Fellow Perspective: Lindsey Austin on Support for her Global Health Project

Lindsey Austin, MD, came to the UCSF Department of Pediatrics as a fellow in the Division of Critical Care with two goals: to get great clinical training and launch her research career at the intersection of global health and implementation science.  

Lindsey completed her pediatric residency at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and has found a niche at UCSF among other experts who work in the pediatric intensive care unit and have also executed successful global health initiatives.

Read on to see what Lindsey is looking forward to in her second year of fellowship or watch her discuss being a fellow at UCSF.

What is the concept for your global health project and how has it changed during your time so far at UCSF?

My global health project started before fellowship when I identified a problem that my partner program in Uganda was looking to solve regarding triaging in the emergency room. Since joining UCSF, I naturally found mentors through clinical work who have helped craft a focused research question and build a project that aims to address that question and improve healthcare processes in Uganda.

How has working in the ICU with diverse families influenced your perspective and approach to global health?

There’s always so much to learn from patients and families, especially those from different backgrounds than my own. Between the Benioff Children’s Hospital locations in San Francisco and Oakland, I’m interacting with two separate patient populations in a unified clinical experience. 

In our intensive care units, I often go through the humbling experience of practicing communication across linguistic and culture barriers. I regularly utilize interpreter services and am reminded of the necessity to tailor health initiatives to meet the unique needs of the populations we want to serve.

How has the supportive and mission-driven work environment at UCSF contributed to your personal and professional satisfaction during your first year of fellowship?

My mentors and colleagues somehow always have time to help me brainstorm and improve my project, which builds a sense that we’re all here with a shared mission to improve healthcare for children.

Everyone is always excited to help where they can or will refer me to someone with more relevant expertise and experience. I’m always leaving conversations with my next steps mapped out or a new contact to pursue, making me feel like I’ve already made meaningful progress toward my overall goals.

What opportunities are you looking forward to in your second year of fellowship?

In my second year, I'm excited to have more dedicated research time to work on my project now that I’ve refined it and found my research mentors over the past year. I know that if I need to go to Uganda for a few weeks to conduct research, the time will be available.  

I am also participating in the summer TICR (Training in Clinical Research) workshop – my hope is that the class on designing clinical research will provide me with additional expertise to best execute my project and analyze the resulting data.