2026 Spring Global Surgery Slingshot Cohort

I’m an anesthesiologist from Peru, currently working in a private clinic and a maternal‑child hospital in Lima. I also serve as a Global Surgery Fellow and Anesthesia Specialty Lead for Operation Smile where I work helping strengthen the anesthesia workforce and train cleft teams to provide surgery closer to the patient.

I am eager to enhance my skills in implementing sustainable surgical solutions in low‑ and middle‑income countries, learn from experts and develop innovative strategies to improve surgical access both in my country and globally. This program perfectly aligns with my professional goals.

Dr. Nicholas Okumu is an orthopaedic oncologist and one of only two subspecialists serving Kenya’s 55 million population. He leads the Orthopaedic Oncology Unit at Kenyatta National Hospital, where he established the country’s first orthopaedic oncology multidisciplinary team and lectures in the Department of Surgery at the University of Nairobi. He previously served as Head of the Department of Orthopaedics at Kenyatta National Hospital.

Dr. Okumu is also a healthcare entrepreneur. He is Managing Partner of Jasmine Healthcare (Jasmine Dental and Medical Centre LLP), a medical centre based in Nairobi Kenya. It’s e-pharmacy focused on chronic disease management that has secured investment from Antler Africa, with a 1-million-dollar post-seed valuation. He previously founded and exited Traitem Healthcare, a pharmaceutical distribution company, and has also served as CEO of Stratus Medical and Imaging Services Ltd, a diagnostics provider based in Nairobi, which bult a teleradiology network serving 13 institutions and 100 plus locations.

He holds a Doctor of Medicine (MD) from the University of Dar-es-Salaam, a Master of Medicine (MMed) in Orthopaedic Surgery from the University of Nairobi, an MBA from the University of South Wales, and a Diploma in Orthopaedic Oncology from the British Orthopaedic Oncology Society. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). His training includes executive education in surgical leadership (Harvard Medical School), AI in healthcare (MIT Sloan), health economics (London School of Economics), and project management (University of Cape Town).

As a 2024 Global Surgery Advocacy Fellow with Operation Smile, the University of Global Health Equity, and the Nkafu Policy Institute, Dr. Okumu developed sarcomalearning.africa, a free online training platform that equips primary healthcare workers to detect musculoskeletal cancers early. He also authored Kenya’s National Training Manual for Early Sarcoma Detection and contributes to the development of Kenya’s National Surgical, Obstetric and Anaesthesia Plan.

His current research focuses on AI-powered healthcare solutions for low-resource settings. He is Kenya Principal Investigator for the AFRETEC consortium, developing 3D-printed prosthetics for limb salvage surgery. He is also Co-Investigator on an EU Horizon Europe grant with the University of Regensburg, building AI-assisted ultrasound screening tools for bone malignancies.

Dr. Okumu is a published author of the fiction thriller Shadows Behind The Screen and is completing a motivational book, Selective Excellence: Embracing Intentional Focus Over the Myth of Work-Life Balance. He is a regular columnist for The Star newspaper in Kenya and has published in Devex, IPS Inter Press Service, and The Elephant on issues of global surgery and African healthcare.

I am Dr. Osama Shabana, an Egyptian physician and medical device entrepreneur and a graduate of Mansoura Faculty of Medicine (Class of 1996). After clinical training, I joined the medical device industry with Covidien, working in sales and marketing for laparoscopic instruments and surgical staplers until 2007. In 2007, I founded my own business in Egypt as a regional agent for surgical companies and, by 2009, expanded operations across the Middle East and Africa to help medical device manufacturers grow their presence in these markets.

In 2017, I invented LASCOPE and founded the company to develop the world’s first patented 4K wireless, portable, and cost-effective laparoscope, designed to enhance imaging quality, improve ergonomics, and make minimally invasive surgery more affordable for operating rooms globally, especially in low-resource settings. Through this work, my focus is on closing the global surgery gap by enabling broader access to safe, high-quality laparoscopic procedures.

The aim of joining the course is to refine LASCOPE’s business model, clinical validation strategy, and impact metrics to scale deployment across low- and middle-income regions, in collaboration with global surgery leaders, ministries of health, and implementation partners. The vision is to enable more surgeons, in more places, to perform safe minimally invasive procedures, ultimately improving outcomes, shortening hospital stays, and expanding surgical capacity where the need is greatest.

