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This project addressed the pressing issue of health inequities and human rights violations faced by lesbian, bisexual, queer women, and other sexual and gender minorities (SGM) assigned female sex at birth (LBQ women) in Kenya. Within Kenya’s anti-LGBTQ social and legal context, LBQ women experienced numerous documented human rights abuses and increased physical and mental health inequities due to compounded stigma and discrimination. The study aimed to improve the health equity of LBQ women by understanding and documenting their conceptualizations of empowerment and how these influence their health, using participatory and feminist research methodologies. The research gathered and analyzed data from LBQ women in Western Kenya and urban informal settlements in Nairobi, creating a culturally relevant measure of empowerment. By engaging LBQ women directly and focusing on culturally grounded approaches, the project sought to develop policies, programs, and services tailored to their unique needs. This foundational work is intended to contribute to the broader effort of achieving health equity for SGM people in Kenya and other parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, with future plans for program development and grant applications to support long-term interventions.

This project merged the efforts of three pre-existing teams from Brazil, Burkina Faso, and Colombia to address climate change adaptation through passive cooling interventions in low-income housing. Preliminary data from Nouna, Burkina Faso, demonstrated that cool roofs significantly reduced roof surface and indoor air temperatures during the day. Collaborating with the University of Michigan and the University of Heidelberg, the project expanded to explore additional passive cooling technologies, aiming to improve thermal comfort, particularly at night. In Brazil, the project involved participatory action research with residents of São Paulo's informal settlements and focused on environmental and climate justice. Similarly, in Colombia, the partnership with local government and community leaders in Bucaramanga centered on addressing rising temperatures and indoor heat. The project employed modeling and simulation tools to optimize passive cooling strategies and enhance indoor airflow, informed by local materials and cultural practices. Through extensive collaboration and engagement with community stakeholders, the project aimed to co-develop and implement sustainable construction solutions to mitigate heat stress, improve health outcomes, and promote climate resilience in marginalized communities across the three countries.

This project aims to address the significant gap in cancer treatment regimens between high-income countries (HICs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) by developing and implementing a framework for clinical trial design and capacity building tailored to LMICs. Due to the lack of high-quality evidence in LMIC populations, cancer therapies such as PARP inhibitors, which have shown promise in HICs, may not be feasible or effective in LMIC settings where patients often face different socioeconomic, pharmacogenomic, and nutritional challenges. Specifically, this project focuses on ovarian cancer treatment in India where current Western evidence and dosing strategies are not suitable owing to the distinct patient demographics and comorbidity profiles. The project will engage clinicians and statisticians from the University of Michigan, the UK, and India to develop a prospective survey to capture treatment practices, affordability, and tolerability of PARP inhibitors among ovarian cancer patients. Through systematic survey implementation across 20 centers in India and focused clinician interviews, this project will identify feasible dosing regimens appropriate for the LMIC context. Additionally, it will build statistical and clinical trial capacity in India by hosting annual workshops and creating a robust training pathway. The findings will guide the design of economically and physically sustainable clinical trials, ultimately aiming to reduce the health disparities and improve the treatment outcomes for women with ovarian cancer in LMICs. This initiative sets the stage for broader applications across various diseases and LMICs, promoting health equity and tailored treatment protocols through international collaboration and capacity building.

This project seeks to explore and address the pervasive issue of gender-based violence (GBV) in digital spaces, a modern public health crisis that disproportionately impacts women, girls, and individuals with disabilities, causing serious health, social, and economic repercussions. Focusing on university students in Karachi, Pakistan, the study will tackle the largely under-researched phenomenon of digital GBV, including cyberstalking, impersonation, doxing, and other forms of online harassment. The project's mixed-methods approach will involve quantitative online surveys with 768 students and qualitative interviews with 30 participants from both private and public universities to understand the prevalence, nature, and impact of digital GBV on academics, social functioning, and mental health. Additionally, the project will examine students' attitudes, beliefs, awareness of resources, and personal definitions of GBV in digital spaces. Insights gained will inform evidence-based recommendations for policy changes, awareness campaigns, and support services aimed at mitigating GBV in digital environments. Through interdisciplinary collaboration between researchers from the University of Michigan (UM) and Aga Khan University (AKU), this project aligns with global thematic priorities of empowering women and communities, ultimately contributing to a safer, more inclusive digital landscape for university students in Pakistan. The findings will also provide foundational data for future large-scale research initiatives, supporting broader efforts to address GBV in digital spaces within low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).