This year, the Harvard Global Health Institute (HGHI) placed 53 students across 39 organizations in over 20 countries, each making meaningful contributions to global health research and practice. From gender equity research in Rwanda, to herbal medicine studies in South Korea, to infectious disease genomics at MIT and Harvard, the students immersed themselves in projects that bridge global health policy, medicine, and human impact.
Summer 2025 internship programs
One of the interns, Christie Beckley, was in Kigali, Rwanda, with the University of Global Health Equity. Reflecting on her experience, she shared:
“Through HGHI’s internship program, I spent the summer in Rwanda conducting research on gender equity across Africa. There, I met women and girls who had fiercely fought for access to healthcare, respect, and education. Their stories inspire me to work towards a future where that access is universal.”
In Seoul, South Korea, intern Ye Won Ham worked at Kyung Hee University to conduct research on the effects of herbal medicine in cancer treatment. She explained:
“My summer research at Kyung Hee University gave me hands-on experience in advanced herbal medicine and cancer research, deepening my commitment to bridging diverse medical practices to improve patient care. With support from HGHI’s independent summer research funding, I was able to pursue my lifelong dream of exploring traditional medicine and engaging in cultural exchange in my country of heritage. This was truly one of the most rewarding and memorable experiences of my time at Harvard.”
Meanwhile, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, HGHI student, Christopher Shin, interned at the Sabeti Lab at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, where they helped analyze viral genomes to better understand infectious disease dynamics. Reflecting on this experience, Shin remarked:
“Working in the Sabeti Lab at the Broad Institute showed me that global health isn’t just research — it’s responsibility.”
These reflections represent a small sample of the important research and work HGHI interns conducted this summer. Each student gained practical skills, faced challenges, and returned with new perspectives on the complex interplay between science, health systems, and policy.
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