Benjamin Capistrant
Master’s student, Department of Society, Human Development, and Health
Benjamin Capistrant knew that he wanted to do international work from the time he was in high school in Maryland. At Boston University he majored in history and political science, with an African studies concentration. “The African studies grounded me. I’ve always been interested in Africa,” he observes. During college Ben also worked as an education programs assistant at the HSPH AIDS Initiative: “AIDS was linked to many issues in African studies. It was the hook into public health.” After graduation Ben became the manager of two HIV prevention studies based at the Fenway Community Health in Boston. It was there that he realized that he needed broader understanding of research, so Ben came back to HSPH as a student. He chose the master’s program in SHDH because he was interested in the social determinants of health that affected the HIV-positive men at Fenway Community Health. At HSPH he has enjoyed both the academic training and his opportunities to apply that training in Malawi, India, and Kenya. Ben plans to explore the links between poverty and health in his doctoral program, which he will begin next year. He believes SHDH’s social determinants approach will be invaluable in the international settings where he hopes to work: “I want to do the research that informs the public health community but also benefits everyday people.”
Master’s student, Department of Society, Human Development, and Health