Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and the University of Suriname will collaborate on a summer field course titled "Public Health Threats in Suriname:  From Ecosystems to Human Health," which will be held July 5–18 in Suriname. This is the first project under a memorandum of understanding signed between the two universities last October. 

The agreement commits the institutions to cooperation in areas including exchanges of faculty, research scientists, and graduate students for research, lectures, and training; joint research activities in areas such as malaria, environmental contamination and HIV and other infectious diseases; and exchanges of information such as library materials and research publications. 

The agreement was brokered by Dr. Maureen Lichtveld, Freeport McMoRan chair of environmental policy at Tulane and chair of the department of environmental health sciences.  She was born in Suriname and earned her medical degree from the University of Suriname, which is also called Anton de Kom Universiteit van Suriname.

She says the agreement is a natural fit for Tulane.  "Tropical medicine is in our name because we are heavily focused on global health – and global health very much includes the kind of public health issues that many countries including Suriname have to deal with," said Dr. Lichtveld. 

Researchers in Suriname have been engaged in a number of public health projects, including an epidemiological survey among different ethnic groups in this South American country to correlate diet and cardiovascular risk factors. 

"The course traverses the gamut from chronic diseases to infectious diseases and environmental health," Dr. Lichtveld said.  "These transdisciplinary public health challenges offer unique learning and practice opportunities for our students… At the same time, we will collaboratively make a difference in reducing health disparities at home and abroad."

[Pictured above at the signing are (l-r) Dean Pierre Buekens; Dr. Allan Li Fo Sjoe, University of Suriname; Dr. Maureen Lichtveld; and Dr. Glen Oehlers, University of Suriname.  Photo by Jeff Strout.]