Welcome to the UCSF Center for Global Nursing (and Advanced Practice)

at the Institute for Global Health Sciences.



In this newsletter, you can expect to find opportunities, events, and other information about UCSF nurses, advanced practice providers, and our global partners working toward global health solutions.

🌍✨ Join the Center for Global Nursing in celebrating International Nurses Day in May! ✨🌍

Mark your calendars for May 7th, 2025, as we come together to celebrate the invaluable contributions that nurses make to healthcare across the globe. This special event will feature inspiring speakers, opportunities for networking, the presentation of awards recognizing excellence in nursing, and a raffle with exciting prizes. It’s a meaningful opportunity to gather in community, honor the impact of nurses worldwide, and celebrate the vital role they play in shaping health systems. We look forward to celebrating with you!

🗓️ Date: Wednesday, May 7th, 2025

⏰ Time: 4 PM - 6 PM PST

📍 Location: Mission Hall 1400

Nurses and advanced practice providers play a pivotal role in improving global population health. CGN's Global Nursing Impact Series offers a platform to highlight their leadership and impact in advancing health equity and to promote collaboration on these initiatives. Each session will feature a 20-minute presentation by invited speakers, followed by a Q&A.*

The lecture series is held virtually on the second Tuesday of each month and starts promptly at 7:00 am - 7:30 am PST/4:00 pm - 4:30 pm CEST.

This month, CGN is excited to feature CGN is honored to feature

Judy N. Khanyola, MSN, RN

a pan-African nursing leader and global health advocate! As Vice President of AFREhealth and the former Chair of the Center for Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Global Health Equity in Rwanda, Judy has led transformative reforms in nursing and midwifery education across Africa. A Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and recipient of the ANAC Global HIV Award, she is dedicated to strengthening healthcare systems and advancing the nursing profession.

Use the link below to register for CGN's upcoming Global Nursing Impact Series on Tuesday, March 11th, 2025

7:00 am - 7:30 am PST/4:00 pm - 4:30 pm CEST.

*The series is open to UCSF faculty, students, staff, global partners, and professionals interested in the field of global health.

Mark your calendars for our upcoming CGN Community Meeting and Journal Club on May 13, 2025, from 12:10 to 1:00 PM PST. CGN Director Dr. Rebecca Silvers will share updates on exciting new projects and collaborations. Tune in to hear about our progress and plans for the future!

Following the center updates, CGN member David Alfon will lead the Journal Club discussion. Engage with peers as we explore the following article:

"Breaking dependency: strengthening the global tuberculosis response in the face of USAID cuts"

Register now for one of CGN's upcoming Cultural Humility Course dates! 🌍

This engaging course is designed for UCSF nurses and advanced practice providers seeking to develop skills in cultural humility, address personal biases, and foster more respectful, equitable partnerships. Participants will gain valuable tools to enhance cross-cultural collaboration and reduce power imbalances, making it an essential resource for advancing inclusive practices in global nursing.

📅 2025 Course Dates remaining:

• April 8, 2025 | 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM PST
• October 21, 2025 | 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM PST

Sunil Suhas Solomon, MBBS PhD MPH is a Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA. He is also the Managing Trustee of the YR Gaitonde Medical Educational and Research Foundation in Chennai, India. He currently co-directs the Johns Hopkins Center for Infectious Diseases in India. He completed his medical training at the Sri Ramachandra Medical University in Chennai, India, and received a Master of Public Health (MPH) and a doctorate in Epidemiology (PhD) from Johns Hopkins University, USA. Dr. Solomon has been elected into the Phi Beta Kappa honors society for academic excellence and the Delta Omega Public Health honors society. His research is primarily focused on the epidemiology, clinical management, and access to services for HIV and viral hepatitis among vulnerable populations such as people who inject drugs (PWID) and men who have sex with men (MSM). He serves as a Deputy Editor of the Journal of the International AIDS Society and an Associate Editor of Drug and Alcohol Dependence. He is also a member of the PWID and ART technical resource group of the National AIDS Control Organization, India. His team established one of the first comprehensive clinics for the transgender community and people who inject drugs in India. He currently serves as the co-chair of the Substance Use Scientific Committee (SUSC) of the HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN). He served as the Protocol Chair of ACTG A5360 (MINMON), a ground-breaking global trial on the simplification of HCV treatment delivery, and currently serves as the Protocol Chair of HPTN 103/PURPOSE-4, the first trial of long-acting antiretrovirals for PrEP among people who inject drugs. He was also awarded US $50 million PEPFAR/USAID to provide technical assistance to the National AIDS Program in India. He is also one of the only recipients of both the NIH Directors New Innovator Award (DP2) and the Pioneer Award (DP1), the Avenir and the Avant-Garde awards, from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

You are invited to join the 2025 UCSF School of Dentistry Global Oral Health Symposium. This year’s theme is “Food, Food Systems, and Oral Health.”

