2018 Conference Team

Boago Mokgatle

Content Coordinator – MSc, BMBS Medicine, Brighton and Sussex Medical School

My interests in global health and development stem from the recognition of health as a human right which should be enjoyed by all regardless of nationality, socioeconomic status, gender or race. I want to be part of a generation which works towards bringing health equity to those who have for long been pushed to the margins of society.

Jimmy Gough

Content Officer – MA Poverty and Development, Institute of Development Studies

My interest in global health came through stays in Ghana and experiencing first-hand the suffering experienced due to frustratingly preventable illnesses such as malaria, typhoid, and scabies. This led to a keen interest in organisations such as Give Well and Effective Altruism, which have highlighted how much global health can be improved through cost-effective interventions in neglected areas, and prioritising resources accordingly.

Markéta Šmitová

Content Officer – MA Globalisation, Business and Development, Institute of Development Studies

I discovered my interest in development when engaging in community work in Ghana and Peru. Observing women’s barriers on daily basis and efforts to restore balance through women’s empowerment projects brought home the realities of global health. The work with the women of these communities has inspired me to work in this field in the future.

Meron Yalew

Content Officer – BSc, BMBS Medicine, Brighton and Sussex Medical School

Global health encompasses a plethora of issues we face in our world today including access to healthcare, inequality and poverty which restrict development in many LMICs. During my previous studies, global health enabled me to see the world from a unique perspective, acknowledging the successes achieved so far, as well as identifying the fundamental areas yet to be addressed. By adopting a multidisciplinary approach, we hope to focus on some these matters during the 3^rd Global Health and Development Conference, as well as inspiring and empowering individuals to get involved in this increasingly dynamic field of academic and practice.

Shivani Jain

Finance Coordinator – MA Development Studies, Institute of Development Studies

Coming from a developing nation, I have experienced and witnessed injustices in health-related issues and mental health and its associated taboos resonate with me in particular. I have also worked around building a women safely mobile App in India am keen to work towards designing and building more solutions around this pressing issue in the years ahead.

Lysann Seifert

Logistics Coordinator – MBA, Visiting PhD Humanitarian Supply Chain Management, University of Sussex and University of Kassel

I am a PhD student on Humanitarian Supply Chain Management responding to forcibly displaced persons at the University of Kassel, Germany and the University of North Florida, US. Besides the strong linkage to my PhD topic, I believe Global Health and Development is increasingly important in international affairs. I am keen to learn more about their interdependencies and look forward to contributing towards this cause.

Isabel Alves

Sponsorship Officer – BA International Relations and International Development, University of Sussex

Health is the catalyst for serious change in the imbalanced world we live in. My particular interest within global health is the Global Strategy (2016-2030), a programme targeted to achieve high standards of health worldwide for women and children.

Klaudija Brami

Sponsorship Officer – BA International Development with Law, University of Sussex

Studying International Development sparked my interest in global health. By taking the “Health, Poverty and Inequality” module I was able to gain valuable insight into key themes surrounding global health issues. I then built upon my initial interest and insight into global health by attending last year’s conference. This left me excited and inspired to get involved with the interdisciplinary approach to global health that the conference offers which is why joined the team this year.

Georg McCutcheon

Catering Officer – BA Politics and International Relations, University of Sussex

In light of rapidly progressing climate change, I am interested in health issues that arise from natural disasters, which disproportionately affect economically disadvantaged countries in the global South. In addition, I want to explore adequate policy responses to forced migration, caused by climate change related dangers to human health.

Isabella Maria Pyrgies

Venue Officer – MA Development Studies, Institute of Development Studies

The experiences I have gained from visiting different countries and undertaking an MA in International Development has made me aware of the integral importance of using health as a lens with which to assess development processes and well-being. Through my masters, I have become increasingly aware of the hidden and visible structural inequalities which determine access and resources. I believe this conference acts as an important platform to discuss, explore and share knowledge on the multifaceted aspects of global health such as mental health, migration, and human rights within the context of current events.

Lydia O’Connor-Butler

MBS Coordinator – Ba Law with International Relations, University of Sussex

I intend to pursue a career in the Human Rights field and believe that it is redundant to speak on measures to address the rife inequality and injustice in our world if people do not have the means and the resources to live a quality and dignified life, a fundamental aspect of that is of course access to healthcare.

Molly Maynard

Branding Officer – BA International Development, University of Sussex

My interest in global health and development stems from the experience of growing up in developing countries. I witnessed how development can both tackle and create health issues. It also made me aware of the numerous obstacles, sometimes simple and unnecessary, that deny people their right to health.

