For MPH student Jessica Duke, finding solutions to chronic health issues such as stress and Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) is the main driver for her career in Epidemiology and Biostatistics.
Having graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Human Biology in December 2024 at IU Bloomington, Duke now is going into her second year in the EpiBio MPH program. An IU Cox Scholar, Duke was one of the 2026 SPH-B Research Day winners for her poster presentation looking at the relationship between a cash transfer poverty program in South Africa and allostatic load—the measure of chronic stress in the body. Duke has been supported by Associate Professor Molly Rosenberg, her faculty sponsor and mentor, who has provided Duke with data from the South African cohort she leads.
“Cash transfers are common policy tools that help alleviate the negative effects of poverty, especially in lower resource settings like rural South Africa,” says Duke. “So far with the data I have, it seems that the actual baseline household wealth has an impact on how cash transfers work in reducing allostatic load.”
For instance, Duke says initial research results have shown that wealthier households receiving cash transfers showed a reduction in allostatic load, whereas in lower wealth households the load was actually higher. During the course of her research, Duke paired data from Rosenberg with data available from a Harvard University-led study of Health and Ageing in Africa: Longitudinal Studies in South Africa (HAALSI). Duke also recently accompanied Rosenberg on a trip to visit her team in Johannesburg, South Africa to get hands-on experience with data collection with this population.
“This is incredible work coming from anyone but especially someone so early in her research career,” shares Rosenberg.
Duke was driven to pursue a public health career because of her grandfather, who helped raise her and developed Alzheimer’s Disease later in life. Additionally, over the next few decades, low- and middle-income countries like South Africa are expected to experience a majority of the global ADRD burden due to a rapidly aging population plus other social and environmental factors.
“Dr. Rosenberg leads studies focused on memory decline and health outcomes in South Africa and that is ultimately why I decided to work with her,” says Duke. “She has been extremely supportive of my work and research goals.”
During the trip, Duke was able to make connections with other researchers in the field from Wits University in Johannesburg, University of Michigan, and Harvard University, as well as visiting a data collection site in the rural town of Agincourt.
“Meeting community members and local researchers in Agincourt was crucial for my understanding of the day-to-day work that goes on,” says Duke. “It gave me valuable context behind the area and the research itself. Now I have a much better grasp on the social and environmental conditions there as well as the broader determinants of health.”
Duke says the experience also helped her to more fully understand the socioeconomic struggles affecting much of the population of the area, with a sharp divide between highly urbanized areas and poorer neighborhoods.
“There would be a half-finished house with people already living in it,” says Duke. “You see a lot of fruit stands and vendors…there is a very high unemployment rate and people just do what they need to get by. To actually see it in person reinforced that socioeconomic conditions are very difficult in this area.”
Duke plans to begin applying for Ph.D. programs this coming fall, with a goal towards researching potential social factors that may influence ADRD progression and any potential interventions from that angle.
“I had no idea I would be able to have the experiences I’ve had as part of the MPH program, like working on incredibly meaningful research, learning complex research techniques, and collaborating with such a large team,” says Duke. “It’s truly been a transformative experience.”
For more trailblazing stories about our students, faculty, and staff, visit go.iu.edu/48bx.