April 2025

On April 7th, the Light Institute proudly launched our inaugural speaker series of the year with a special milestone: the 30 year anniversary of Health and Culture Beyond the Western Paradigm and the PEN-3 Cultural Model. This seminal work, authored by Collins Airhihenbuwa, PhD, MPH, has deeply influenced global public health by emphasizing the centrality of culture and identity. 

The event featured a keynote conversation between Dr. Juliet and Dr. Airhihenbuwa around themes from his book and the PEN-3 framework. Dr. Airhihenbuwa told the story of his journey, starting from his upbringing in Nigeria through his academic path in the U.S., discussing the role of language, listening, and cultural storytelling in redefining health engagement beyond deficit-focused models. He emphasized the importance of celebrating cultural strengths, questioning existing paradigms, and cultivating deep listening skills among health professionals to create comprehensive and sustainable change.

Following the keynote session, the conversation continued with an inspiring panel discussion, conversation centered on the profound influence of Professor Collins Airhihenbuwa’s work in transforming public health research and practice through culturally grounded frameworks. The distinguished panel included Dr. Titilayo Okoro, Dr. Derek M. Griffith, and Dr. Juliet Iwelunmor, each offering personal reflections on the book’s lasting impact and the practical application of the PEN-3 Model in their work, discussing its critical role in grant writing, implementation science, and stakeholder engagement. By anchoring interventions in cultural strengths and affirming the assets within communities, the model continues to guide transformative, sustainable public health efforts.

The session concluded with the talented Coté Soerens sharing the illustrated representations of the keynote lecture and panel (below) she designed during the conversation and announcing who in the audience had won a signed copy of Health and Culture Beyond the Western Paradigm. The panelists closed the conversation by reaffirming that this journey “beyond the Western paradigm” is not only a theoretical shift but a deeply human one grounded in healing, storytelling, cultural pride, the unwavering pursuit of equity as both a guiding light and a call to action for the next generation of public health innovators. 

Illustrated notes from Dr. Airhihenbuwa's keynote lecture by Coté Soerens

Illustrated notes from the panelist conversation by Coté Soerens

Last month, Dr. Juliet Iwelunmor, Dr. Temi Ojo, and Angel Obiorah traveled to Lagos, Nigeria to represent the Light Institute's ACCESS Grant and co-facilitate the hybrid clinical trial booster training for the 18 sites currently in the recruitment phase of the clinical trial with our Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) counterparts, Dr. Oliver Ezechi, Dr. Agatha Wapmuk, and Dr. Titilola Gbaja-Biamila. The booster training was held on Saturday, March 22nd and focused on recruitment practices, proper enrollment processes, reducing loss/attrition of mother-daughter pairs throughout the clinical trial, and the need for continuous engagement and education of mothers and daughters on the importance of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine and routine screening for HPV every 5 years.

Supervisors and research assistants attended the training in-person from each of the 18 sites convened in Lagos for the training, while the rest of the team joined via Zoom. In-person attendees received additional instruction and guidance preparing them to provide step-down training at their various sites. 

On Saturday, March 29, 2025, Dr. Temi, Angel, and Dr. Agatha observed and monitored the first mother-daughter day of the ACCESS clinical trial in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. At this event, the Cross River study team administered the intervention to enrolled mother-daughter pairs. Daughters, between 9 to 14 years old, received the one dose HPV vaccine while their mothers, aunts, or other female guardians between the ages of 30-65 were shown how to use Evalyn brushes for self-sample collection to test for the presence of HPV. At the end of the day in Calabar, 51 women self-screened for HPV infections that could lead to cervical cancer, and 49 daughters received the HPV vaccine providing life-long protection against cervical cancer. By April 2, a total of 250 women had self-screened for HPV and 302 girls received the HPV vaccine across the first five states participating in the clinical trial. 

The event was held at Akim Town Hall of the Akim Municipality in Calabar and leveraged community connections and a focus on the community members themselves to encourage the community to feel comfortable and safe attending, asking questions, and getting care. Professor Saturday Etuk, the site supervisor, spoke to the clinical trial participants about HPV and welcomed the audience to ask questions. The participants about HPV vaccines, fears about screening, misinformation, and the effect on female reproduction, and Professor Etuk was able to answer each of the questions, empowering the participants to make an informed decision and feel confident about participating in the self-screening and vaccination efforts. 

These interactions are part of ongoing efforts in Nigeria to build trust in evidence-based solutions, such as preventive vaccines and screening services, among community members and linking them to services and providers for ongoing care when needed. The 4GW mission is to empower girls and women with knowledge and access to preventive services, such as HPV vaccines and HPV screening, to reduce the burden of cervical cancer in Nigeria.

The Light Institute is thrilled to be part of the upcoming conference, Global Health at WashU: Focus on Impact on May 1, 2025! This event is an opportunity for WashU global health faculty, students and community partners to come together to discuss and celebrate the impact of WashU research on global health. Dr. Temi and Dr. Funto will be giving an impact presentation titled, "The Journey towards Light: Reimagining Global Health Connections and Collaborations" and will explain how the Light Institute employs innovative, co-created strategies that foster equitable collaborations and are driven by connections with a shared vision to enhance public health and achieve a sustainable global health impact.

Four of the Light Institute's programs will be presenting posters, detailed below. 

One of the Light Institute's programs, LIGHT (Leaders Igniting Generational Healing & Transformation), has three upcoming events that you don't want to miss! 

As subscribers to the Light Institute newsletter, you are among the first to know that LIGHT has extended the deadline for their open call to May 15, 2025! If you haven't been able to submit your artwork, story, or poetry yet, now is your chance! 

This open call is inviting all artists, writers, and storytellers to reflect on public health and answer the questions, “How might we build public health systems that are trustworthy?" and "How might we foster peace and strengthen community in the face of chaos?" creatively in an original piece of art, story, poem, or letter. The LIGHT team believes that creativity has always been at the heart of revolution and wants your voice to be part of it.

LIGHT is inviting students entering 5th – 8th grade to join us for a 5-day program created to engage youth in the arts, creative writing, and public health through visual art, letter writing, poetry, and storytelling. We will encourage and empower young learners to grow more confident in both their artistic and creative writing skills, using their imagination and lived experiences as inspiration. 

 The fourth annual LIGHT Festival is returning this summer and welcomes everyone in the field of public health and all members of the public—artists, poets, practitioners, storytellers, and the like—who have an interest in communicating public health information in a way that is meaningful and resonates with all. This event bridges the divide between public health researchers and the public by creating opportunities to connect with one another and explore the power of creative expression in building and restoring the public's health.

If you have questions about these events, contact Alexis Engelhart at alexise@wustl.edu. 

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