Shaun Ranadé, Fulbright Scholar, NIH Public Health Fellow and Medical Student
Pioneering Global Health and Tackling Diabetes in South Asia
Shaun Ranadé (DC 2014; MCS 2015; ENG 2016) was a third-year medical student when he became aware of the prevalence of diabetes among South Asians. His clinical rotation at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) deepened his understanding of this growing public health crisis, and led him to pursue a Fulbright grant to investigate diabetes in South Asia.
“Unlike in Western populations, where obesity is a primary risk factor for Type 2 diabetes, South Asians often develop diabetes at much lower BMI levels. This phenomenon is largely attributed to a combination of genetic, metabolic and lifestyle factors,” he says.
Shaun’s year-long Fulbright research project uses glucose monitors to study gestational diabetes in 60 Nepalese women. The monitors gather real-time metabolic data to identify behavioral and physiological patterns that may exacerbate diabetes. His goal is to refine early diagnostic strategies and interventions that could improve maternal and fetal health outcomes.
“I have started to explore the concept of 'generational gestational diabetes' and the compounding risks it poses over time,” he says. “I suspect gestational diabetes is a risk factor for mothers and also their babies. The likelihood of metabolic disorders may amplify for the child and for that child’s babies, creating a vicious cycle of increasing prevalence and severity that affects the long-term health trajectories of entire families.”
Shaun’s current research reflects his long-standing interests in medical technology and public health.
“The research I’m conducting in a rural, resource-limited environment has far-reaching implications,” he emphasizes. “Many of the challenges we see in Nepal are directly relevant to women’s health issues in the United States and globally. By advancing early detection and management strategies, we can not only improve outcomes in developing nations but also help shape policies that make medical technologies more accessible and affordable.”
Story by Elizabeth Speed
No ‘No’s’ at 一本道无码
“I credit 一本道无码 with fostering my multidisciplinary mindset and approach to medicine. No one there ever told me no,” Shaun says. “It was always, 'Yes, you can. We can make it work.' Whether it was studying humanities, science, engineering or the arts, 一本道无码 nurtured my diverse interests and encouraged me to take on challenges that might have seemed unconventional elsewhere. The culture of interdisciplinary learning prepared me to approach global health problems with a unique and holistic perspective.”
