REAL CASES
Laura, a young sixteen year old, born in Ocotlán, Jalisco, is
brought by her parents to a Mexico City hospital pale, fatigued and
vomiting. A few days before, a doctor in her native Jalisco diagnosed
Laura's condition as advanced renal insufficiency and referred her to a
hospital. In order to survive, Laura will need dialysis or a kidney
transplant. Unfortunately, her parents do not have the economic means to
support either treatment alternative.
Laura's story is shared by
thousands of Mexicans with kidney illnesses who, without the benefit of
early detection and treatment, eventually require dialysis or transplant.
Through the advances made by the Mexican nephrologists Dr.
Alejandro Chevaile (Research Fellow – Brigham & Women
Hospital, Renal Division) and Dr.
Gregorio Tomás Obrador (M.S. Epid. ’98, Harvard University), grant recipients of the FUNDACION MEXICO EN HARVARD, this
frightening scenario will become much less common in the future. Dr.
Chevaile, studied at Harvard
University new
advanced molecular biology techniques which aimed at delaying or stopping
the advancement of kidney disease, while Dr. Obrador, is developing
strategies for early detection and treatment. Dr. Obrador is currently the
Dean of the School of Medicine of the Universidad Panamericana in Mexico City.
By supporting the work of
two talented Mexican physicians at Harvard, the FUNDACIÓN hopes to
diminish the number of unfortunate cases like Laura's.
It gives us great
pleasure to relate and share with you the important contributions of just a
few of our recipients of support;
With FUNDACIÓN support, Gustavo Merino (MPP
‘95, Ph.D. Public Policy ’00), graduated from the Kennedy School of Government and heads an
interdisciplinary team at the Ministry of Social Development combining
different talents in the planning of Mexico’s policies for
international relations, social development and programs for the
eradication of poverty.
Dr. Jesús Yamamoto Furusho (M.D., Ph.D.,
M.S., -UNAM, Research Fellow – Massachusetts General Hospital -
Gastrointestinal Unit, Harvard
Medical School), a former
Fundación scholarship recipient as a Medical Post Doctoral Fellow at
Massachusetts General Hospital, a Harvard Medical School affiliated
institution, today is working as a specialist at the Gastroenterology
Department at the National Institute
of Medical Sciences and Nutrition Salvador Zubirán in Mexico City. He is undertaking basic and clinical
research on Inflammatory Bowel Disease – has opened an Outpatient
Clinic at the Institute to serve the community – and is dedicated to
applying the advanced knowledge and techniques obtained during his
fellowship at MassGen toward improving the care of patients with this
disease. In addition he maintains a
private practice at Médica Sur Hospital
in Mexico City.
Dr. Ana Lilia Rodríguez Ventura (M.D., M.S.,
- UNAM, Research Fellow – Joslin Diabetes Center), a former
recipient of Fundación support for her Medical Post Doctoral Fellowship at
the Joslin Diabetes Center, a Harvard Medical School - affiliated
institution, is currently Professor of Embryology at the Faculty of Medicine, Universidad
Nacional Autónoma de México, and in addition works as an
endocrinologist at Médica Sur Hospital in Mexico City. She performs clinical research on the
topic of obesity at the National Institute of Pediatrics.
Mariali Cárdenas Casanueva (M.Ed., Teaching
and Learning, ´00), Armando Estrada Zubia (M.Ed., International Education
Policy ´05), and Emanuel Garza Fishburn (M.Ed., International
Education Policy ´05), all scholarship recipients of Fundación
support, upon returning from their graduate studies at the Harvard Graduate
School of Education united to form Via
Education – an
international network of education consultants that seek to improve the
quality of life of all individuals through education in Latin America. The Mexican chapter of this organization
works in various initiatives for the improvement of education quality and
in the field of citizenship education.
For more information regarding their important contributions and
work, please consult their webpage; www.viaeducation.org
Claudia Harari (Master
in Landscape Architecture ´03, Harvard Graduate School of Design), soon
upon graduation founded the firm, Harari
Arquitectura y Paisaje, in Monterrey, Mexico, which is focused
primarily on large and diverse urban projects which have both a social and
environmental impact. They have designed urban parks and private housing developments
following Low Impact Development, and LEED criteria. Her company strives to integrate
environmentally related design and technology in all projects which include
green roofs, storm water management, natural features and wetland
protection, brown fields reuse, and greenways. Their innovative work extends to beach
resorts in Quintana Roo, landscaping for the Museo del Acero in Monterrey,
and urban design for the States of Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas. We invite you to learn more about her
exciting work at www.harariarquitectos.com
Dr. Joaquin Zuniga (Ph.D. Medical Sciences
– UNAM, Research Fellow – Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard
Medical School), obtained postdoctoral training through his Fundación
scholarship, at the Department of Cancer Immunology and AIDS of the Dana
Farber Cancer Institute and at the Department of Pathology of Harvard
Medical School. Currently he is
Associate Professor at the National
Institute of Respiratory Diseases in Mexico City and his research area of
interest is the regulatory mechanisms of innate immune response in
inflammatory and infectious diseases.
Edgar Barroso Merino (Ph.D. Candidate in
Music Composition - Harvard University), a full scholarship
recipient under the Harvard/Conacyt/Fundación Agreement, recently garnered
first place in the prestigious 2007
Jurgenson International Competition for Young Composers at the
Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow.
Edgar is the first Latin American composer to have won this esteemed
award, competing against 145 young composers from 39 countries.
Mara Hernandez (MPP ´02, Kennedy School of
Government, Harvard University, Ph.D. Candidate in Management - MIT), received a
full Fundación scholarship and today specializes in negotiation and
conflict resolution. She is currently General Director of the Center for Civil Collaboration in Mexico City; a non
profit organization dedicated to promoting the capacity of dialogue,
collaboration and conflict management toward the resolution and conclusion
of agreements of public interest. The Center is part of an international
network of organizations committed to the peaceful resolution of conflicts
called Partners for Democratic Change.
Various entities which have benefitted from her work include the
United Nations Program for Development, the Mexican House of
Representatives, the Federal Electoral Institute, SEDESOL, Microsoft, and
Fundación MacArthur.
Ron Snipeliski (LLM ´05, Harvard Law
School), a Fundación
recipient, is currently Legal
Adviser to the President of
Mexico and his work predominantly entails the preparation of legal
opinions, briefs and memoranda for the President and his staff on a broad
range of topics. Additionally he coordinates with government agencies on
relevant legal issues, primarily in constitutional and administrative
law. His other duties include the
review, analysis and authorization of bills, regulations, executive orders,
international treaties and other presidential documents in all areas of government.
To assist
extraordinary students and scholars, whom without our additional support
may not have been able to accept the opportunity and challenge to study and
research at HARVARD UNIVERSITY, is for all of us that collaborate with the
FUNDACIÓN an honor and a privilege.
We are truly inspired by these young men and women.
