School of Public Health Professor Christine Stauber Receives Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award

ATLANTA — Georgia State University School of Public Health Professor Christine Stauber will build on her longstanding environmental health collaborations with researchers in Brazil through a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award from the U.S. Department of State.

Stauber, who previously received a Fulbright Scholar Award in 2014, will work closely with community partners, faculty and students from the Institute of Collective Health at the Federal University of Bahia to examine the relationships between environmental and mental health. Her project will focus specifically on how investments in sewer infrastructure affect the mental health of residents of informal communities often known as favelas.

“Understanding the relationship between environmental conditions and mental health can help reduce barriers to health, improve quality of life and increase longevity, both in Brazil and in other parts of the world that are rapidly urbanizing,” Stauber said.

Stauber’s Fulbright project builds on a broader body of research, teaching and global engagement that is focused on environmental health, sanitation and community well-being in resource-limited settings. She has explored the potential for wastewater monitoring to serve as an early warning system for detecting infectious diseases, for example, and is co-leading a $1.1 million project funded by the National Institutes of Health to develop an app to improve sanitation, which could reduce sewage exposure and illness and make sewer projects more effective.

She also leads a popular study abroad course that, since its launch in 2015, has brought more than 135 Georgia State University students to Brazil to explore how health, race and culture work together to influence health outcomes.

“Dr. Stauber combines scientific rigor, immersive student learning experiences and genuine community partnership,” said Greta Massetti, professor and chair of the Department of Population Health Sciences. “This Fulbright Award is a testament to her dedication, and we couldn't be more proud of this significant honor.”

The Fulbright Program was established in 1946 as a bold investment in global peace and American prosperity through educational and cultural exchange. Fulbright U.S. Scholars are accomplished faculty, researchers, administrators and professionals who teach or conduct research in partnership with institutions around the world. Through these affiliations, they expand their professional networks and often seed future research, innovation and institutional partnerships. When they return home to their campuses, labs and classrooms, Fulbright Scholars share their experiences and insights, becoming champions of international collaboration.

“Dr. Stauber’s work exemplifies how strong partnerships and community-engaged research can lay the foundation for healthier local and global communities,” said Dean Rodney Lyn. “Her selection for this prestigious Fulbright Award is a well-deserved recognition of her extraordinary record of distinguished global engagement.”