Provost PhD Fellowship and START Research Assistant 

PhD in Global Health Metrics and Implementation Science 

Please tell us a little bit about yourself. 

My full name is Samuel Mpinganjira. I am from Malawi, a potato-shaped country in Southeast Africa bordering Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe. I was born and grew up in Malawi, and never lived in another country until I came to Seattle. I was trained as a medical doctor and worked for about two years before joining the public health and research space. I joined Kamuzu University of Health Sciences as a C-19 surveillance officer and then later coordinated a C-19 infection household-based study where we also supported public C-19 response through capacity building. Then I joined the WHO as a polio and supplementary immunization activities officer. I obtained a master's of vaccinology and drug development from Italy in 2023 and then became an immunization officer for the southern region where I supported immunization activities in seven districts.

Why did you decide to attend the UW for graduate school?

I have been dreaming of becoming an implementation scientist since I was an undergraduate student. My work in implementing vaccination programs gave me first-hand experience on the challenges of implementing interventions. I particularly took interest in new vaccine introduction as that was the main role I played with the WHO. The University of Washington's Department of Global Health is a world leader in implementation science. I knew that by getting an opportunity to train here, I would essentially be learning from the best. Furthermore, I would work with an international community, network, and be mentored which would be a basis for future collaborations as we advance the field of implementation science. I applied for two Ph.D. programs, but opted for UW's because it aligned well with my skill set gaps and future goals.

What are your research interests and career goals?

My goal is to be an independent researcher in implementation science, establish my own team and mentor others in their research trajectory, likely in an academic setting. Ideally, I want to do research that involves interventions that target infectious diseases including vaccines. My main interests include malaria, TB, HIV and NTD's. I also have a special interest in vaccine clinical trials and the conduct of programmatic and economic evaluations.

When you aren't studying, where is your favorite place to hangout in Seattle?

I usually go to IMA to play soccer with whoever I find playing there on weekends. Midweek, there is a small team with some folks from DGH who play on random days based on people's availability. I also go to the Husky Stadium to watch American Football (its a whole new game to me).