely excited about the prospect of working together on initiatives that not only make business sense but, more importantly, have a profound impact on lives.

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Kaveh Khoshnood, PhD, MPH

Dr. Khoshnood is an Associate Professor and Faculty Director for Humanitarian Research Lab (https://medicine.yale.edu/lab/khoshnood/) at the Yale School of Public Health.  Dr. Khoshnood is trained as an infectious disease epidemiologist and has more than three decades of global health research experience.  Dr. Khoshnood's research interests include: 1) epidemiology and prevention of HIV/AIDS, 2) research ethics and 3) humanitarian health. Dr. Khoshnood teaches a new course on health in humanitarian crises for public health graduate students.

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Professor Rev. Samuel Abimerech Luboga

Professor Rev. Luboga is an Associate Professor of Anatomy at the Makerere University College of Health Sciences where he has served for over 38 years until his retirement at the end of June 2013. As Head of Department of Anatomy (for nine years) he introduced several innovations such as Student Anatomy Projects for undergraduate and Special Dissections for graduate students. During the eight years he served as Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, he spearheaded the introduction & implementation of innovative changes in Health Professional Education by transforming all five undergraduate curricula from traditional to a Problem Based Learning / Community Based Education and Services (PBL/COBERS).He also led the team that spearheaded the collaboration between Yale Medical School and the Faculty of Medicine Makerere University. He initiated collaboration with Management Sciences for Health (MSH) in integrating Leadership and Management training into COBES. He also started the non-credit co-counseling course for the health professionals at the Faculty of Medicine. He led a review of the curricula for all postgraduate programmes in the Faculty to ensure that they meet the demands of stakeholders for quality health care and fit within the rules and regulations of Makerere University and National Council for Higher Education.

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Elina Mukhametshina, MD

Coordinator, Nuvance Health/RUSM-AUC Global Health Program

Dr. Mukhametshina graduated from Kazan State Medical University (KSMU) in 2017. She has successfully finished her residency training in general adult psychiatry and narcology at KSMU in 2019, during which she was awarded a special achievement scholarship for young psychiatrists.


She was also part of the general psychiatry department at KSMU teaching faculty, teaching general psychopathology to international students.


As an active member of the European Federation of Psychiatric Trainees (EFPT) and a newly elected bylaws committee member, Dr. Mukhametshina is responsible for organizing internships and clerkships for psychiatrists from all over Europe. Her fields of interest include general adult psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, and global mental health.

 

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Elvis Novas

Advisor for the Dominican Community Center and member of the Board of Directors of
Housatonic Habitat for Humanity, Danbury, CT

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Dilyara F. Nurkhametova, MD, PhD


Assistant Director at the Nuvance Health/RUSM-AUC Global Health Program

Dilyara received her MD Degree from Kazan State Medical University in 2013 and then pursued clinical training in Internal Medicine through an Internship program, which she completed in 2014, followed by a two-year clinical residency program in and Clinical Immunology and Allergology completed in 2016, both at Kazan State Medical University. In April 2020, Dilyara was awarded a PhD degree in Molecular Medicine from the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) and was working as a postdoctoral researcher at UEF.


Dilyara has been working with the Global Health Program since 2016. She first served as the coordinator and later as the director for the Global Health Elective Program for students from the American University of the Caribbean and Ross University School of Medicine as part of the Nuvance Health Global Health Program.

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Swapnil Parve, MD, PhD, FACC, FACP, FEFIM

Dr. Parve is the Director of Global Health Academy at Nuvance Health. His dedication to global health and extensive field experience have positioned him as a global health leader and innovator. He has been instrumental in shaping the Nuvance Health Global Health Program since its inception.

 

Dr. Parve obtained his MD with Honors from Kazan State Medical University (KazanSMU), Russia 2010. Following that, he pursued his internship in India. Dr. Parve has been trained in internal medicine and cardiology and holds a Ph.D. in cardiology. 

 

He is among the only three fellows who graduated from the Nuvance Health/UVMLCOM Global Health Program. 

 

Outside of his clinical responsibilities, Dr. Parve has played a pivotal role in shaping medical and global health education. He has co-founded several global health programs around the world. As an Associate Director of Global Health at KazanSMU, he developed a longitudinal multidisciplinary global health pathway for medical students. Dr. Parve is a medical educator and also serves on the editorial boards of various journals. 

