Masters student, University of Toronto — Toronto, Canada

Amy joined TGHN as a 2025 summer intern to understand the real-world application of health research and how knowledge moves through the global health ecosystem. Her experience deepened her insight into dissemination, equitable access, and collaboration across regions and roles.

Personal journey & motivation – What motivated you to join TGHN as an intern and how has this experience shaped your perspective on research and global health?  

I joined TGHN as a 2025 summer intern because I wanted to learn more about the real-world applications of health research. I was particularly interested in how the global health research ecosystem operates beyond the scope of any single project. During my graduate work, I developed a strong interest in how research knowledge moves between stakeholders. At TGHN, I learned more about the factors that influence this movement directly from subject-matter experts who work on this every day. This helped me understand the complexities involved in disseminating and using scientific research, and it highlighted how equitable access shapes who is ultimately involved in health research globally.

Skills & learning – What new skills or knowledge have you gained during your internship and how do you see these supporting your career as an early or mid-career researcher?

Through my internship, I worked on several projects examining what influences the distribution of research opportunities and resources. Recently, I worked on a project cataloguing how a research team transferred key project outputs to policymakers, community members, and health officials as they developed a new public health intervention. I collaborated with professionals in varied research-related roles across different regions, and their diverse perspectives significantly influenced how I understand the operation of public health research.

Overcoming challenges – What has been the most challenging aspect of your internship or any other role, and how did you overcome it? What did you learn from this experience?  

A central challenge—and learning area—was grasping the complexity of knowledge dissemination and the factors that shape equitable access. Working closely with experts and teams across contexts helped me move from a theoretical interest to a grounded understanding of how these processes work in practice.

Contribution & impact – In what ways do you feel your work at TGHN has contributed to building capacity, strengthening collaborations, or advancing research outputs? Can you share a specific example?  

Alongside this project work, I contributed to several initiatives on TGHN’s digital platform. I am assisting with the development of the EMCR page with fellow 2025 summer interns and helping to develop a mentorship scheme that connects early- and mid-career researchers with more established academics to facilitate the exchange of relevant insights and perspectives.

Advice to peers – What advice would you give to other early career researchers or students who want to grow their careers in research and global health?  

Being early in a research career can be challenging. My advice is to invest time in understanding your field beyond your immediate topic. Learn about the broader research context that shapes how your work is conducted and implemented. Global health is complex and interconnected, drawing on many disciplines worldwide. Working on interdisciplinary projects and engaging with diverse collaborators can provide novel insights—and can also inspire and motivate you through your studies. Following my experience at TGHN, I feel better prepared and motivated to conduct impactful and pragmatic health research.