91��Ƭ��

Image

Congratulations to Mannat Tiwana, recent 91��Ƭ�� Master of Public Health graduate, for being selected as a Fogarty LAUNCH Fellow through the Northern Pacific Global Health Leader’s program for the 2026-2027 cohort. 

Tiwana, an international student originally from Punjab, India, recently completed her Master’s of Public Health (MPH) degree program at 91��Ƭ�� in the Department of Health Science. Her research interests focus on oral health in HIV/AIDS patients. 

“There are not a lot of programs specifically to help address oral health – specifically HIV/AIDS patients – both in the United States and in India,” she said. “I’m really excited to have been selected for this fellowship to continue my research. It’s a 12-month fellowship which starts in July of this year – it is a first step to then being able to apply to major grants in the future in order to expand research, and it allows early career researchers like me, to explore those areas of [professional opportunity]. The fellowship will help with networking and creating those professional links, while also providing travel and training.” 

The fellowship, funded by the Fogarty International Center and the NIH (National Institutes of Health) supports research and training in global health over one full year, including short-term training in the United States, and dedicated time for research implementation in India. In Tiwana’s case specifically, fellowship funding is also provided through the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. 

Tiwana, herself, was practicing dentistry in India before she came to Long Beach State to obtain advanced training in public health. For the fellowship, she will be based at the Safdarjung Hospital New Delhi. 

“It’s the largest institute and hospital in the region, which takes care of HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases.” 

About her time in the 91��Ƭ�� Department of Health Science, obtaining her MPH degree, Tiwana says that she was especially grateful to have met and gained the mentorship of Dr. Kamiar Alaei, Chair of Health Science. 

“I was fortunate enough to have met Dr. Alaei as he became my first mentor and point of contact in my MPH program. He helped me a lot through learning more about research, getting research experience, and helped me get a few papers published, and to obtain my first internship. I can’t thank him enough!” 

Before starting her fellowship, Tiwana is looking forward to heading back home to India to spend time relaxing and celebrating her recent accomplishment of obtaining her MPH. The sky’s the limit of what she will be able to achieve next! Congratulations, Mannat!