Autumn 2024 Academic Year Part-Time Research Fellowship Opportunity: "Environmental interventions to improve maternal and child health in rural Bangladesh"

The Stanford King Center on Global Development’s Academic Year Part-Time Research Fellowship Program connects King Center faculty affiliates and affiliated researchers with undergraduate students committed to providing research support 8-10 hours per week during autumn, winter, and spring quarters. 

Students have the opportunity to engage in world-class research that has real-world impact. Undergraduate student research fellows are paid $19/hour, for 8-10 hours per week of research per quarter.

*Students must submit an I-9 form to verify employment and receive payment.

Students must be enrolled full-time to participate and must be able to commit to research 8-10 hours per week. Students who cannot accept pay may be allowed to receive academic credit for this research. 

Research Project Description:

We are currently conducting a series of studies in rural Bangladesh to investigate innovative environmental interventions to combat infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and the health impacts of climate change. At the core of our current research is a randomized controlled trial investigating the impact of concrete flooring on child enteric infections in rural Bangladeshi households. This study seeks to provide rigorous evidence on whether a seemingly simple environmental modification – replacing soil floors with concrete – can significantly reduce the prevalence of soil-transmitted helminths and diarrheal diseases among young children. Beyond measuring direct health outcomes, we're also exploring how this intervention might improve maternal quality of life and reduce household stress. We're also investigating the complex issue of AMR in these communities, where factors such as dense populations, frequent human-animal contact, and inadequate sanitation create ideal conditions for the emergence and spread of resistant bacteria. The goal of this research is to identify novel interventions that address the intricate web of social and environmental factors contributing to AMR, with a focus on solutions that can be implemented at the household level. Simultaneously, we're confronting the looming threat of climate change on health in Bangladesh – a country uniquely vulnerable to its impacts. Our research in the Chauhali sub-district, an area prone to extreme heat, severe flooding, and river erosion, positions us to study and develop adaptive strategies for some of the world's most climate-vulnerable populations. We're particularly interested in interventions that can promote resilience of mothers and young children in the face of increasing climate-related health risks. The research fellow will have the opportunity to contribute to research that has the potential to inform public health policy and improve lives in some of the world's most vulnerable communities. This role offers a unique chance to engage with complex global health issues at the intersection of environmental health, infectious diseases, and climate change adaptation.

Research Mentor: Jade Benjamin-Chung, SoM - Epidemiology and Population Health