 

Recognized for his outstanding contributions, Dr. Parve has received national and international awards. Dr. Parve's diverse experiences, expertise in cardiometabolic medicine, medical education, and commitment to global health have positioned him as an influential figure.

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Javier D. Rincon

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Denisse Rodas (Young Adult - Ecuador)

My name is Denisse Rodas, and I am a Registered Nurse at Danbury Hospital.  

 
I was born in Cuenca, Ecuador, and at the age of 13 years old, I moved with my family to the US. Growing up as an undocumented student was challenging due to different barriers I faced. By joining the organization CT Students for a Dream, I had the opportunity to fight for the rights of the undocumented community. One of my favorite roles involved being the College Access Fellow, where I supported undocumented high school students achieve higher education. 

 

I am passionate and motivated about this work and wish to continue working with the immigrant community and being part of the change.  

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Christopher Rodriguez (Police Officer - Dominican Republic)

Danbury Police Officer Christopher Rodriguez has been a member of the Danbury Police Department since 2021.


Christopher moved to Danbury, CT in 2003 from the Dominican Republic. He is a graduate of the Danbury Public School system.


After graduating high school, Christopher obtained a Justice and Law Administration degree from Western Connecticut State University.

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Brailyn Rodriguez (Dominican Republic)

Brailyn Rodriguez was born in the Dominican Republic. At the age of 12 when he moved to Danbury, Connecticut. Where he attended Rogers Park Middle School and Danbury High School . His interests include theater, arts, and nature. He attended the Academy of Art University. Brailyn hopes to be able to bring more opportunities in the performing arts and arts in general to the Dominican Republic and the city of Danbury. 

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Charles E. Rupprecht, MD

Dr. Charles E. Rupprecht is a world-renowned expert on rabies and other infectious diseases. He has over 40 years of experience in research, public health, and education. 

Dr. Rupprecht began his career at the Wistar Institute, where he conducted basic and applied research on lyssaviruses, including the design of novel diagnostics and biologics. He then served as Chief of the Rabies Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for 19 years. In this role, he was responsible for the surveillance, diagnosis, epidemiology, pathogenesis, prevention, control, and treatment of rabies in humans, domestic animals, and wildlife in the United States. He also served as the U.S. HHS Subject Matter Expert on Rabies and the Director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Reference & Research on Rabies. 

Dr. Rupprecht is currently a Biomedical Consultant and Adjunct Professor at the Wistar Institute. He continues to work on a broad range of biomedical projects related to infectious diseases and public health, particularly related to global health, emerging zoonoses, and the development of novel biologics for disease prevention and control. 

Dr. Rupprecht is a highly respected leader in the field of rabies and infectious diseases. He has authored over 200 scientific publications and received numerous awards for his work, including the Rabies Hero Award from MSD Animal Health. He is a passionate advocate for One Health, a collaborative approach to addressing health threats at the human-animal-environment interface. 

Dr. Rupprecht is a valuable asset to the global community and a role model for our medical students. We are honored to have him as our speaker this month. 

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Mitra Sadigh

Mitra Sadigh is writer, editor, and researcher at the Nuvance Health/UVMLCOM Global Health Program where she works on the program’s Global Health Diaries blog and eMagazine. She also teaches Decolonizing Global Health for the program’s virtual global health elective. With two bachelor’s degrees in music and philosophy, she is an activist with a passion for creative storytelling as a means of advocacy. She has published on many topics including health equity, social and cultural determinants of health, medical education, and rural healthcare access. She is also a second-year medical student at the Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine where she formerly served as President of the Medical Student Pride Alliance (MSPA) as well as Physicians for Human Rights, Policy Advocate for Students for a National Health Program (SNaHP), and member of the Social Determinants of Health Curriculum Committee.

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Stephen Scholand, MD

Associate Director Global Health Program at Nuvance Health/UVMLCOM, Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at UVMLCOM

Dr. Stephen Scholand is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine in Infectious Diseases at the University of Arizona, where he works closely with residents and fellows in training as a bedside clinician.


