The 2025-2026 UB-ISGlobal master's programmes conclude the academic year with the presentation of final projects

On 3 July, nearly 30 students from the UB-ISGlobal master's programmes celebrated the end of the 2025-2026 academic year in the Aula Magna of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Barcelona (UB), on the Clínic Campus.

The ceremony marked the conclusion of the Master's in Global Health, tropEd Master's in Global Health and Master's in Applied Clinical Research: Global Health Specialisation, jointly taught by UB and ISGlobal.

Looking back at the journey and ahead to future challenges

During her speech, Núria Casamitjana, Director of Education and Training at ISGlobal, and director of the Master's in Global Health and the tropEd Master's in Global Health, recalled the first days of class, when the students “seemed expectant, curious, uncertain and perhaps a little worried about what lay ahead”. After a year of learning and growth, she highlighted that they are now “ready to pursue a career in what they enjoy most”.

“You may need time and you will encounter difficulties, but you are prepared to tackle them”, added Dr Casamitjana, who encouraged the new graduates to approach their work “with passion, generosity and kindness”.

The event also featured Quique Bassat, Director General and Scientific Director of ISGlobal, ICREA Research Professor, and co-director of the Master's in Global Health, and Alberto García-Basteiro, ISGlobal researcher and Head of the Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology Service at Hospital Clínic Barcelona, who was chosen by the students to deliver the speech on behalf of the teaching staff. The guest lecture was delivered by Aitor Zabalgogeazkoa, Emergency Coordinator at Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

Representing the students, Lucia Emefa Agroh, from the tropEd Master's in Global Health, and Sevan Balian, from the Applied Clinical Research programme, shared their reflections on their experience during the academic year.

Final projects: different approaches to global health challenges

The students presented their master's final projects before academic panels. The projects reflect the diversity of topics and perspectives encompassed by global health.

Master's in Applied Clinical Research: Global Health Specialisation

• Development of STI risk prediction models among migrants attending primary care in Catalonia using electronic health record data
• Positive Commercial Determinants of Health: A Conceptual Review of Governance Mechanisms that Enable Health-Promoting Commercial Contributions
• Sexual and reproductive health needs and health service utilisation among migrant women after irregular maritime migration to the Canary Islands
• Walnut consumption and risk of dementia in the Framingham Heart Study
• GUT MICROBIOTA ALPHA DIVERSITY AND SHORT-CHAIN FATTY ACIDS CONCENTRATIONS AND RESPIRATORY CHEST INFECTIONS AND WHEEZING IN EARLY LIFE
• Heat adaptation strategies in the homes of older adults: A Scoping review and case study in Barcelona
• Factors Associated with Hepatotoxicity in Patients Initiating Tuberculostatic Drugs for Latent Tuberculosis Infection at Hospital Clinic of Barcelona (2020–2025)
• Development of an aptamer-based rapid diagnostic test for malaria severity assessment
• Exploring feasibility, acceptability, and perceived impact of heat-mitigation interventions for migrant agricultural workers in Spain: A multi-stakeholder qualitative study

Master's in Global Health / tropEd Master's in Global Health

• Current distribution and role of the malaria vector Anopheles stephensi in malaria transmission in Africa: A Systematic Review
• Educational attainment and major cardiovascular events in the individuals with diabetes mellitus: a systematic review
• Antimicrobial Resistance in Wildlife as a One Health Sentinel
• Mortality and Cause of Death Among HIV-Exposed and HIV-Unexposed Children: A 15-Year Population-Based Cohort Study in Manhiça, Southern Mozambique
• Community-based preparedness for health system resilience in anticipation of siege. A desk review and lessons learned from Syria, Sudan and Gaza.
• Cultural and Social Barriers to Reproductive Healthcare for Moroccan Migrant Women in Europe: A Rapid Scoping Review
• Sex Differences in Atherosclerotic Plaque Prevalence in Femoral and Carotid Arteries: A Population-Based Study
• Long-term educational effects of the 2015 Magude malaria elimination initiative: evidence from Southern Mozambique, 2017–2022
• Urban Nature and Women's Mental Health: A Scoping Review of Outcomes, Mechanisms and Inequalities Through an Intersectional Lens
• Seguimos Adelante: Immigration Enforcement, Labor Conditions, and the Health of Undocumented Mexican Laborers in California. A Narrative Literature Review
• Mindfulness Interventions in Green and Blue Spaces and Their Effects on Mental Health Outcomes for People Globally: A Scoping Review
• Scoping review on Preparedness and Response Plans and Strategies for Citizens in Catalonia
• The Role of Social Connection in the Association Between Socioeconomic Status and Depression: A Systematic Review
• Urban environment and sleep outcomes in children and adolescents. An Umbrella Review
• Amazon Tipping Point: The Economic and Health Cost
• Mapping Research Gaps in Paediatric Advanced HIV Management and Challenges from Healthcare Workers in Nigeria
• Women Inclusive Leadership and Care Provisions in the Mental Health Policy of Uganda; A Critical Narrative Policy Review
• Mental Health and Climate Change: A Rapid Review of Traditional Communities and Proposed Exploratory Qualitative Case Study of Ribeirinho Communities in Belém do Pará, Brazil
• The Impacts of Nature Exposure on Perinatal Mental Health in Canada: A Qualitative Research Protocol

A new graduating class ready to contribute to global health

The ceremony marked the end of a year of learning, research and exchange among students from diverse backgrounds. The new graduates now become part of an international community of professionals who will work, through research, clinical practice, public policy or humanitarian action, on challenges such as migrant health, the effects of climate change, mental health and the response of health systems to conflicts and emergencies.

As Casamitjana noted, the professional path will not always be immediate or straightforward, but the graduates complete this stage with the knowledge, skills and tools they need to move towards what they want to do and contribute to improving people's health in an equitable and sustainable way.