Sadie Cowan

Sadie Cowan graduated from Boston University (BU) School of Public Health, Massachusetts, in 2024 with a master’s in public health, concentrating in global health policy.  Sadie received her bachelor’s in sociology with honors from BU in 2022.  She is originally from Dalton, Georgia, where her love for social sciences and public health began through experiences in electoral politics – a passion she continued for several campaign cycles in Georgia, Massachusetts, and nationally.  Sadie’s social science research, among which includes a study regarding gender-affirming care for transgender inmates in the Georgia Department of Corrections Facilities, has been published by Johns Hopkins University and featured by Boston University’s Undergraduate Research Program.  Her academic interests include global development, strengthening of health systems, LGBTQIA+ health, comparative health systems, and healthcare access for marginalized populations.  Outside of academics, Sadie enjoys distance running, hiking, and exploring new cuisines. 

Achieving the World Health Organization’s Tuberculosis (TB) Elimination Goals necessitates rapid reductions in TB incidence and mortality, particularly in India, which bears a quarter of the global burden.  Aside from diagnostics, the Indian government has introduced nutritional subsidies for persons with TB through the Ni-kshay Mitra program.  While the program has benefited hundreds of thousands of Indians with TB, there’s an urgent need to enhance its uptake.  Sadie’s Fulbright-Nehru project is studying the impact of Ni-kshay Mitra subsidies on their recipients; it is also examining the motivational factors behind donors participating in the program.  Besides, the project is exploring ways in which Ni-kshay Mitra can enhance access to public-sector TB facilities.