{"id":121729,"date":"2020-06-29T16:05:08","date_gmt":"2020-06-30T02:05:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=121729"},"modified":"2020-06-30T11:14:01","modified_gmt":"2020-06-30T21:14:01","slug":"hosaka-wins-usphs-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2020\/06\/29\/hosaka-wins-usphs-award\/","title":{"rendered":"UH<\/abbr> medical student wins national public health award"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Kalei Hosaka discusses with a judge his poster on his findings on gland inflammation and cognitive impairment in older adults with HIV.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fourth-year medical student Kalei Hosaka<\/strong> of the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa John A. Burns School of Medicine<\/a> (JABSOM<\/abbr>) is a recipient of the 2020 Excellence in Public Health Award from the U.S.<\/abbr> Public Health Service (USPHS<\/abbr>) Physician Professional Advisory Committee.<\/p>\n

The award recognizes medical students across the nation who advance public health in their communities and exemplify the USPHS<\/abbr> mission to protect, promote and advance health and safety. <\/p>\n

\"Kalei<\/p>\n

Hosaka, who grew up in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> and graduated from Hawaii Baptist Academy, credits the concern he has for underserved populations to his family\u2019s Christian faith and challenging childhood experiences of bullying. He says he is keenly aware of the disparities and the commonalities he shares with others.<\/p>\n

Hosaka was an intern with Shalom [AIDS<\/abbr>] Delhi as part of Wheaton\u2019s Human Needs and Global Resources program. “For six months, I worked in a community health clinic that serves neglected HIV<\/abbr> patients from the Delhi slums,” he said. “As a result, the HIV<\/abbr> community became important to me. When I began medical school, I made efforts to work on important HIV<\/abbr> research and public health topics with the Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Center for AIDS<\/abbr><\/a>.” <\/p>\n

In recent years, he has been involved in promoting indigenous and migrant health. Hosaka praised his mentors and JABSOM<\/abbr> faculty members for encouraging him to pursue research and public health.<\/p>\n

“I do not think I know of a medical student who has contributed so much to clinical medicine and public health,” said Paul Kitsutani, captain of the USPHS<\/abbr> Physicians Professional Advisory Committee. “This award emphasizes program implementation, research, community service, impact and a commitment to public health. As a JABSOM<\/abbr> graduate, I couldn\u2019t be more impressed or proud of Kalei.”<\/p>\n

In January 2021, pushed back from July 2020 due to COVID-19<\/abbr>, Hosaka will begin a year of research funded by the National Institutes of Health Fogarty Program in Tanzania. His focus is youth with HIV<\/abbr>, their mental health and antiretroviral therapy resistance patterns. Hosaka\u2019s wife, Leah, a UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa graduate nursing program<\/a> alumna, will also join him. <\/p>\n

“For me, solidarity is the driving principle for the kind of work I involve myself in and the kind of physician I aspire to be, following JABSOM<\/abbr>\u2019s model of obtaining optimal health for all. It\u2019s why I went into medicine,” Hosaka said. “I believe that being a physician is my calling and my vocation, just as my interests in public health, research and writing.” <\/p>\n

Elisabeth Young (JABSOM<\/abbr> 2019) and Brandyn Dunn (JABSOM<\/abbr> 2016) are the only other JABSOM<\/abbr> students who have earned the USPHS<\/abbr> recognition. <\/p>\n

For more see the JABSOM<\/abbr> website<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kalei Hosaka is a recipient of the 2020 Excellence in Public Health Award from the U.S.<\/abbr> Public Health Service.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[978,31,241,660,9],"class_list":["post-121729","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-hawaii-center-for-aids","tag-john-a-burns-school-of-medicine","tag-public-health","tag-student-recognition","tag-uh-manoa","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t