Driven by a commitment to social justice and health equity, the Division of Global Pediatrics strives to positively impact the health of children globally. The division has national and international leaders in global health education, childhood tuberculosis, vaccination, and neonatal care. Team members are already doing internationally relevant work in these areas, including research that is transforming care delivery and educational programs that are among the most well-regarded nationally. Read more about some of our programs and explore the links below.
Global health education
UW is home to some of the most well-regarded global health training programs in the country. Through the creation and delivery of novel curricula, the Global Pediatrics team is building a pipeline of pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists poised to become leaders, innovators, and humble, cost-conscious physicians committed to caring for underserved children locally and abroad.
- SUGAR (Simulation Use for Global Away Rotations): SUGARPREP is a suite of free educational products used to prepare medical providers to work in resource-limited settings. It was co-created by Dr. Sabrina Butteris and colleague Dr. Mike Pitt from the University of Minnesota and piloted by the Midwest Consortium of Global Child Health Educators. Facilitators have been trained at over 100 institutions across the world.
- Global Health in Pediatric Education: An Implementation Guide for Program Directors is a publication of the American Board of Pediatrics Global Health Task Force (2018). It is a comprehensive, practical resource for incorporating global health education into pediatric training programs. Dr. St Clair led the development of the guide in collaboration with Dr. Butteris and many colleagues across the international global health educator community.
- Members of the division have been an integral part of the development of the Association of Pediatric Program Directors Global Health Learning Community and the Midwest Consortium of Global Child Health Educators, both of which have been important in advancing the field of pediatric global health education.
Capacity building
Our division members are involved in the education of the next generation of pediatric providers in low-resource settings. Dr. Melinda Chen works collaboratively with educators in the United States and Rwanda to direct content of subspecialty education of pediatric residents at the University of Rwanda, with an emphasis and practical application in the low-resource setting.
Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis research
UW scientists are at the forefront of pediatric multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) research. Together with a team of international researchers, they help guide management of children with multidrug-resistant TB and conduct clinical trials that test new treatments and prevention strategies. Their work contributes to the safety of anti-TB drugs and finding child-friendly formulations. Learn more at the Garcia-Prats Research Group.
International immunization programs
Through their work with international pediatric health associations, members of the UW Global Pediatrics team help strengthen immunization programs for vaccine-preventable diseases. Pediatric immunization efforts involve training professionals in local communities and regions to improve vaccine delivery and uptake. Learn more at the Conway Research Group.
Neonatal care
Virtual reality (VR) allows us to transcend traditional boundaries in neonatal education and break geographical barriers. Members of the UW Global Pediatrics team are engaging in real-time collaboration with experts from around the world, broadening horizons and sharing diverse expertise. Learn more at the McAdams Research Group.
Grants and Publications
Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, “Enhanced detection of treatable infections in children with severe acute malnutrition in Malawi” (2022-2024). Anthony Garcia-Prats and Jim Conway, mentors to Bryan Vonasek.
Unitaid, “BENEFIT Kids: Better Evidence and Formulations for Improved MDR-TB Treatment for Children” (2019-2024). Anthony Garcia-Prats.
World Health Organization, “Chasing Expedited and Equitable Treatment Access for Children (CHEETA) Project” (08/2022–12/2023 NCE). Anthony Garcia-Prats.
University of Wisconsin Department of Pediatrics R&D Committee, “Project PRIME (Psychosocial Response to International Medical Electives)” (04/2020–12/2022). Nicole St. Clair.
Rule ARL, Warrick S, Rule DW, Butteris SM, Webber SA, Smith L, Schubert C. Using Reflective Writing to Explore Resident Resilience during Global Health Electives. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2022 Jan 10;106(3):923-929. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.21-0682. PMID: 35008047; PMCID: PMC8922490.
Miller KK, Rule ARL, Bensman R, Butteris S, Houser L, Kaeppler C, Lauden SM, Pitt MB, St Clair NE, Van Ganderen K, Cobb C. The Immigrant Partnership and Advocacy Curricular Kit: A Comprehensive Train-The-Trainer Curriculum in Immigrant and Refugee Health. AM J Trop Med Hyg. 2022 Feb 7;106(4):1013-6. Doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.21-1035. PMID: 35130482; PMCID: PMC8991322.
Haq H, Msekandiana A, Matshaba M, Thahane L, Watts J, Tam R, St Clair NE, Schubert C, Rule AR, Pannaraj P, Pitt MB, Oleson DS, Murray B, Morris LE, Mendoza J, McHenry MS, Keating EM, Ferrer K, Crouse HL, Condurache T, Batra M, Barnes AE, Conway JH. Global Health Electives in the COVID-19 Era: Resuming Travel and Strengthening Global Health Academic Partnerships. Int J Med Educ. 2022 May 31;13:143-147. doi: 10.5116/ijme.6272.630a. PMID: 35642478.