I am so grateful for this opportunity and excited to work with fellow innovators, clinicians, and investors who share the goal of closing the global surgery gap through practical, scalable technology.

Dr. Feven Mekonenn Tadesse is a distinguished General Surgeon practicing at Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital in Mekele, Ethiopia. She is a recognized leader in improving surgical standards within the institution, currently serving as an Organizer and Member of the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Protocol Project. This major institutional initiative is strategically supported by the National Ministry of Health, demonstrating Dr. Feven’s role in implementing national-level clinical change.

Beyond her clinical expertise, she is deeply committed to surgical education, serving as a key Mentor and Trainer for surgery residents and junior staff, directly overseeing and guiding their surgical practice.

Dr. Feven’s professional philosophy is rooted in the belief that collaboration and teamwork are essential to achieving desired change. She is a fervent advocate for health equity, with a vision centered on:

• Creating access to safe, high-quality surgery for underserved communities.
• Integrating and expanding Minimal Invasive Surgery (MIS) techniques to enhance patient recovery and outcomes.

Her dedication to leadership and global health equity is further demonstrated by her involvement in prestigious international initiatives:

• Global Surgery Advocacy Fellow (UGHE): She actively works with the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) to advance policy and systems strengthening in global surgery, focusing on making essential surgical care universally available.
• WIM OSA Leadership Alumnae: As an alumna of the Women in Medicine (WIM) Operating Room Safety Alliance (OSA) Leadership program, Dr. Feven champions safer operating environments and promotes women’s leadership within the surgical field.

An Ecuadorian physician trained at the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador (PUCE), he holds a Master’s degree in Public Health from Universidad de las Américas (UDLA) and a Master’s degree in Political Science from Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL). He is currently a PhD candidate in Biomedical Sciences at the Instituto Universitario Italiano de Rosario and is in the final stage of a specialization in Development Project Management at FLACSO Ecuador.

He serves as a Global Surgery Advocacy Fellow with the University of Global Health Equity (Butaro, Rwanda), the Nkafu Policy Center and Operation Smile, and works as teaching staff, lecturer and researcher at PUCE, mainly focused on teaching and supervising health research projects.

Clinically, he has worked as a frontline physician in Aguarico (Nuevo Rocafuerte, in the Ecuadorian Amazon), providing care to rural and Indigenous communities with limited access to health services, and was part of the team at the sentinel hospital IESS Quito Sur during the COVID-19 pandemic, delivering direct patient care in a high-demand, resource-constrained setting. In public policy, he joined the technical team of the Vice Presidency of the Republic of Ecuador which, in coordination with the Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC) at Harvard Medical School, contributed to the development and launch of the National Surgical, Obstetric and Anaesthesia Plan (NSOAP) for the country. His medium-term goal is to specialize in Head and Neck Surgery and to bridge clinical practice, research and public policy in health and global surgery.
 
Throughout my professional, academic, and personal journey, my goal has always been clear: to give back to my country and my community, primarily rural and predominantly Indigenous areas. Experiencing this reality firsthand from various perspectives has underscored the critical need to guarantee affordable, accessible, and high-quality healthcare for this population. We must move away from a monolithic view of health and from approaching people through a single lens, often driven by colonizing voices that do not seek consensus. Therefore, I am convinced that successful models require open dialogue, spaces for implementation, and conditions that ensure long-term sustainability.

The Health HQ is an initiative dedicated to improving access to high quality wound care in rural and conflict affected regions of low- and middle-income countries. Currently the Health HQ is developing an innovative wound-care platform that leverages India’s frontline workforce, especially Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs). By equipping them with structured, competency-based wound care training and AI based clinical decision support tools. Health HQ aims to decentralize basic wound management, enhance timely referrals, reduce preventable complications, and alleviate pressure on overcrowded public hospitals.

Dr. Habib Olatunji Alagbo is a medical doctor, global health advocate, and co-founder of The Health HQ. His medical and academic journey has been shaped by a strong commitment to strengthening surgical and postoperative care in low-resource and crisis-affected settings. His research spans global surgery, cardiovascular health, and health-systems challenges, with multiple peer-reviewed publications, international conference presentations, and collaborations across Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Dr. Alagbo’s leadership in global surgery emerged early in his career. He has founded and led many capacity-building initiatives that support young clinicians in producing impactful research on surgical access and health-care delivery in conflict settings. He has contributed to international working groups within global surgery and global health organizations, focusing on education, research translation, and strengthening surgical systems in LMICs.

