Four UH Physicians Awarded Money to Travel Abroad to Gain and Share Medical Expertise

CLEVELAND — Four University Hospitals physicians have been collectively awarded more than $400,000 over three years to travel internationally to share their expertise and gain new medical knowledge.

Each physician will receive $35,000 per year for a three-year period ending in 2027. The money will support these clinicians as they travel the globe to gain, share and apply medical knowledge. The ultimate purpose is to increase overall medical expertise, combat health disparities, perform research, focus on prevention and share state-of-the-art techniques and therapies through hands-on programs, lectures, symposia and research.

Northeast Ohio philanthropist and avid world traveler Roe Green generously donated $14 million in 2019 to expand UH’s global health efforts, aiming to improve health around the world through outreach and education.

“We are and will always be Northeast Ohio’s hometown team for care, but it’s a privilege and honor to share our expertise around the world,” said Robert Salata, MD, the Chairman of the Department of Medicine and STERIS Chair of Excellence in Medicine. “Roe Green’s generosity allows our caregivers to help educate others and bring compassionate care across the globe while also learning new skills.”

Katherine Dobbs, MD, will lead a collaborative research project to determine the prevalence of antimalarial drug resistance markers in Kenya and Benin. This project will also support bilateral educational exchanges between research teams in Kenya and Benin, with the goal of further building local lab capacity and advancing equity in the global scientific workforce.

Shubham Gupta, MD, FACS, will travel to two different areas in need. His team will travel to Ukraine to help with combat-related reconstructive urology needs, as well as Egypt to assist with complex urinary reconstruction needs. In addition to traveling to Ukraine and Egypt and training local surgeons in the operating room, Dr. Gupta and his team will pilot the use of smart glasses and AI technology that could be used in the future for remote teaching.

Bianca Ribeiro, MD, MSc, will use the funding to enhance the skills of medical professionals in pediatric imaging and improving healthcare quality in Brazil and Mozambique.

Rachel Pope, MD, MPH, will continue capacity building in obstetric fistula repair through in person training and through the dissemination of the surgical coaching App created previously during her fellowship. She plans to return to Senegal along with a team of reconstructive urologists to provide vesico-vaginal fistula repairs and complex gynecological and urological reconstruction.