Fulbright Scholar Chooses Western

An Anthropology graduate from Princeton University has been awarded a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship to study at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at The University of Western Ontario. Irit Rasooly is one over 1,300 Americans to receive funding to study abroad for a year through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, and one of 17 attending Canadian universities.

Rasooly is now at the Centre for Studies in Family Medicine, working with Dr. Stewart Harris, Associate Professor in Family Medicine, Epidemiology & Biostatistics and Endocrinology. The Centre features an interdisciplinary team of researchers whose over-arching goal is to enhance family medicine and primary health care.

"I am interested in learning about how medical interventions can be adapted to particular cultures and communities," says Rasooly. "Western offers a wonderful opportunity to explore this in the context of diabetes/obesity interventions designed for First Nations, under the direction of Dr. Stewart Harris."

Rasooly wants to see the different ways diabetes prevention and treatment is approached in different communities, how treatment guidelines have been adapted for particular settings, and which elements of these programs contribute most influentially to their success. "The approaches taken to studying diabetes in First Nations are likely to provide an important model for tackling the epidemic affecting communities across North America," adds Rasooly. She is also interested in learning how the Canadian health care system operates, especially as it relates to preventative medicine. Rasooly can be reached by calling the Centre at 519-858-5028.

Fulbright recipients are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields.