September 2025

As we embark on the new academic year; the Light Institute's faculty, staff, trainees, and students are fully embracing the spirit of academia at WashU. Many members of our community have begun coursework for their PhD, MPH, or JD; while others are engaged in professional development activities. Our team’s unwavering commitment to continuous learning and professional growth is fundamental to our mission at the Light Institute. By broadening our intellectual horizons, we are not only improving ourselves, but we are also contributing to advancing research and improving health and wellbeing for all. We hope to inspire this love of learning in others through collaboration, mentorship, and capacity building. In the spirit of learning and growing, we encourage you to join us, either figuratively or literally, in our mission to expand our knowledge and build a world where we can collaborate and make a meaningful impact on the world's health and wellbeing. If you are interested in joining as a trainee, intern, or volunteer with the Light Institute, please reach out to us at lightinstitute@wustl.edu. 

On September 11, 2025, the 4 Communities By Communities team hosted the first bi-monthly workshop for the Change Challenge 2025 cohort, in collaboration with the Change Challenge 2024 cohort and the INSPIRE Core Cohort. The session featured a compelling lecture by Dr. Ucheoma Nwaozuru, titled “Beyond Implementation: Measuring Indicators of Implementation Success.”

Dr. Nwaozuru structured her lecture into four key sections, beginning with the foundational question: "Why Dissemination & Implementation (D&I)?" She then led the audience through an in-depth exploration of evaluation strategies, as well as theories, models, and frameworks relevant to D&I research.

To conclude, Dr. Nwaozuru introduced two widely recognized frameworks: RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance) and CFIR (Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research), highlighting how each can be applied to assess and enhance implementation efforts in real-world settings.

The session concluded with a dynamic Q&A, providing scholars the opportunity to engage in thoughtful discussion, ask questions, and share insights related to their own work.

We’re looking forward to our next bi-monthly workshop, which will take place on November 13, 2025. The lecture will be delivered by Professor Morenike Folayan — more details to come!

The K Grant Writing Institute took place from September 22–26, 2025, bringing together 25 participants from Midwest D-CFAR, PATC³H-IN/INSPIRE, and Change Scholars (4 Communities by Communities). Held via Zoom, the weeklong program focused on helping early-career researchers strengthen their proposals for NIH K awards (K43, K01, K23, and K99/R00).

Throughout the week, participants learned directly from experienced K award recipients who shared their journeys and practical advice. Dr. Juliet Iwelunmor and Dr. Olufunto Olusanya led engaging sessions breaking down what makes a strong K application and offered insightful and proven tips for success.

Participants worked on refining their Specific Aims and Research Plans, and several submitted their drafts for personalized feedback from our reviewers. The highlight of the week was a live Mock NIH Review, where two applications were discussed and scored, gving everyone a unique look inside the review process. It was an inspiring and insightful week filled with learning, feedback, and motivation for the next generation of K awardees!

🌟 STAR is currently accepting applications to join the next cohort of STAR Scholars! 🌟

The STAR Institute is a year-long program designed to train and mentor undergraduate and graduate students in HIV research. STAR Scholars are selected through their participation in a multi-phase participatory action research process.

Now through October 31, 2025, undergraduate and graduate students during the 2025 - 2026 academic school from WashU, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Northeastern University, or Georgia State University are invited to apply, sharing their innovative ideas to approach HIV prevention projects. 

Please use the buttons below to learn more about STAR and the Open Call, and feel free to share with anyone in your networks who may be eligible and interested in participating! 

As of this month, all four sites in Step 3 of the 4 Girls & Women study have successfully hosted their Mother-Daughter days! Across 14 Nigerian states, 4GW vaccinated 687 girls against HPV and screened 617 women for cervical cancer.

We celebrate our implementation teams and community partners who continue to contribute to the success of this project, and are proud of the work being done to reach these women and girls, allowing for a healthier future for each of them. 

The Light Institute is proud to share the team recently had # papers published, listed below. Congratulations to our authors!

Dr. Uzoma Asiegbu is a pediatrician and public health researcher with experience in child health, immunization, and community health leadership. She is a Fellow and an examiner of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and a certified Pediatric Nutritionist. Currently a newly admitted PhD student in Public Health at WashU, her research focuses on HPV vaccine uptake among adolescents and cervical cancer screening among mothers, making progress toward the 90:70 targets of Southeastern Nigeria.

Before joining WashU, Dr. Asiegbu led the Department of Pediatrics at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Ebonyi state, Nigeria, mentoring medial students, conducting research, and contributing to National Health Policy. She has authored peer-reviewed publications, books, and book chapters, and is an active member of National and International Professional Organizations. At WashU, she combines her clinical expertise and research to advance maternal–child health, immunization, and health communication. 

We are thrilled to have Dr. Uzoma on our team! 

The Light Institute team is thrilled and honored to receive sponsorship from The Office of the Provost to host Dr. Uchechukwu "Uche" Nwokwu as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar from Nigeria.

Dr. Nwokwu has an impressive record of accomplishment in medical research, public health initiatives, and policy leadership. He is the National Coordinator of the National Cancer Control Programme, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in Abuja, Nigeria, overseeing policy development, review, advocacy, approval and implementation to tackle cancer burden in the country. He has devoted his career to managing and researching oncological burden, prevention, and treatment, both as a clinical physician and a central policy figure in both academic, teaching hospital institutions and at the federal level, with the Ministry of Health. His significant work and contributions to the field of cancer prevention, treatment, and care, coupled with his deep policy expertise for more grounded pathways to reduce cancer burden has left a profound impact in the public health and policy landscape in Nigeria and abroad.

During his visit, Dr. Nwokwu will engage with faculty, students, and staff through a series of lectures, seminars, and collaborative research projects. His presence will enhance our academic programs and provide invaluable insights into current and emerging challenges in global cancer research and policy. We are particularly excited about the opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration that his visit will foster, as his expertise spans across multiple domains of medical, public health, and health policy practice.

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