In addition to his research and advocacy efforts, he serves as the Co-Founder and Chairman of the Executive Advisory Board of the Africa Public Health Students Network (AfricaPHSN), where he supports public-health leadership development and continental collaboration.

Alexander Habtemariam is a physician and global surgery researcher from Eritrea dedicated to strengthening surgical and emergency care systems across Sub-Saharan Africa. His work spans national-level surgical assessments, trauma systems, EMS development, and perioperative readiness, with experience across the Global Surgery Foundation, the G4 Alliance, the Center for Equity in Global Surgery (CEGS), and the Rwanda Trauma Taskforce.

Alexander led comprehensive nationwide surgical systems assessments using the WHO EESC framework and the American College of Surgeons’ Needs-Based Assessment for Trauma Systems, coordinating data collection across dozens of hospitals to map infrastructure, workforce distribution, surgical volume, and referral pathways. His background also includes serving as a Forward Surgical Team Leader in conflict settings, which has given him a grounded understanding of delivering essential surgical care in austere environments.

Blending clinical experience with systems thinking and digital innovation, Alexander is passionate about leveraging data to drive more equitable and accountable surgical planning in low- and middle-income countries.

He joined the Babson Global Surgery Slingshot to develop and scale SurgiTrack, a digital platform designed to transform fragmented surgical data into real-time, actionable dashboards for ministries, hospitals, and global surgery partners. Through the program, he aims to refine the venture’s design, strengthen its implementation strategy, and build a scalable entrepreneurial model capable of transforming how surgical systems measure performance and improve access across the region.

Dr. Katayoun Madani is the Founder and Executive Director of the Simurgh Global Surgery Collaborative, an organization dedicated to advancing equitable access to safe, timely, and affordable surgical care through education, research, innovation, and policy. She was the inaugural MD Anderson Fellow in Global Surgery Policy and Advocacy, a joint appointment between the Baylor College of Medicine Center for Global Surgery and Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, where she also served as a Global Surgery Clinical Instructor.

Her policy and research portfolio focuses on access to trauma care, equitable bidirectional academic exchanges, and regional strategies for surgical systems strengthening. Born and raised in Iran, Dr. Madani immigrated to the United States, completing her undergraduate studies and Master of Science in Tissue Engineering at Arizona State University. She received her medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada, where she co-founded and served as the first Chair of InciSioN Grenada.

Dr. Madani’s global leadership trajectory includes serving as Director of Research and later Chair of InciSioN Global (International Student Surgical Network), where she developed the organization’s research infrastructure, re-established the global surgery journal club, and guided the network through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. She continues to serve on InciSioN’s Board of Directors and is the Vice President of Internal Affairs of the Association of Academic Global Surgery (AAGS), following prior service as Secretary of the Board of Advisors and member of the Executive Committee.

Across her roles, Dr. Madani has led grassroots advocacy campaigns, developed global surgery courses, and represented young surgical leaders at platforms such as the World Health Assembly. Her work blends technical expertise, systems thinking, and a commitment to innovation driving collaborative solutions that strengthen surgical ecosystems worldwide.

Mary Magdi Michiel is a junior doctor from Sudan with a strong interest in global surgery, surgical oncology, and improving surgical systems in low-resource settings. She has worked on research projects related to breast cancer, surgical outcomes, and health equity, and hopes to combine clinical practice with innovation and policy and compassion to strengthen surgical care in underserved communities.

Mary is joining the Global Surgery Slingshot program to build practical innovation skills and collaborate on solutions to reduce post-surgical wound infections in rural settings. She hopes to apply these insights to improve surgical quality and access in Sudan and similar contexts around the world.

The Health HQ is an initiative dedicated to improving access to high quality wound care in rural and conflict affected regions of low- and middle-income countries. Currently the Health HQ is developing an innovative wound-care platform that leverages India’s frontline workforce, especially Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs). By equipping them with structured, competency-based wound care training and AI based clinical decision support tools. Health HQ aims to decentralize basic wound management, enhance timely referrals, reduce preventable complications, and alleviate pressure on overcrowded public hospitals.

