2024-25 SWAP participant Riya Bhatia reflects on her experience helping Dr. Jenna Forsyth develop materials addressing misperceptions about how lead can be detected in turmeric. Lead poisoning from adulterated turmeric is a common but under-recognized problem in many parts of India, and Riya’s work supported Dr. Forysth’s ongoing efforts to address this health challenge.

Schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease affecting over 200 million people globally, is the second deadliest Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) after malaria. Hydrological changes introduced by dam construction can expand snail habitats, significantly increasing schistosomiasis transmission in downstream communities. In collaboration with Dr. Giulio De Leo, 2025 SWAP participant Rani Chor worked on a project aimed at equipping planners and policy-makers with the tools to incorporate schistosomiasis risk into the design and development of water infrastructure projects—particularly dams—across sub-Saharan Africa. To address this intersection of disease ecology and infrastructure policy, she developed a policy-oriented factsheet now under consideration by the Global Schistosomiasis Alliance.