Greetings!  My name is Sam Lee, and I am a master’s student at the Harvard School of Public Health studying health policy and management. 

This promises to be quite an eventful summer!  First things first – I’m getting married the week before I start my internship!  Then it’s off to the Philippines, where I will be working with the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office in Manila.    As an intern with the WHO, I will be performing research on gaps in research and development (R&D) in developing countries.  After having spent several years in the consulting industry working with pharmaceutical companies, I am all too familiar with these R&D gaps and the inequitable system that allows neglected diseases to remain that way…neglected.  And I hope that the work I contribute to can change that.

The Philippines is a country that has historically marginalized the rights of its women citizens.  But the country has shown signs of change recently.  With the passing of the very controversial Reproductive Health Act, the Philippines government has shown commitment to recognizing the health rights of its female citizens.  But there are so many more neglected diseases that disproportionately affect women, and so I will consult with experts in the Manila office to help contribute to the larger mission of finally addressing these neglected diseases.  I am very excited to be a part of the work that can influence the R&D agenda to include

the health needs of women around the world for years to come.

Like I said before – this should be quite an eventful summer!  I will pick this blog back up after I get hitched, but I would first like to sincerely thank the kind folks at the Women and Public Policy Program and the Cultural Bridge Fellowship for their generosity and support for this work.  I have high hopes for this summer, and I hope that you do too!

I look forward to sharing my adventures with you!  Thank you!

-Sam