Garcia-Prats AJ, Starke JR, Waning B, Kaiser B, Seddon JA. New Drugs and Regimens for Tuberculosis Disease Treatment in Children and Adolescents. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2022 Oct 31;11(Supplement_3):S101-S109. doi: 10.1093/jpids/piac047. PubMed PMID: 36314547.
Hughes JA, Solans BP, Draper HR, Schaaf HS, Winckler JL, van der Laan L, Radtke KK, Fourie B, Wiesner L, Hesseling AC, Savic RM, Garcia-Prats AJ. Pharmacokinetics and Safety of Bedaquiline in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-Positive and Negative Older Children and Adolescents With Rifampicin-Resistant Tuberculosis. Clin Infect Dis. 2022 Nov 14;75(10):1772-1780. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciac252. PubMed PMID: 35377434; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9662178.
Winter JJ, Gladding S, Schultz ML, Bensman R, Lam SK, St Clair NE. More Than Just a Passport: Resources and Implementation Strategies to Optimize Preparation for Global Health Work. Pediatr Ann. 2023 Sep;52(9):e330-e334. doi: 10.3928/19382359-20230720-03. Epub 2023 Sep 1. PMID: 37695285.
Health facility assessments of cervical cancer prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment services in Gulu, Uganda. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2023;3(2):e0000785. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0000785. eCollection 2023. PMID: 36962762; PMCID: PMC10021907.
McAdams RM. A global perspective of delayed cord clamping in infants. Semin Perinatol. 2023 Jun;47(4):151748. doi: 10.1016/j.semperi.2023.151748. Epub 2023 Mar 17. PMID: 37012136.
Garcia-Prats AJ, Hoddinott G, Howell P, Hughes J, Jean-Philippe P, Kim S, Palmer M, Schaaf HS, Seddon JA, Svensson E, Hesseling AC. Children deserve simple, short, safe, and effective treatment for rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis. Lancet Infect Dis. 2023 Jul;23(7):778-780. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(23)00349-3. Epub 2023 May 25. PMID: 37245523; PMCID: PMC10577306.
Vonasek BJ, Kumwenda T, Gumulira J, Nyirongo M, Heller T, Palmer M, McCollum ED, Chiunda M, Garcia-Prats AJ, Bélard S, Mvalo T. Point-of-care ultrasound for tuberculosis in young children with severe acute malnutrition. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2023 Nov 1. doi: 10.1097/INF.0000000000004158. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37963311.
Pitt MB, Butteris SM, Howard CR, Schubert C, Fischer PR, Bothe D, St Clair NE. Craving Sweet Success: A Recipe for Developing a Global Health Education Consortium (or Any Consortium, for That Matter). Pediatr Ann. 2023 Sep;52(9):e351-e356. doi: 10.3928/19382359-20230720-05. Epub 2023 Sep 1. PMID: 37695283.
St Clair NE, Sharahil NB, Umphrey L, Merry S, Koueik J, Beshish A, Acheampong B, Kloster H, Conway JH. Health Care Providers Working Cross-Culturally: Pitfalls, Pearls, and Preparation Resources for Culture Shock. Pediatr Ann. 2023 Sep;52(9):e335-e343. doi: 10.3928/19382359-20230720-06. Epub 2023 Sep 1. PMID: 37695280.
Stryker SD, Conway K, Kaeppler C, Porada K, Tam RP, Holmberg PJ, Schubert C; and Medical Student Global Health study group (Stacey Chamberlain, Carmen Cobb, James H Conway, Elizabeth Groothuis, Ebba Hjertstedt, Suet Kam Lam, Megan McHenry, Theresa Nguyen). Underprepared: influences of U.S. medical students’ self-assessed confidence in immigrant and refugee health care. Med Educ Online. 2023 Dec;28(1):2161117. doi: 10.1080/10872981.2022.2161117. PMID: 36594616; PMCID: PMC9815430.
Jonathan Patz, Ann Grauvogl, Lori DiPrete Brown, Christopher Olsen, James Conway, Janis Tupesis, and Tony Goldberg. “Fostering Equitable, Sustainable Well-Being For All: UW-Madison’s Global Health Institute.” Wisconsin in the World: Internationalization at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Information Age Publishing Inc: Charlotte, NC. 2022.
WHO operational handbook on tuberculosis: Module 5: Management of tuberculosis in children and adolescents; Section 5.3. World Health Organization, 2022. Contributed by Anthony (Tony) Garcia-Prats.
“Use of bedaquiline in children and adolescents with multidrug- and rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis” – Information note. World Health Organization, 2023. Contributed by Anthony (Tony) Garcia-Prats.
“Use of delamanid in children and adolescents with multidrug- and rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis” – Information note. World Health Organization, 2023. Contributed by Anthony (Tony) Garcia-Prats.