University’s WeEmbody Lab Prepares Next Generation of Public Health Leaders and Advocates

Pradeep Rajbhandari ’23 MPH has brought his passion for health advocacy to his work as an ear, nose and throat specialist and head and neck surgeon in his native Nepal. That same passion inspires him as a graduate student at the University of New Haven.

In reflecting on the opportunities he’s had as a Charger, Rajbhandari considers his work as a fellow in the University’s WeEmbody Lab to be particularly meaningful.

“Being a fellow is an enriching experience, and I feel it has been a turning point in shaping my vision and perception regarding healthcare leadership and advocacy,” he said. “WE Lab has helped me to be updated and to understand the possible solution to any pressing and critical issue.

“WE Lab has a vision of creating a world without discrimination and stigma associated with race, gender, sexual orientation, body shape and size, and other characteristics,” he continued. “I am so lucky to have been selected as a fellow after a very competitive selection process.”

‘Creates career opportunities for fellows to excel’

Over the past four years, the WE Lab has served as a working group of public health professionals and students, training the next generation of leaders who, like Rajbhandari, are devoted to promoting equity in public health. The group focuses on addressing appearance-based discrimination and stigma and on issues around sociocultural factors, including race, gender, body shape and size, and sexual orientation.

The WE Lab has enabled students to learn how to conduct and present impactful research on a variety of topics critical to public health. Students have presented their research at national conferences, such as the American Public Health Association’s (APHA) Annual Convention, and published their findings in leading peer-reviewed journals.

Fellows such as May Ubeku ’23 MPH also have had the opportunity to visit Washington, D.C., where they met with lawmakers and learned about the importance of health advocacy. Ubeku is grateful for the opportunities she’s had to be involved with APHA advocacy efforts related to gun violence, racial equity, and climate change.

“My involvement with the WeEmbody Lab has been a rewarding experience,” she said. “The fellowship activities exposed me to high-level and tactical approaches to public health engagements and advocacy. The WeEmbody Lab does not only train students as future public health leaders but creates career opportunities for fellows to excel as public health students.”

‘We need to use our research to inform practice and policy’

Several fellows, including Ubeku, have also earned prestigious scholarships from the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE). The scholarships have supported their education and advocacy work, and enabled them to attend conferences.

“The SOPHE scholarship means a lot to me because it presents a great chance for me to network and gain professional experience through the workshops on health education, advocacy, and equity I attend,” said Ubeku.

Based in the University’s School of Health Sciences, the WE Lab was created by Alvin Tran, Sc.D., MPH, who serves as its director. He was inspired to found and model the WE Lab by his own experiences as a fellow with School of Health Sciences, the WE Lab was created by Strategic Training Research Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders (STRIPED), a group based out of Boston Children’s Hospital.

“Through STRIPED, I learned about the importance of health advocacy, and how doing research alone is often not enough to enact change,” explains Dr. Tran, assistant provost for diversity, equity, and inclusion and an assistant professor of public health. “We need to use our research to inform practice and policy. That often means stepping out of our comfort zones and meeting with our legislators to advocate for issues we care about.”

‘Impacted my view of the world’

Dr. Tran says the experience his students have gained at the University and as part of their fellowships have enabled them to land jobs across the country and get accepted to medical schools and other competitive graduate programs. Students have conducted important research on a variety of topics, such as intimate partner violence and eating disorders. Fellows are now working on a qualitative study exploring the impact of the pandemic on food pantries at colleges and universities across Connecticut.

For Mabintou Darboe ’22 MPH, her experience as a student researcher and WE Lab fellow enabled her to assess the relationship between dating app use and unhealthy weight control behaviors, such as the use of diet pills. She says her work as a fellow was an invaluable opportunity to apply what she learned in the classroom, and she encourages other students to get involved with the WE Lab. She says it enabled her to become “culturally competent and equity-minded.

“At the WE Lab, we are taught that tolerance is not enough – we have to accept each other’s differences,” she explains. “The fellowship impacted my view of the world and shaped my future career as a healthcare professional. I know I wanted to be a physician, and my experiences with WE Lab shaped the type of doctor I aspire to be: a culturally competent public health physician. My experience with the WE Lab was phenomenal. It will change your view of the world and our health system in a good way.”

‘Boosts one’s confidence’

Open to undergraduate and graduate students in all programs of study, the WE Lab holds meetings throughout the academic year. Members of the team discuss and develop research, as well as advocacy and other public health efforts.

For Rajbhandari, the MPH candidate from Nepal, his involvement with the WE Lab has led to wonderful opportunities to network and take part in panel discussions. He is looking forward to attending an APHA conference in Boston this month, and he’s excited to continue the research and the mission he has been dedicated to as a fellow.

“I am looking forward to conducting research in the field of food, nutrition, and perceptions of body size and shape in the future,” he said. “The experience I am gaining as a fellow will be of great importance to conducting research in the future. The WE lab not only boosts one’s confidence, but it also provides numerous opportunities. I have gotten plenty of exposure academically as well as professionally because of the WE Lab.”