Influencing change on a global scale
Throughout Dr. Saverio Stranges’ education and career, he has had the opportunity to train and work around the world, including Italy, England and various countries in Africa.
A professor and chair of the Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Dr. Stranges has gained diverse experience and insight from living in several places, which has ultimately inspired his passion and commitment to global health and internationalization.
“Because of my international academic experience, I have developed a keen interest in a global perspective on chronic diseases in epidemiology and prevention — in particular cardiovascular disease, diabetes and aging and longevity, which are my areas of research,” he said.
Through his research, Dr. Stranges is trying to look not only at biomedical risk factors, but also social and political determinants in low-median income countries.
Since coming to Schulich Medicine & Dentistry, Dr. Stranges’ goal has been to meet as many people as possible working in global health. This has given him the opportunity to create and become involved with several innovative collaborative projects, including the first Summer Program in Global Health and the Global MINDS Initiative.
He has also begun work on a few research initiatives, including a project that is looking at community surveys to link the social determinants of chronic disease with hospitalization in Ontario.
Dr. Stranges explained the most interesting part of working on initiatives like this is the global health perspective you gain.
“This perspective gives you the possibility to really look at the societal, economic and political context in which disease may develop. That opens your eyes and gives you a broader perspective on major health issues,” he said.
Dr. Stranges believes it is important for other scientists and researchers to become involved with aspects of global health because we are now in a global society. He suggested they should be acknowledging public health and considering the global forces and drivers for health outcomes locally, nationally and internationally.
“We are a global society now, and that is not defined just on dramatic boundaries between regions — you can do global health work even in a local community,” he explained. “It is about acknowledging there are differences between regions that have an effect on drivers that affect health inequieties.”