Dr. Saloni Mitra is a medical doctor, global health advocate, and researcher whose work spans global surgery, alcohol policy, human rights, and health systems strengthening in conflict-affected settings. She is the Co-Founder of The Health HQ, an initiative advancing decentralized wound care and community-based surgical support in low-resource regions. Dr. Mitra currently serves as Chair of InciSioN Ukraine, leading one of the International Student Surgical Network’s (InciSioN) most active national working groups, and previously served as Vice President of National Working Groups (VPNWG) for InciSioN Global, overseeing more than 50 youth-led chapters worldwide.

Born and raised in India and trained in Ukraine, Dr. Mitra’s commitment to surgical equity is rooted in her lived experience during the Russia–Ukraine war, where she witnessed firsthand the breakdown of trauma and surgical care for vulnerable populations. She has held leadership positions within the European Medical Students’ Association (EMSA), worked with the German Red Cross on humanitarian health programming, and currently serves on the Internal Affairs team at the Association of Academic Global Surgery (AAGS). She also represents Ukraine on the Advisory Council on Youth of the Council of Europe (CoE) and contributes to alcohol-policy and public health efforts as a member of the WHO/Europe Evidence into Action Alcohol Network (WHO-Europe EVID ACTION).

As a G4 Alliance Fellow alumna, ASAR intern, and WHO Collaborating Centre Fellow in India, Dr. Mitra has contributed to the South Asian Working Group and regional initiatives to strengthen surgical systems across Asia. She is a co-author of a chapter in the forthcoming WHO manual Surgical Care at the District Hospital. A prolific early-career scholar, she has authored 30+ scientific outputs, including PubMed-indexed full papers, systematic reviews, and peer-reviewed abstracts. She was recognized as a winner of the Future Surgeons Program (FSP), and her maternal health advocacy project with the United Nations University and Maastricht University highlights her ability to translate evidence into policy and practice.

Dr. Mitra has represented young surgical leaders at more than 15 international policy and scientific forums. She served as Lead Delegate to the World Health Summit (Berlin), was a panelist at the inaugural surgical panel of the WHS Regional Meeting (New Delhi), and was a speaker at the surgical side event of the UN ECOSOC Youth Forum. She has also contributed to the G4 Alliance Meetings (Geneva), International Surgical Week (ISW), AMEE, SESAM, and several other global platforms where she consistently champions equitable surgical care, youth leadership, and human-rights–centered approaches to health.

Across research, policy, education, and advocacy, Dr. Mitra brings scientific rigor, lived experience, and systems thinking to strengthen surgical ecosystems, center survivor voices, and ensure that conflict-affected and low-resource communities are not left behind.

Prof. Abhilash ‘Abe’ Chandra is a vascular and general surgeon, Australian Army Reserve medical officer (25 years), and founder/MD of the SABRN Group. He leads development of modular LifePods and PC-Pods for austere, remote, and overwhelmed settings, integrating tele-mentoring and circular-economy manufacturing. An academic at Adelaide University's Future Industries Institute, he has presented widely and has partners across defence, universities, and NGOs to scale deployable surgical care, training, and sustainability solutions. He is a current member of Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS), Pacific Islands Surgeons Association (PISA), and the G4 Alliance.

Joining the Global Surgery Studio will help us sharpen our obstetric emergency module (ObstetricCare Pod), complete human-factors and infection-control validation, and co-design district-level pilots with LMIC partners. I’m also seeking mentorship on implementation science and sustainable procurement so we can translate our pre-alpha pod into measurable access, quality, and cost-effectiveness gains.

I’m a doctor-in-training and global health innovator from Sudan, dedicated to strengthening surgical and public health systems in low-resource and crisis-affected settings. I’m the Founder of the Health Pulse Initiative, an emerging platform focused on improving public health in Sudan, particularly in response to the 2025 dengue fever outbreak and endemic disease challenges. I also established The Volunteering Path Initiative, which engages youth in community service and health awareness to build resilience during humanitarian crises.

In 2025, I was honored to be selected for the Global Surgical Care Course, jointly delivered by the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) and the Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI). Learning alongside master’s students in global surgery and health delivery has strengthened my capacity to design scalable, locally grounded solutions that address critical surgical and maternal health challenges.

To address this, I’m developing MatriLink, a mobile-based decision-support and referral platform that empowers midwives and frontline health workers to detect obstetric emergencies early and coordinate rapid access to surgical care. I aim to pilot and scale this solution within Sudan’s underserved regions, with potential adaptation across other LMICs.

