Events Calendar

Are you interested in Social Determinants of Health? Are you looking for international collaborators to explore new dimensions of social determinants of health research? Then the virtual University of Iowa (UI) and University of Johannesburg (UJ) Social Determinants of Health Speed Networking event is the answer for you! Speed Networking is designed to help you quickly meet new collaborators and brainstorm novel ideas leading to potential new avenues for your research and funding portfolio.

Background

With increased global trade, travel, migration, and climate variability, local health concerns are now global health concerns with significant impacts. Due to this complexity and scale, engaging global health issues requires multidisciplinarity, whether it’s looking at communicable or noncommunicable diseases, injury prevention, maternal and child health, food (in)security, or social dynamics. Recognizing the need for bringing together disparate disciplines to advance multidisciplinary approaches, the World Health Organization (WHO) created a science division in 2019 to strengthen their approach towards global health issues. Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, WHO science division director, noted in an April 2019 Nature article titled, “How to Shape Research to Advance Global Health” that a multidisciplinary approach including trial methodologists, virologists, statisticians, and public health experts led to a breakthrough in the West African Ebola epidemic – “an efficacious vaccine amid a terrible outbreak.” As this example illustrates, working responsibly in global health benefits from attentiveness to multidisciplinary perspectives in order to develop new, effective, and ethical approaches to alleviate these global health problems.

Logistics

You are invited to participate in the virtual speed networking event to meet others interested in Social Determinants of Health on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, from 8:30–10:30 a.m. (Iowa) / 3:30–5:30 p.m. (South Africa). The session's agenda follows:

• 8:30–8:45 a.m. / 3:30–3:45 p.m.: Introduction/Orientation
• 8:45–10:30 a.m. / 3:45–5:30 p.m.: Speed Networking

Goals

The virtual University of Iowa and University of Johannesburg Social Determinants of Health Speed Networking event aims to achieve the following:

• Brainstorm potential multidisciplinary research collaborations around social determinants of health-related topics
• Create potential research partnerships
• Identify potential funding sources for Social Determinants of Health research

Target Audience

Faculty from all disciplines interested in social determinants of health, broadly defined.

Potential Funding Sources

Click below to view potential funding sources from Pivot:

• Health Equity
• Social Determinants of Health

Registration

To register, please complete this short survey by Thursday, Oct. 26. Please email the Research Development Office with questions (vpr-rdo@uiowa.edu). A participant packet will be sent to registrants the week of the event.

Registration survey questions include (click here for an example):

• Demographic Information 
• What is your interest in global health research?
• What expertise are you looking for in a collaborator?
• What expertise can you offer a research partner?
• Upload a head shot and two-page CV or biosketch