Contribute to the field 

Interested in contributing research in global health, social entrepreneurship, and inovation? SEAD provides students with opportunities to pursue their own academic research interests:

• Engage with faculty on SEAD-funded research (more information to come)
  
• Independent Study opportunities (more information to come) 
  

If you have performed research on global health, be sure to enter a poster for the DGHI Showcase! 

Check out the opportunities below to engage with SEAD faculty!

Fuqua Independent Study Opportunity:  Research and business case development for Neonatal Sepsis, in partnership with USAID

The Fuqua Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE), through the Social Entrepreneurship Accelerator at Duke (SEAD) program, is seeking a second-year MBA student to participate in the research and writing of a case study regarding neonatal sepsis.  Evidence exists to demonstrate that topical application of chlorhexidine to infant umbilical cords post partem is effective control against infection and sepsis; chlorhexidine can be used in other routes of administration as well.  The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), through its Center for Accelerating Innovation and Impact (CAII), is seeking case studies to identify the barriers to the manufacturing, distribution and adoption of a proven remedy such as chlorhexidine.  Fuqua Executive in Residence Jeffrey Moe has discussed the case study opportunity with USAID and with manufacturers (including Mark Sebree, CEO, BD Rx) for technical background on the manufacturing challenges; there are also many experts throughout Duke that can assist with fact gathering, discussing options and suggesting approaches for consideration in the case study. 

The selected student and Professor Moe will develop a business case that describes 1) child birth and neonate practices in resource poor settings, 2) incidence and prevalence of neonate postpartum infection and fraction of those infections that evolve into blood infection/sepsis 3) practices that contribute to neonate postpartum infection, 4) choice set of anti-infectives (chlorhexadine, octinidine, etc) available as anti-infectives: efficacy, safety, manufacture, handling; wet v. dry, etc), compound characteristics, 5) other behaviors (care giver and/or maternal) that promote aseptic or decreased infection contagion for the neonate (e.g. hand washing with anti-bacterial agents), 6) sepsis diagnostic development (current  in-development by major actors) and informal or low-cost practices (e.g. lactate), 7) manufacturing options (re: each of the agents in #4), capital requirements, production, costs, expertise required and availability, current market dynamics, etc, 8) distribution options for current similarly products in select or exemplary countries (e.g. African continent or selected countries in Africa), 9) retail or point of care considerations for product availability to mothers/midwives/caregivers, 10) patient and caregiver adoption considerations (e.g. analogous product adoption) and impact on prospective projections of consumption (units) under various scenarios, 11) pricing scenarios for anti-infective products and any adjunctive products deemed worthy of consideration.

Any students who are interested in discussing the chlorhexidine independent study case study opportunity should contact Jeffrey Moe, Ph.D., Health Sector Management, Fuqua School of Business (jmoe@duke.edu; 919 812-5709).

Opportunity to support business plan development for an award-winning Duke innovation: Pratt Pouch

The Fuqua Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE), through the Social Entrepreneurship Accelerator at Duke (SEAD) program, is seeking qualified Fuqua students to help develop a business plan for an award-winning Duke global health innovation, the Pratt Pouch.  The Pratt Pouch fills a critical gap in urgent global efforts to prevent the transmission of HIV from mother to child, by extending the life of ARV medicines to make them accessible for mothers to deliver to infants in even the most rural parts of the developing world.  While mother-to-child transmission of HIV can be as low as 5% with the adequate medications and protocols, currently less than 33% of children born to HIV-positive mothers in the developing world receive the necessary ARVs – largely as a result of issues of access. 

The Pratt Pouch has received numerous recognitions and rewards from international organizations such as Gates Foundation, World Health Organization, and the US Agency for International Development, and is currently undergoing clinical and feasibility trials in Africa.  In order to build upon the momentum behind the pouch and propel it into financial sustainability while achieving great social impact, SEAD is soliciting interest to support development of a business plan with funding model.  Students will be expected to dedicate 4-8 hours/week over the course of two terms (with potential follow-up work in a third term) – likely occurring during Fall 1 & 2.  If you are interested, please contact Dane Emmerling, dane.emmerling@duke.edu

For more information on the Pratt Pouch, please see:

http://dhtlab.pratt.duke.edu/node/9

http://www.dukechronicle.com/articles/2013/09/03/pratt-hiv-pouch-waiting-funds