Rare Global Health Summer Intensive 2025 Highlights

PARTICIPANT TESTIMONIAL:

"Taking the Rare Global Health summer course this year opened my eyes in unexpected ways. Through Google Classroom, I had everything at my fingertips—clear slides and thoughtful assignments made complex topics feel approachable.

The modules on rare diseases were especially impactful. I learned about real-world challenges—diagnosis delays, limited treatment options, and the struggle for global access to care. The assignments weren’t busywork—they helped me truly grasp the issues and think critically about solutions.

This course struck the perfect balance: informative and engaging, yet manageable alongside a summer schedule. It didn’t just teach me facts—it inspired empathy, curiosity, and a desire to continue learning and raising awareness.

In short, it was meaningful, motivating, and personally rewarding."

Pratika Thalluri, 2025

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"Behind The Diagnosis: Life With A Rare Disease" by Lamar Youness

"Rare diseases are not as rare as we think they are, every person has a story. Their story must be heard and understood. We must support all patients and doctors. The patients who pray every single night that their pain is cured and that the treatment works (Some don't even have a treatment) must be heard and helped. And, it's not only hard on the patients only but also their families, doctors and loved ones. This video shows how patients suffer, it simply shows what humanity looks like. It shows real life stories and how people feel rare and helpless through their journey, also how they live with rare diseases."

PRESS PLAY TO WATCH FULL VIDEO.

Forgotten Children -The Silent Calamity of Nodding Syndorme.mov

"Forgotten Children: The Silent Calamity of Nodding Syndrome" by Barghavan Mohankumar

"A debilitating condition in the neurological disease is ravaging the lives of thousands of kids in some areas of East Africa. Uganda and South Sudan were where Nodding Syndrome was first discovered and it can lead to seizures, learning impairment, growth problems, and, in too many cases, premature death. However, this invisible malady is least known by the world community and underfunded to a hazardous extent. It is a 5-minute short documentary about the human impact of the Nodding Syndrome, our need to learn more, and what actions the health leaders of the world need to take. We can ensure the children and families that are still fighting this silent crisis have a chance to live and experience the joy of life by creating awareness, supporting the frontline healthcare workers, and facilitating international research.

Get into the struggle. Tell somebody about this tale. Act now."

PRESS PLAY TO WATCH FULL VIDEO.

"Engineering the Tumour Microenvironment: Advancing Neuroblastoma Preclinical Models for a Cure" By Mariam Bakradze

"Neuroblastoma is one of the most deadliest cancers in children under five, with its origins still undetermined. This underscores the need for preclinical models that better replicate the tumour microenvironment, as its treatment necessitates a better understanding of cancer behaviour, disease progression and drug response.

This campaign presents a literature review of current solutions, and identifies potential solutions, focusing on in vivo, 2D and 3D in vitro, and 3D bioprinting. It aims to raise awareness about the urgent need to enhance neuroblastoma modelling using 3D bioprinting technology and advanced cell culture methods, to improve drug discovery, personalise therapies, and ultimately reduce paediatric cancer mortality worldwide."

FULL LITERATURE REVIEW IS LINKED.

"Improving Pediatric Medulloblastoma Outcomes in Nigeria: A Policy Proposal for Global Health Equity" By Elizabeth Ogunade

"My policy brief aims to spotlight how Nigeria’s under-resourced system fails children with medulloblastoma, and what can be done to fix it. From missing MRI machines to treatment abandonment rates over 50%, the paper pushes for equity-focused solutions in global pediatric oncology."

FULL POLICY BRIEF IS LINKED.

"Erasing the Invisible: A Global Call to Action on Noma" By Sukhman Kaur

"It is a policy brief highlighting the poverty disease. Noma, which primarily affects children in sub-Saharan Africa, is a disease that affects young children who live in malnourished, unsanitary conditions. This brief focuses on the causes, the ways in which the disease violates sanitation rights, and the health disparities that contribute to its worldwide prevalence. With early detection, dietary initiatives, community education, and committed funding, we can eradicate Noma and safeguard the most susceptible kids."

FULL POLICY BRIEF IS LINKED.

"Closing the Treatment Gap for SMA with Cold-Chain UAV Logistics" By Nicholas Saladze

"Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a rare genetic disease that requires early treatment with Zolgensma, a gene therapy that must be stored and transported at ultra-low temperatures. In many remote or low-resource regions, patients face life-threatening delays due to a lack of cold-chain infrastructure and reliable transport access.

This project proposes an awareness campaign focused on using drone-based cold-chain delivery systems to bridge that gap. By applying mechanical and aerospace engineering principles, the campaign outlines a 5-step delivery model from a pharmaceutical lab to the patient. The goal is to inform the public and global health stakeholders of how advanced transport technologies can ensure timely, equitable access to rare disease treatments; hopefully saving lives in areas that traditional systems cannot reach."

Undiagnosed infographic.pdf

"Road to Diagnosis" by Christine McGarvey

"Guidelines for health care professionals to diagnosis undiagnosed patients."

"Limited Access to Sickle Cell Disease" By Shriyans Nomula

"This project is meant to inform students about Sickle Cell Disease a blood disease prevalent in Africa with it affecting 8 million people worldwide. It informs them what it is, treatments for it, why it is hard to access, and possible ways they can support the treatment of this disease."

FULL INFOGRAPHIC IS LINKED.

"Stronger Together: Collaborating for Mental Health" By Charmy Brahmbhatt

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