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Pacific Daylight Time)

This will be an online event, with live presentations from around the world. Leading health researchers will discuss their findings and the implications for policy and health interventions. Please join us for fast-paced presentations and moderated discussions with the online audience.

Speakers:

Shuwen Ng, University of North Carolina, USA

Fernanda Rauber, University of São Paulo, Brazil

Joreintje Mackenbach, Amsterdam UMC, Netherlands

Moderated by:

Cristin Kearns, UCSF

Benjamin Chaffee, UCSF

Please direct any questions to:

Benjamin Chaffee, Director, Program in Global Oral Health (benjamin.chaffee@ucsf.edu)

Roger Mraz (roger.mraz@ucsf.edu)

This unique program brings together UCSF nurses and advanced practice providers with colleagues from Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kenya for a bidirectional learning experience. This program fosters cross-cultural collaboration, leadership development, and sustainable quality improvement in nursing care.

All of our scholars are currently enrolled in CGN’s Certificate in Global Nursing course, where they’re gaining a strong foundation in global health, cultural humility, and health systems. In late April, our UCSF scholars will travel to Kenya for an immersive, in-person exchange. They’ll shadow and collaborate with their partner nurses, conduct a root cause analysis, and apply their course knowledge to real-world healthcare challenges.

So far, we’ve completed three of our four pre-departure meetings, where scholars met their international pairings and engaged in additional training on quality improvement to enhance patient care.

We can’t wait for all the scholars to meet in person. Stay tuned for more program updates from Kenya in April! 🇰🇪

CGN would like to share an opportunity to participate in a survey aiming to characterize the global neurosurgical nursing workforce with a specific focus on gaining an overview of the demographics, education, and clinical training available for nurses, along with the status of nursing practice including resources and equipment available. ​​​​​​​

If you work with patients before or after neurosurgery, we kindly ask that you take a few minutes to complete this survey. The survey should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. 

Please consider sharing this survey with your nursing colleagues and encourage their participation.

Puth Palmeri, RN

Registered Nurse, Pediatric Critical Care | UCSF Health

Ruth Palmeri, RN, is a dedicated pediatric critical care nurse at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, specializing in the care of the most critically ill pediatric patients. Nursing is Ruth’s second career—her path began with a biology degree from Scripps College, followed by a master’s in marine biology from Ryukyu University in Japan. Initially aspiring to a career in marine research, she explored various roles, including working as a fishery observer on crab boats in Alaska and as an aquarist at a San Francisco aquarium.

She later pursued a nursing degree at the College of San Mateo and began her career in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) through UCSF’s new graduate program. Since then, she has remained a committed bedside nurse, advancing to the charge nurse role and mentoring new graduate nurses and staff.

At CGN, Ruth is collaborating with a team of nurse leaders at Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to develop and implement the country’s first perioperative nurse training program. This initiative aims to expand access to surgical training for nurses in sub-Saharan Africa and elevate the practice of perioperative nursing.

Funding and Global Opportunities

CGN's Global Nursing Research Seed Award offers UCSF Center for Global Nursing members the opportunity to propel their research ideas through financial support. Selected awardees will receive up to $10,000 USD to cover travel, lodging, visa, foreign nursing license, study materials, or cost of labor. Applications from novice nurse researchers are highly encouraged. 

This award aims to: 

• Foster the spirit of clinical inquiry in global health
• Support early investigator nurse/APP researchers 
• Strengthen and expand partnerships between CGN members and global collaborators 

Focus area: 

• Advance quality improvement strategies that address health disparities in low-resource settings through nurse-led initiatives 
• Promote the integration of research into clinical practice by supporting nurse-led projects 
• Facilitate collaboration between nurse researchers and global partners to develop sustainable quality improvement initiatives 

The 2025 application cycle has closed, and awardees will be announced in our May newsletter and at our International Nurses Day Event on May 7, 2025. Stay tuned for updates on our awardees' progress and keep an eye on our website for details on the 2026 award cycle!

CGN is committed to supporting our members as they engage in meaningful global health work. Apply now and take the next step in your global health journey!

Qualtrics Application Process:

1. Complete the application questionnaire
2. Provide an invitation letter to work abroad
3. Attach your CV or resumé 

Our next application review date is October 15th, 2025. Apply now!



Applications are evaluated based on the project's sustainability and efforts to collaborate with local partners.

Lao Friends Hospital for Children (LFHC) is the only hospital in northern Laos that provides specialty pediatric care, offering free services to underserved families in the region. It focuses on improving access to essential health services while supporting sustainable healthcare through training local providers. Volunteering offers a meaningful way to contribute to the hospital's mission and make a difference in children's lives.

Lao Friends Hospital for Children accepts applications for medical and nursing volunteers throughout the year. All individuals interested in volunteering should be able to spend two months at LFHC during their first visit. Anyone interested is welcome to send their resumes to hr@fwablaos.org.

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