Opportunities at GWHT
GWHT offers opportunities for students and trainees to engage in engineering design, clinical research, and global health implementation. Participants contribute directly to developing and deploying technologies in real-world healthcare settings, working alongside engineers, clinicians, and community partners.
Pathways to Get Involved
GWHT provides multiple entry points depending on your stage. Together, these opportunities form a continuous pathway from early exposure to real-world implementation.
Ignite → Undergraduate Programs → Research & Design → Translational Fellows → Deployment
Early Exposure (K-12)
Ignite
Who: Middle and high school students
What you do:
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Learn engineering design through hands-on projects
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Identify real-world challenges in your community
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Build and test solutions with guidance from mentors
Example:
Students in Ignite have designed projects such as pulse oximeters, renewable energy flashlights, and water filtration systems—connecting engineering concepts to real needs in their communities.
Focus:
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Human-centered design
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Problem solving in local and global contexts
Undergraduate Engagement
DukeEngage, Bass Connections, Ignite, and Research Teams
Who: Duke undergraduate students
What you do:
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Participate in interdisciplinary research and design teams
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Work on real healthcare challenges in collaboration with faculty and partners
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Engage in global health and community-based projects
Example:
Undergraduate students work alongside faculty, graduate students, and community partners to design and evaluate technologies, while also mentoring Ignite participants as part of the broader GWHT ecosystem.
Focus:
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Systems thinking and design
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Clinical and community engagement
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Translating ideas into prototypes and solutions
Post-Baccalaureate Engagement
Translational Fellows Program
Who: Post-baccalaureate trainees
What you do:
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Work across research, clinical studies, and global partnerships
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Support the development and evaluation of healthcare technologies
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Collaborate with clinicians to integrate technologies into real clinical workflows
Example:
GWHT Translational Fellows have supported deployment of the Pocket Colposcope in clinics in Kisumu, Kenya, working alongside clinicians to adapt workflows and implement screening technologies in real-world settings.
Focus:
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Moving technologies from the lab into healthcare systems
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Bridging engineering, clinical practice, and implementation
