Stories - Global Health | Duke Kunshan University

Fieldwork

Kayla Jackson: A Journey of Discovery in exploring Maternal Health in Cambodia

In February 2024, Kayla Jackson, a student in the Master of Science in Global Health program at Duke Kunshan University’s Class of 2024, embarked on a field research trip to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. There, she collaborated with the University of Health Sciences in Cambodia to conduct her thesis research. Her study focuses on maternal and child health, delving into the complex psychological processes behind pregnant women’s decisions between natural childbirth and cesarean sections, and uncovering the deeper motivations behind these choices.

June 4, 2025

Career

A Career Reimagined: Jingwen Ji’s Global Health Pivot

“Set your sights high and walk the broad path.” This is the life philosophy Jingwen Ji often refers to. As a second-year master’s student in Global Health at Duke Kunshan University, she has worked for Fortune 500 pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer and Roche, as well as a clinical research assistant at the Department of Biliary Surgery at Zhongshan Hospital, affiliated with Fudan University.

May 31, 2025

Academic

How We Turned a Class Project into a Peer-Reviewed Publication

In March, a research paper titled “Interactive Effect between Selenium and Vitamin C Levels on Risk of Hypertension among Adult Women in the United States: Evidence from NHANES 2011 to 2020” was published in Frontiers in Nutrition, an SCIE-indexed journal with an impact factor of 4.0. The paper was co-authored by Ping Fan, Julia Ching, and Dongfang Wu from Class of 2025, Duke Kunshan University’s Master of Science in Global Health program. The study analyzed data from 9,343 adult women over the age of 20, sourced from the NHANES database between the years 2011 and 2020.

March 27, 2025

Alumni

Stepping out of the comfort zone for my next career journey

Ms. Zhangyang Pan is a 2024 graduate of the Master of Science in Global Health program at Duke Kunshan University (DKU). A mother of a four-year-old, former journalist, and seasoned corporate communicator, she brings over a decade of experience in corporate communications and public affairs at multinational pharmaceutical companies. While many of her peers pursued MBA programs to advance their careers, she chose to step into the field of global health—marking a bold transition into the second chapter of her professional journey.

August 13, 2024

Alumni

Three Years, Five Countries, Three Continents: Global Health in the Classroom and on the Road

“In the two years of my global health education at Duke Kunshan University, I traveled across three continents and five countries. This journey enriched my knowledge, exposed me to diverse cultures, and helped me discover and improve myself. Every place I visited and every person I met provided me with new perspectives and insights. Health is a complex and multifaceted issue, and I hope to use what I have learned to advance global health and ensure health for all.”

June 18, 2024

Academic

A Quick Q&A of Non-health Background Students: The Best and Most Challenging Moments in Global Health Study

The Master of Science in Global Health program (MScGH) admits a significant percentage of students each year who do not come from a public health or medical background. Duke Kunshan University and Duke University’s is widely known for its strength in interdisciplinary education and research. Thus, from the admission requirement to the course module design, the program embraces students from diverse professional and cultural backgrounds. We cherish each unique perspective and viewpoint in class and group projects. Four students from the Class of 2025 will share their learning experiences at the MScGH program.

May 23, 2024

Faculty

From Barefoot Doctor to the World Health Organization: Health Equity is My Lifelong Pursuit

“I began my career as a barefoot doctor in a remote mountain village in Sui County, Hubei Province. Then, I got involved in national health projects, stepped onto the international stage at the World Health Organization, and returned to the university to teach courses on global health – I have witnessed and experienced huge changes in the health systems of China and many developing countries. It has always been my pursuit to apply what I have learned to help others and promote health equity.”

May 17, 2024

Career

How We Apply What We’ve Learned in MScGH

Lingyuan Gao, Xinwen Hu, and Aiwei Zhang (Class of 2024) from the Master of Science in Global Health program are interning at three well-known healthcare companies. Based on their expertise and interests, they chose a niche career track and are applying what they have learned from the MScGH program to the projects they support.

March 26, 2024

Academic

Interdisciplinary Ideas to Inspire Your Thesis Project

The Global Health program at DKU encourages students to pursue a wide range of interdisciplinary research based on their own interests, backgrounds, and future career orientations. Several current students from the classes of 2024 and 2025 shared their completed or ongoing research projects.

March 4, 2024