He is also an Associate Professor of Medicine at the Frank H Netter School of Medicine, Quinnipiac University, Connecticut. There, he serves as course director of the Hospitalist Medicine elective at Midstate Medical Center in Meriden, CT. Pre pandemic, he served in a close supportive role for students involved in our overseas and domestic clinical rotation sites. His experience focused mainly on Southeast Asia, including Thailand and Vietnam. “Post” pandemic, he is looking forward to more clinical interaction and instruction at the bedside in many of our overseas sites.


He has been active in the field of Global Health for more than 20 years, from his first experiences as a physician in training at a major city hospital in metro Manila, Philippines.


He has been active in the field of global health for more than 20 years, beginning as a physician in training in urban Manila, Philippines.


He is a rabies sub- specialist and has been active in the field for many years. His latest efforts include the ‘Zero by Thirty’ WHO goal which is to eliminate human cases of dog rabies around the world.

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Beth West​

Director, Nuvance Health Patricia A. Tietjen, MD Teaching Academy

 

Beth West joined Nuvance Health in June 2021 as Director of the newly founded Patricia A. Tietjen, MD Teaching Academy. Beth completed her undergraduate education at Fordham University and her Masters in international education from the SIT Graduate Institute (formerly School for International Training) in Brattleboro, VT. Beth has over fifteen years of international and intercultural education program development and management experience, including her work with the William J. Fulbright program, as Director of the Centro de Consejeria Educativa (EducationUSA Advising Center- Bogota, Colombia), founding Director of Exchange Programs at the Prepa Ibero at the Universidad Iberoamericana (Mexico City, Mexico), Director of CIEE Guanajuato (Guanajuato, Mexico), and founding Director of Indiana University’s Mexico Global Gateway at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM-Mexico City, Mexico). Prior to joining Nuvance Health, Beth served in the CDC Foundation’s COVID-19 Crisis Corps as a bilingual intercultural Health Educator working with communities in Hartford, CT. She has diverse experience in non-profit humanitarian aid program management, solidarity based-community development projects, intercultural teaching and learning, and creative partnerships linking volunteerism and international education within Latin and South America and the United States. She speaks Spanish fluently, and lived in Mexico for 8 years and Colombia for 3 years. Currently, Beth is a doctoral student, pursuing an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership with a concentration in International Education at the University of Bridgeport and is a certified Qualified Administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) Assessment. Beth is an active member of the Housatonic Friends Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).

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Bulat A. Ziganshin, MD, PhD

Director, Global Health at Nuvance Health

Dr. Bulat Ziganshin is the Director of Global Health at Nuvance Health. Dr. Ziganshin received his Medical Degree (MD) from Kazan State Medical University (KSMU, Kazan, Russia) in 2007; in 2008 he completed internship in General Surgery, followed by a clinical residency program in Cardiovascular Surgery completed in 2010, both at the KSMU. In 2017 Dr. Ziganshin was awarded a PhD degree in Pharmacology from KSMU. In 2017 Dr. Ziganshin enrolled in a PhD program in Genetics and Development at Columbia University (New York). Dr. Bulat Ziganshin is also an Associate Research Scientist at the Department of Surgery, Section of Cardiac Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine, and is the Research Director of the Aortic Institute of Yale-New Haven Hospital. Since 2012 Dr. Ziganshin is serving as an Associate Editor of the AORTA Journal. Dr. Ziganshin has a long-lasting interest in Global Health. From 2006 until 2015 he has been employed as the Senior Officer for International Medical Exchange programs at the GH Center of KSMU. In 2010 in collaboration with the GH Office of Yale University he established a 6-week long GH Exchange Program for Russian medical students, residents, and physicians to train in Uganda at Makerere University. More recently, Dr. Ziganshin participated in the establishment of a bilateral GH Exchange Program between KSMU and the University of Vermont/Nuvance Health. Since 2016 Dr. Ziganshin has served as the Director for the GH Elective Program for the American University of the Caribbean and Ross University School of Medicine, as part of the Nuvance Health Global Health Program.

Achievements: Dr. Ziganshin published over 200 scientific manuscripts in peer- reviewed journals, 17 chapters in textbooks, and co-authored five drug reference books.

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