Isabel Spence

Social Media Officer – Ba Anthropology, University of Sussex

My interest in Global Health was sparked through my engagement with medical anthropology, sexuality and gender. I am excited to develop and be part of an interdisciplinary Global Health and Development community. I am keen to expand what it means to be part of this community and introduce new voices to the conference.

Serena Bailey

Marketing Officer – Ba International Development with Spanish, University of Sussex

As an international development student, my area of interest is global health, especially maternal and infant health. I am also interested in power relations in regard to the creation of international development policy, and how to create a more level playing field for the people and actors who participate in development activities.

Hannah Spencer

Marketing Officer – Ba Geography and International Development, University of Sussex

Global Health and Development brings together such a diverse selection of disciplines. This subsequently opens up such an amazing and captivating debate on significant global issues that will become even more important in the future for both ourselves and future generations.

Alex Boothroyd

Media Coordinator – BA History, University of Sussex

Much of my academic study has focussed on colonial practices and legacies across the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa and North America. In regards to Global Health and Development, I’m particularly interested in the social determinants of health within a post-colonial context; in the inequalities that exists and how we can address them most effectively.

Izzy Dickenson

Co-Editor – Ba, BMBS Medicine, Brighton and Sussex Medical School

Working in the NHS I’ve had the privilege of learning about the realities of what health means for many people, as well as the complex issues that drive whether their needs are or are not met. Global health is a way of responding to those lessons in a wider context and finding solutions to providing a fundamental right to which so many lack access.

Allana Boateng

Co-Editor – Ba Politics and International Relations, University of Sussex

Within the vast sector of Global Health my main interest is Tropical Diseases. Being regionally exclusive makes them extremely challenging. Neglected tropical diseases are pin-pointed as having direct correlations with states’ development. The continuing phenomenon of development is a reoccurring theme of tropical diseases meaning the two often go hand in hand. Through CORBIS I am able to bring my interest into light whilst learning more about others, particularly with this years theme ‘Global Health and Social Justice’.

Carlotta Schwoerbel

Web Developer – Ba International Development with Spanish, University of Sussex

With health as a key indicator for development it is important to address the imbalance between incredible medical advances on one side in contrast to the lack of sometimes even the most basic healthcare in many developing countries. To me, this year’s conference represents a platform to showcase how we could make inclusive progress in global health happen.

Tarooj Anwar

Web Developer – Ba, MSc Climate Change, Development & Policy, Institute of Development Studies

The triple challenges of global health, development and climate change are intimately linked and require multidisciplinary solutions. With a background in media, climate change and development, I am engaged by these concerns and am interested in exploring how structural inequalities prevent the world’s vulnerable from accessing the health resources they need. CORBIS’ annual conference hence became the perfect outlet to fuse my practical media skills and interests in tackling climate and health concerns.

Adele Walton

Photographer – BA International Development, University of Sussex

My interest in Global Health and Development stems from my belief that development cannot be achieved unless all people have equal access to healthcare services. Quality of health should not be something determined by where we live, what class we are, what gender, race or ethnicity we are.

Richard Samuel

M&E Coordinator – MA Development Studies, Institute of Development Studies

One of my interests within global heath and development is eye health; before starting my MA I worked for an eye health INGO. Another is mental health, a critical and rapidly emerging focus. I’m also interested in the links between health and environment, and wrote my undergraduate dissertation on water security. Finally, I’m interested in two themes which cut across the field: sustainability and impact.

Samia Amao

M&E Officer – Ba International Development with French, University of Sussex

I believe that concern for global health will become increasingly important as new challenges arise, in doing so, creating even more space for future innovation. I am also excited to see how different countries and global organisations will respond to these needs and challenges, and how various forms of knowledge will collide.

Vanya Gupta

M&E Officer – MA Development Studies, Institute of Development Studies

I have a number of academic interests in global health and development, in particular health education, maternal health and nutritional needs, mental health, sanitation, sustainability and the impact of environment on health.

Samantha Orenstein

M&E Officer – Ba Law with Spanish, University of Sussex

I am interested in the uses of alternative, non-intrusive holistic methods in treating mental health, in particular mindfulness and meditation techniques. I am also keenly drawn to issues relating to inequality in accessing health services, including the impact and role of privatised drug businesses in paving the direction of global health priorities

Johanna Siebert

M&E Officer – BA International Relations and Development, University of Sussex

Global health and development are shaped by uneven power relations. I find it particularly interesting how current inequality has its origins in historical events that created a powerful elite at the expense of the many and what implications this has for contemporary approaches to the world’s most pressing issues.