I’m passionate about leveraging entrepreneurship, technology, and community engagement to improve surgical outcomes, combat public health threats, and inspire youth-led innovation across Sudan’s health sector.

Sandi Gangha is a Surgical Assistant Community Health Officer (SACHO) from Sierra Leone, a dedicated surgical care advocate and Non Physician clinician working at the intersection of global surgery, health equity, and community health systems strengthening. With experience providing frontline surgical and obstetric care in district Hospitals in Sierra Leone, he has contributed to initiatives focused on expanding access to essential surgical services, improving perioperative safety, and addressing system-level barriers that prevent timely, quality care. His work includes clinical service delivery, patient navigation support, and community engagement aimed at improving outcomes for underserved populations.

I am participating in this course because I am committed to advancing sustainable, community-centered solutions that improve access to safe surgical and obstetric care in underserved communities targeting vulnerable people (Women, children and people with special needs). The Slingshot Program offers a unique opportunity to strengthen my innovation and leadership skills, collaborate with a diverse cohort of global health practitioners, and develop practical strategies to address delays in accessing life-saving maternal health services. I hope to leverage this experience to design impactful interventions that reduce preventable maternal morbidity and mortality in resource-limited communities.

My name is Prisca Lesedi Ibrahim, and I am a Project Manager from Malawi driven by a deep desire to create solutions that genuinely make people’s lives better. I started my career as a teacher, a role that taught me patience, compassion, and the value of uplifting others. Working with Afrifix has given me a renewed sense of purpose. Being part of a team developing low-cost, locally made surgical tools has opened my eyes to how innovation can change communities. I am committed to using my skills, experiences, and heart for service to help improve access to safe surgery in Malawi and beyond.

Richard Nii Lantey Mills is a Ghanaian public health and global health leadership enthusiast with a strong commitment to strengthening surgical health systems across low- and middle-income countries. Working within the Ministry of Health, he contributes to strategic human resources for health initiatives, capacity-building programs, and policy processes that aim to improve the quality, availability, and distribution of the healthcare workforce.

Driven by a passion for equitable access to care, Richard is particularly focused on advancing solutions that address gaps in obstetric, surgical, and emergency services in underserved and rural settings. His long-term goal is to become a global health diplomat, shaping international partnerships and policies that improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations.

Beyond his work in public sector, Richard is actively involved in music ministry and creative leadership within his church community. He serves as a worship minister and Music Director. Richard lives in Accra, Ghana, where he balances his work with his passion for music, service, and community impact.

I am participating in the Global Surgery Slingshot Program because I am deeply committed to strengthening surgical, and emergency care systems at any possible opportunity. As part of my work within the Ministry of Health, I have been actively involved in the development of Ghana’s National Surgical, Obstetric and Anaesthesia Plan (NSOAP). This experience has given me first-hand insight into the systemic challenges limiting access to safe, timely, and high-quality surgical and obstetric care, including workforce shortages, resource constraints, and uneven service distribution.

My involvement in Ghana’s NSOAP has strengthened my resolve to pursue innovative, evidence-based solutions that can translate policy into tangible improvements at the facility and community levels. I believe that meaningful progress in global surgery requires interdisciplinary collaboration, fresh thinking, and strong implementation strategies that this program is designed to cultivate.

The Global Surgery Slingshot Program offers a unique opportunity to deepen my skills in innovation and collaborative problem-solving while learning from global experts and peers.

I hope to apply the insights and tools gained from this program to design practical, scalable solutions that strengthen obstetric and surgical systems in Ghana and across similar settings.

Alzubair Alyas Mohammed Ahmed is a Sudanese medical doctor and global health practitioner with extensive experience in humanitarian and resource-limited settings. He has held key public health and coordination roles at Jabal Marra Charitable Organisation for Rural Development (JMCO) and Catholic Relief Services (CRS). His focus there was on strengthening primary healthcare systems, improving referral pathways, and supporting essential health and nutrition services for conflict-affected communities in Darfur.

Alzubair recently completed his degree in Medicine and General Surgery at Sudan International University. He is currently a Second Cohort Fellow with the Sudanese Consortium for Surgical Development, where he contributes to strengthening surgical systems, developing research capacity, and advocating for global surgery. He is preparing to pursue a Master’s in Global Surgery in the United Kingdom, with interests in health systems innovation, digital health, and expanding equitable access to surgical and emergency care in fragile and underserved settings.

