Josephine Gondwe

St Cross and NDPH MSc Shared Scholarship 

Joining us from: Malawi, Africa

MSc Global Health Science and Epidemiology  (2022)

I am a medical doctor raised and trained in Malawi, Africa. I graduated from Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS) in 2019 and worked as a medical officer at the country’s largest hospital before joining the Malawi-Liverpool Wellcome Trust as a research intern. 

My interest in non-communicable disease research is motivated by the additional burden it places on low- and middle-income countries already subject to a significant burden of infectious diseases. Through the epidemiological skills I am learning now, I aim to conduct research that improves population health and leads to evidence-based clinical practice. 

I'm particularly interested in the elective modules of the course that contextualize the theoretical concepts of epidemiology.  In addition to conventional teaching, this MSc has provided a platform to network with senior researchers and mentors who are in the field of NCDs. Outside of academics, I love to sample new cuisines at restaurants. 

This shared scholarship has enabled my studies here at Oxford and has been key in achieving my goal. After completing my MSc I plan to undertake field epidemiology work for a year before applying for a DPhil in the same.