Meet Zoya Punjwani - Master of Public Health 2020

| 1 May 2020

How did you come to be in your program?

Growing up in a middle-class community in Pune, India, I spent my childhood witnessing the vast health and income disparities around me. This is where I first began to gain a formative understanding of public health. India faced a great deal of challenges in eradicating polio, including high population density and birth rate, and poor sanitation. Witnessing and appreciating, first-hand, the many pieces required for a successful global health initiative such as eradicating polio in India, shaped my understanding of global health and sparked my interest in the field.

I pursued my interest in health through an undergraduate degree in Health Sciences, focusing on research to reduce the need for diagnostic surgeries in thyroid cancer. While disseminating my research findings, I shifted my lens from a lab bench to a map and recognized the gap that exists between biomedical sciences and public health. Pursuing a Master of Public Health degree at Queen’s is allowing me to contextualize research and integrate results within the larger body of knowledge.

What challenges have you had with the pandemic, and how did you overcome them?

As a result of the pandemic, the practicum I had initially secured, was cancelled. This practicum would have provided me with the opportunity to work with neonatal data to examine key performance indicators, while enhancing my research and data analysis skills. Prenatal and neonatal care is a key interest of mine and I was initially disappointed to not work in this area.

However, given the current conditions, I shifted my perspective to focus on the type of impact I would like to make. I began to apply for practicum opportunities wherein I would not only learn skills such as program planning and implementation, but also apply the core competencies of public health to help those who are most impacted by the current pandemic. I am incredibly fortunate to be joining Providence Care’s Centre for Studies in Aging and Health wherein my focus will be on community programming designed to reduce social isolation among older adults.

What are your hopes and plans?

I would like to integrate my experience in research, data analysis and health protection to conduct translational research. Specifically, I aspire to work as a healthcare professional, while conducting epidemiological research in the field of neonatal and infant care.

Post-secondary Awards

Jason Lang Scholarship, University of Calgary 2016-2019
Dean’s List Award, University of Calgary 2017-2019

Publications

Abstract publications in the Canadian Journal of Diabetes: Pathology, Case Review and Whole Exome Sequencing of ThyroSPEC™ Panel False-Negatives for the Diagnosis of Indeterminate Thyroid Fine-Needle Aspiration (FNA) Cytologies https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcjd.2019.07.093
Advanced Bone Age Present in a Neonatal Case of Sporadic Non-Autoimmune Hyperthyroidism Before Onset of Symptoms https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcjd.2018.08.121

Current Volunteer Work

As a Communications Liaison for the Care for the Elderly, my role is to conduct bi-weekly calls to elderly members of the Ismaili community to ensure they have adequate supply of food, medications, and access to care. The objectives of this initiative are to direct families to appropriate resources, ensure they are informed about critical public health guidelines regarding COVID-19 and to help mitigate social isolation among senior citizens.
As a Public Health Content Creator for the Aga Khan Health Board, I consolidate research regarding prevalence, incidence rates and risk factors of specific public health issues. These monthly reports are created for diverse audiences in the form of brief articles and infographics.

Is there anything else that you think would help our readers understand who you are, and what you stand for?

Since an early age, it has been my ambition to not only pursue education to build competencies, but to use this education in a manner to serve others. I was taught not to ask myself what I have achieved, but to ask what I have helped others to achieve. We are living in unprecedented times; this pandemic is magnifying the existing barriers towards accessing healthcare and other essential services for vulnerable populations. My goal is to work towards mitigating these barriers and achieving equity in health for all people, by prioritizing access to care.

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Meet Zoya Punjwani - Master of Public Health 2020

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