Alzubair is participating in the Global Surgery Slingshot Programme to advance innovative, scalable solutions that address the critical challenge faced by frontline providers in rural communities: the lack of timely, high-quality remote consultation and referral. His clinical and humanitarian work in Darfur exposed him to the consequences of delayed specialist support, particularly in conflict-affected and isolated environments where referral systems are weak or inaccessible.

Through this programme, he aims to:

• Develop innovative approaches grounded in design thinking and entrepreneurship to enhance remote consultation and referral pathways in low-resource settings.
• Collaborate with a diverse multidisciplinary cohort of global innovators to rethink surgical expertise delivery to frontline providers.
• Refine a practical, context-appropriate concept for pilot testing in Sudan as part of broader efforts to rebuild and strengthen the post-conflict health system.

Alzubair looks forward to contributing his field experience and working with the GSS community to advance solutions that enable access to safe, timely, and high-quality surgical care.

SurgScan is a TRL-1 smartphone app platform concept designed to support clinicians working in humanitarian disasters and armed-conflict settings. The idea aims to provide frontline surgical teams with real-time resource identification and live support using Automated Surgical Readiness Assessment and Offline Surgical Resource Assessment Tools. It proposes decision-support and collaboration-driven consultation features that would allow users to request assistance, share approaches, and exchange context-specific solutions to improve access to lifesaving trauma and emergency surgical care whenever and wherever crises strike. The concept also aims to help users identify and optimize available resources and triage more effectively in unstable, low-resource environments. SurgScan focuses on rapid decision-support and operational awareness to strengthen emergency response capacity during complex emergencies, particularly for clinicians practicing in severely resource-challenged settings.

Kathryn Campos, B.A., MSc (Global Health with Global Surgery – Pending), MD Applicant 2026 Cycle:  Kathryn currently serves as Clinical Research Manager and Program Manager for Boston Children’s Cardiac Surgery and the International Quality Improvement Collaborative (IQIC), supporting pediatric cardiac surgery quality-improvement initiatives across low- and middle-income countries. Her research focuses on trauma and burns care, humanitarian and conflict surgery, global health security, civil–military trauma integration, injury prevention, pediatric cardiac surgery, and surgical system strengthening in austere environments. She has held academic and research affiliations with the University of Washington Department of Surgery, Harborview Injury Prevention Program, King’s Centre for Conflict & Health, Harvard PGSSC, and the WHO Civil–Military EMT Work Group. Kathryn has presented her work at national and international conferences, including the International College of Surgeons, American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress, Global Conference on Surgery and Anesthesia, Bethune Roundtable, and the World Trauma Congress. She also mentors medical students and premeds in abstract development and scientific presentations.

Kathryn is currently applying to medical school with the long-term goal of specializing in trauma and burns surgery, disaster medicine, emergency preparedness, and humanitarian surgery. Her professional path is grounded in a commitment to strengthening surgical care delivery in conflict- and disaster-affected and resource-challenged settings and advancing efforts so that vulnerable populations have access to timely, safe, and equitable surgical care.

Kathryn is enthusiastic about participating in the Global Surgery Slingshot program to strengthen her skills as a global surgery leader, collaborator, and innovator. She is particularly motivated by the opportunity to learn from colleagues, faculty, and a multidisciplinary community of global surgery practitioners who share a commitment to advancing surgical equity and field-based innovation. Kathryn values environments where diverse perspectives come together to tackle complex challenges, and she hopes to deepen her understanding of how collaborative design, systems thinking, and implementation-focused approaches can be applied to expand surgical access in austere and resource-limited settings. She looks forward to engaging with peers and mentors whose experiences will broaden her perspective, sharpen her leadership capacity, and help shape her development as an aspiring medical student, future surgeon, and global surgery practitioner.

Parth Chandan is a current medical student at the Nova Southeastern Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine, passionate about improving healthcare outcomes in underserved populations. His interest in global health stems from both personal experience and academic exposure.

Parth immigrated to the United States from India and navigated much of his education on an H-4 visa, experiencing firsthand the systemic barriers many immigrant families face in accessing consistent, high-quality care. Parth’s early work in community medicine includes research and volunteer service at local free clinics in Florida, where he focused on improving patient outcomes for uninsured and low-income populations.

