Senior named Fulbright Scholar, plans cancer research in Botswana

Sarah Sherman points to her co-op at Massachusetts General Hospital in 2015 as a seminal moment in her Northeastern experience. Not only did she receive her first hands-on experience in cancer research—which has become her passion—but she also learned of the hospital’s work to enhance cancer care in Botswana, where she says poor access to pathology has hindered timely diagnoses.

Sherman, S’17, was recently named a Fulbright Scholar. After graduating in May, she plans to travel to Botswana to begin her eight-month Fulbright research project focused on evaluating whether recent improvements to the country’s pathology labs have affected the processing time for samples to generate timely cancer diagnoses.

Through this project, Sherman will partner with University of Botswana researchers and the Botswana Oncology Global Outreach program, or BOTSOGO, which works to improve access to quality cancer care through collaborations between healthcare professionals in Boston and in Botswana. She is eager to build upon her experiences in the lab, and said her Fulbright research will afford her the opportunity to bridge the gap between bench work and globally relevant solutions.