Elise LaFlamme '08
With financial assistance from a 2006 Matthews Undergraduate Award, I was able to enhance my undergraduate education through an international research experience. My honors project,'Maternal Hemoglobin Concentration and Pregnancy Outcome: A study of the effects of elevation in La Paz, Bolivia,' brought me to South America, where I conducted independent research on local women and their pregnancy outcomes. While in Bolivia, I also participated with a program through Child and Family Health International, volunteering in local pediatric hospitals and clinics.
The high elevation of La Paz, Bolivia (4018 meters) causes hemoglobin levels of inhabitants to rise, due to the low partial pressure of oxygen. For this reason, the condition of anemia (hemoglobin levels lower than 12 g/dL) is often left undiagnosed. In pregnancy, anemia can be especially dangerous to the health of both the infant and mother. In my research, I utilized current pregnancy and altitude hemoglobin adjustment parameters for anemia, and studied the effects of anemia on pregnancy outcome.
My experiences in Bolivia allowed me to pursue my interests in both the medical and public health fields, while incorporating many aspects of my education here at Northeastern. In addition to my Biology background, I utilized my Spanish minor when speaking with doctors, patients and my homestay family. While assisting with vaginal and cesarean births, I used information that I've learned while volunteering in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit here in Boston at the Brigham and Women's Hospital. Finally, I was able to write and organize a scientific research paper of my own. My honors project allowed me to travel to an amazing developing country and experience international medicine while pursuing some of my own personal goals.
- Elise Laflamme, biology '08