As a G4 Global Surgery Fellow, he is now expanding this work internationally by collaborating with community agencies and NGOs to improve access to surgical, obstetric, trauma, and anesthesia care. He envisions a future where healthcare systems are built not only for communities but with them.

RecoverRight Vanguard Initiative: Transforming Post-Surgical Recovery in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Every year, countless patients face pain, limited mobility, and emotional stress after surgery. These challenges are even more profound in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where limited follow-up care, inadequate support systems, and gaps in health literacy increase the risk of complications and preventable readmissions.

The RecoverRight Vanguard Initiative is a patient-centered program tailored to address the unique needs of post-surgical patients in LMICs. Its core mission is to close critical gaps in post-operative care by offering structured, accessible, and context-appropriate support that empowers patients to recover safely and confidently at home.

The initiative combines culturally adapted education, community-based follow-up, technology-enabled monitoring, practical support, and collaboration with local health systems to reduce complications, readmissions, and financial burden while promoting safer recoveries and stronger community–hospital partnerships.

Dr. Gandu is an aspiring surgeon passionate about research, healing and improving surgical care. She earned her medical degree from Tambov State University, Russia, and currently works as a surgical assistant at Godfrey Okoye Teaching Hospital. Her role includes assisting during procedures, suturing and closing wounds, controlling bleeding, and documenting patient care.

I am passionate about Global Surgery because it aligns with my  commitment to advancing equitable surgical care, strengthening leadership, and contributing to initiatives that improve access, safety, and outcomes in underserved settings.

Oluwapelumi Solagbade is an MBBS candidate at Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria with a growing interest in surgical innovation, digital health, and equity in low-resource settings. His experience spans wet-lab neurobiology, computational analysis, and global research collaborations, all shaped by training in a limited-resource environment. He is passionate about bridging the widening gap between advanced surgical technologies and the realities of care in low- and middle-income countries.

His work in global surgery centers on developing systems that use data, artificial intelligence, and pragmatic digital tools to strengthen surgical decision-making and improve patient safety. He is particularly invested in designing innovations that expand access for rural and underserved populations, where delays in diagnosis, consultation, and referral often cost lives. His current interest includes exploring intelligent, scalable solutions that can support frontline providers and reduce preventable surgical harm.

Oluwapelumi hopes to contribute to a future where high-quality surgical care is not determined by geography, and where technology becomes a true equalizer for neglected surgical patients.

Dr. Gutu Ganati is a medical doctor, general surgeon, and early-career global surgery researcher from Ethiopia. He focuses on improving surgical care quality and patient safety in low-resource settings. He manages surgical patients across the perioperative continuum, participates in morbidity-and-mortality reviews, and conducts chart-based assessments to monitor surgical outcomes. In addition, he teaches and mentors medical students and surgical trainees. His current work includes designing a surgical outcomes tracking and improvement program for Jimma Medical Center and district hospitals. Dr. Gutu is committed to developing scalable, data-driven approaches to strengthen surgical systems and expand equitable access to safe surgery.

Building on this experience, he is joining the Global Surgery Slingshot Program to enhance his capacity to design practical, scalable innovations that improve postoperative care in resource-limited settings. In many such environments—including his own hospital—outcomes are still documented on paper, with inconsistent charting and limited structured follow-up, making longitudinal tracking and evidence-based quality improvement challenging.

Through this program, Dr. Gutu aims to develop a simple, digital Surgical Outcomes Tracking and Improvement Program (SOTIP) that enables consistent postoperative monitoring, supports data-driven quality improvement, enhances patient safety, and helps reduce preventable complications. He looks forward to leveraging Babson’s entrepreneurial and innovation-focused mentorship to refine and transform this concept into a sustainable model that can strengthen postoperative care across similar low-resource settings. He is also excited to learn from global experts and collaborate with peers who share the mission of improving postoperative care in resource-limited settings.

Dr. JC Allen Ingabire is a Senior Lecturer in Surgery at the University of Rwanda and a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK). He is a Fellow of the College of Surgeons of East, Central, and Southern Africa (FCS ECSA) and has two PhDs: one in clinical research and the other in rehabilitation sciences. In addition, Dr. Ingabire is the Deputy Director of the NIHR Global Surgery Hub in Rwanda, where he oversees programs in trauma research, post-injury rehabilitation, and the development of surgical infrastructure.

