What global health research mentorship looks like today
July/August 2024 | Volume 23 Number 4
Image adapted from Figure 1 of the publication, “Conceptual Framework of Mentoring in Low- and Middle-Income Countries to Advance Global Health.” Courtesy Prasad et al.Four concentric circles show the systems of interaction between the mentor and mentee in this visualization from a 2019 supplement to the
American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
See full image
An important aspect of Fogarty’s mission is training the next generation of global health researchers. Senior researchers routinely work with trainees to help them acquire the skills, knowledge, and experience to conduct research that is aligned with the scientific goals of NIH yet relevant to the health priorities of collaborating institutions in low- and middle-income countries. Both teaching and mentoring are necessary aspects of the extensive education they impart.
Yet, there is a difference between teaching and mentoring. The word “mentor” comes from a character in Homer's
Odyssey. Before leaving home to fight the Trojan War, King Odysseus of Ithaca asks his friend, Mentor, to teach and counsel his son, Telemachus, who will remain behind with his mother. While teachers provide instruction, usually within a specific timeframe, mentoring is meant to be a longer-term, even life-long relationship.
To learn how mentors work in the context of global health research, we asked nine accomplished principal investigators about their experiences both as mentors and mentees. Many common themes emerged, including the bidirectional nature of these special relationships and the need for natural, open communication. Still, each interpreted mentorship in a unique way.
Read their stories
Annette Sohn, MD, PhD, Vice President and Director, TREAT Asia program (Therapeutics Research, Education, and AIDS Training in Asia), amfAR (The Foundation for AIDS Research): "To me, a great mentor is someone who makes their mentees feel supported and respected, someone you remember for your lifetime."
Gabriel Trueba, DVM, PhD, Professor and Director, Instituto de Microbiología, Universidad San Francisco de Quito: "A great mentor is someone who changes you fundamentally, helps shape the way you see what making science is all about—how you approach conflicts, frustrations or even successes."
Ilya Raskin, PhD, Distinguished Professor, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey: "As a mentor, it’s very important to make mentees comfortable. This educational hierarchy where professors are gurus, it's very powerful. So first, you need to behave as a human being."
Grace John-Stewart, MD, PhD, MPH, Professor, University of Washington: "Mentoring can be generational as well. Sometimes a mentee will have their own first mentee and they want support from you as a co-mentor, so you provide backup."
Carey Farquhar, MD, MPH, Professor and Acting Chair, University of Washington: "Mentoring others is a way that those of us who have worked hard and been fortunate can amplify our impact and bring along that next generation."
Jay Graham, PhD, MBA, MPH, Associate Professor in Residence, University of California, Berkeley: "Mentorship is about a network. You're not going to get everything you need from one mentor, so you need to devise a group of people that you're pulling from."
Rie Yotsu, MIPH, DTM&H, PhD, Associate Professor, Tulane University: "When people approach me for mentorship, I take time to discuss their goals. I look for three things: Respect. Passion. Open Communication."
Don Operario, PhD, Professor and Chair of the Department of Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences, Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health: "Mentorship is one of the most important components of having a career… and not always easy to come by. It’s bidirectional, a true collaboration."
Charles Wood, PhD, Professor, Louisiana Cancer Research Center, New Orleans: "As a mentor, you have to have the mentee’s best interests in mind and they have to be able to come to you for anything, either personal or professional. It’s really important that they trust and respect you."
Updated August 16, 2024
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