Azeb Abera’s summer was anything but a vacation.

The University of South Florida (USF) College of Public Health undergraduate won a competitive NIH-funded, INSPIRE Summer Internship.  She spent 10-weeks honing her research skills and received a $3000 award.

The INSPIRE Summer Internship is offered by the Research Training and Education Core (RTEC).  The RTEC is part of the Center for Equal Health (CEH), an NIH-funded collaborative between USF Health and H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute.

Under the mentorship of Dawood H. Sultan, PhD, RTEC co-principal investigator, and assistant professor in the USF College of Public Health, Abera joined investigators from USF, USF Health, and Moffitt’s Center for Equal Health on the INSPIRE project.  As a member of the team, Abera was introduced to a practice that the College of Public Health is actively engaged in—collaboration.

“From this experience, I learned there is an endless amount of growth and change in this [public health] field; That’s what makes it so interesting!,” said Abera.

Although the internship is complete, Abera’s work lives on. In September, she shared her findings on the types and effects of social support in cancer survivorship at Moffitt’s Research Day. This November, she presents her research at the Mid-South Sociological Association Conference in Mobile, Alabama.

Abera is originally from Ethiopia, but lived in Atlanta since age 5. She was raised with strong Ethiopian values which ultimately shaped the woman she is today.

“My interest in public health began when I took my first trip back to Ethiopia. I was 16 and the experience greatly moved me.”

Azeb Abera is earning a bachelor of science in public health from the University of South Florida College of Public Health.

Her post-graduate plans aren’t firm, but she is sure of one thing—lots of travel!

“Once I graduate I plan on travelling then attending graduate school in public health.  I am especially interested in the epidemiology of cancer and global health,” said Abera.  “My dream job would involve me traveling and working remotely to research global issues for NGO’s and/or governments.”