Megan Ansbro

Megan is a fourth-year medical student at the University of California, Irvine. During medical school, she participated in the NIH-Oxford Cambridge Scholars MD/PhD Program, in which she conducted PhD research between the NIH and the University of Cambridge. For her PhD thesis, she studied molecular mechanisms of drug resistance in the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. Following medical school, she plans to pursue Obstetrics and Gynecology residency in order to achieve her long-term goal of focusing on infectious diseases in pregnant women – both locally and internationally.

 

What does the Kean Fellowship mean to you?
I am extremely grateful for the Kean Fellowship and the unique opportunity it has given me to combine clinical and basic science research in the two fields I am most passionate about: infectious diseases and obstetrics/gynecology. The Kean Fellowship enables me to learn from my colleagues and mentors in Uganda and, I hope, will set the foundation for continued collaborations.

What do you anticipate learning?
Through my project, “Comparison of antimalarial chemoprophylaxis regimens in Busia District Uganda to prevent malaria infection and optimize birth outcomes,” I will gain first-hand experience in the implementation of translational research in obstetrics/gynecology and infectious diseases in a global setting. I have an extensive background in malaria research, but this will be my first opportunity to study malaria in pregnancy.

What interests you about tropical medicine and what problems are you interested in solving?
I am drawn to tropical medicine and the challenges it poses from both a humanitarian and scientific perspective. In my future career as a physician-scientist, I will remain committed to facilitating access to healthcare and access to education. From a scientific perspective, I find the biology of parasites fascinating, specifically the complex lifecycle of the malaria parasite. I hope to use the clinical and scientific knowledge I gain during my Kean Fellowship throughout my career to continually advance global women’s health.