Student Spotlight: Jan-Christopher Castilhos França MPH'25

Passionate about improving access to universal health coverage and saving lives, clinical psychologist Jan-Christopher Castilhos França has worked with diverse patient populations ranging from psychosomatic and cancer patients as well as for organizations within the UN System to solve healthcare system and service challenges that many low- and middle-income countries face. He is driven by contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, especially, “Good health and well-being for all.” 

In 2022, during the COVID pandemic, he says, “I saw first-hand the inequities in vaccine distribution when vaccines were widely available and distributed elsewhere but did not as quickly reach people in the West Bank nor Gaza. Following that experience, I decided to shift my career from drug prevention and treatment to focus on the equitable distribution of vaccines, the essence of public health, by ensuring that children can reach their full human potential.” 

This decision led Castilhos França to his current position as Senior Country Manager at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, where he is responsible for ensuring equitable access to high-impact vaccines for lower-middle-income countries in Europe, Southeast Asia, the Western Pacific Region and North Africa. At the same time, he is also responsible for strengthening immunization systems to restore coverage rates for unvaccinated and under-vaccinated children.  

“Vaccines are essential to public health and there could not be an intervention more prominent in fostering health and wellbeing,” he says. “In terms of access to vaccines, Gavi helps vaccinate more than half the world’s children against some of the world’s deadliest diseases, and since 2000, we have vaccinated over 1 billion children through routine programs.” 

Although he loves the work he is doing and is passionate about contributing to solutions to rectify inequities, Castilhos França was interested in gaining additional credentials in public health to complement his clinical training and diverse international work experience. 

“I looked at several programs, and Dartmouth was the one that offered a hybrid option that allowed me to continue with my important work while further developing my academic credentials, expanding my leadership skills, and deep-diving into health equity and policy discussions with faculty and interdisciplinary colleagues from the program, which appealed to me,” he says. “My interview was more of a conversation about the current devastating health inequities, where the admissions team was genuinely interested in my side of the story, which really added a human touch to the conversation.” 

One of the strongest elements of the program is the balance between online courses and the time spent on campus, Castilhos França notes. “At Dartmouth, you are part of enriching discussions because of what each student brings to the table. Your experience will be strongly shaped by the mix of students in your cohort, who will likely be from different disciplines and with different perspectives. I appreciate having a fresh perspective that I would not have had easy access to otherwise. In my cohort, for example, I am learning a lot from the experiences of nurses who have direct patient contact and hence a much different insight into diverse topics than policymakers have.” 

Fluent in English, French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese, Castilhos França offers a distinctive viewpoint to discussions. As an international student with a professional background in health system strengthening and service delivery, coupled with in-depth knowledge of global health matters, he brings a unique perspective to these discussions. 

As a passionate advocate for individuals with clinical backgrounds seeking to transition to public health, he emphasizes the importance of understanding health systems as a crucial element when crafting policies aimed at reducing inequalities and promoting good health and wellbeing for all.  

He concludes, “I firmly believe that this program, alongside my academic engagement at Dartmouth, will equip me with the necessary expertise and insight to take on leadership roles within the field of public health in the forthcoming years.” 

Written by: Susan Green

POSTED 5/13/2024 AT 01:34 PM IN #education #studentspotlight