He is committed to using innovation, digital health, and research-driven solutions to advance high-quality, equitable surgical treatment in settings with limited resources. He joined the Global Surgery Slingshot program to work with like-minded entrepreneurs to create sustainable postoperative care models that reduce costs in health systems with limited resources while improving patient outcomes and provider experience.

Inadequate post-operative care in LMICs compromises not only patient safety and recovery but also the efficacy of surgical treatments intended to improve health outcomes. Addressing these problems through a full understanding of current limitations and the development of cost-effective creative ways is vital to better post-operative care and eventually improve surgical outcomes in these settings.

Beatrice Katusiime is a nurse leader and nursing education advocate with over a decade of service at the Ministry of Health, Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital in Uganda. With clinical experience spanning Operating Theatres, Emergency and Intensive care, and Neurosurgery where she currently serves as Nurse In Charge. she has established herself as a committed practitioner in high acuity healthcare environments.

Beatrice holds a Master’s in Public Health and a Postgraduate Diploma in Project Planning and Management, with over twelve years in nursing leadership roles. Since 2019, she has advocated for nursing education, research, and capacity building, collaborating with global partners such as the University of Colorado, Mission Brain, Cambridge Global Health Partnerships (SCALE Project) and Duke University. Her professional interests focus on strengthening healthcare systems, improving peri-post operative and neurocritical care in low- and middle-income countries, and advancing nursing leadership and education.

Develop innovative approaches to postoperative care to improve clinical outcomes, provider/patient experience, and reduce cost in low-resource settings

I am the Founder and CEO of Prodiagnox Healthcare, where I am developing a non-invasive intelligent cardiac patch designed to continuously monitor critical cardiac vitals during postoperative recovery. With my background in Biotechnology and Nanoscience and Technology, my expertise lies in biosensing, electrochemical diagnostics, and building biomedical solutions that address real clinical challenges. She has also been supported through national and international innovation programs, including the DST-NIDHI PRAYAAS Grant, BFI BIOME Fellowship (C-CAMP), TDK TIIC Accelerator (IIT Madras), and the UMASS M2D2 MedTech cohort in the USA.

At Prodiagnox, I am using nanoscale biosensing principles to design a patch that can monitor parameters such as heart rhythm, HRV, respiration, and early signs of cardiac stress data that can help prevent complications after cardiac surgery and developing non-invasive electrolyte detection through the patch with AI, enabling early prediction of electrolyte imbalance-related cardiac risks. I work closely with clinicians, hospitals, and technology teams to ensure that the solution is accurate, clinically valid, and truly beneficial for patients who need reliable monitoring outside the hospital setting.

My motivation comes from seeing how many patients, especially in resource-limited communities, struggle with follow-up care once they leave the hospital. I believe innovative, affordable monitoring tools can reduce preventable cardiac emergencies and improve long-term outcomes.

I will be deeply committed to Babson College’s Global Surgery Slingshot program. guided by a heartfelt desire to improve patient outcomes and support healthcare providers. I am eager to participate in this program to strengthen my entrepreneurial skills, refine Prodiagnox’s impact strategy, and turn my vision into a sustainable, globally scalable health innovation that genuinely makes a difference in people’s lives.

Dr. Saraí Zavala is a general and endocrine surgeon whose work bridges high-quality clinical care with global health, gender equity, and surgical systems strengthening. She specializes in minimally invasive endocrine surgery and provides comprehensive care for thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, and digestive diseases in Mexico City.

Beyond the operating room, Dr. Zavala is deeply committed to expanding equitable access to surgical care. As Education Co-Lead of the Gender Equity Initiative in Global Surgery (GEIGS), she leads international programs that promote mentorship, leadership development, and visibility of women surgeons across low- and middle-income regions. She has previously served as GEIGS Regional Lead for Latin America, contributing to the growth of national groups and collaborative research throughout the region.

She also works within the Global National Surgical Policy Hub, where she helps coordinate global learning sessions focused on implementing surgical system reforms and strengthening national surgical planning efforts. She is currently completing the Global Surgery Advocacy Certificate with the University of Global Health Equity and Operation Smile, focusing on policy design, equity frameworks, and leadership for surgical access.

Dr. Zavala joins the Global Surgery Slingshot program to advance innovative, scalable approaches to postoperative care in low-resource settings. She aims to integrate clinical expertise with entrepreneurial thinking to design solutions that improve outcomes, reduce complications, and make surgery safer and more accessible for underserved populations.