Rohan Jadhav is one of more than 40 postdoctoral scholars currently at UNLV. These recent Ph.D. graduates come from universities around the world to work with our outstanding faculty and access a variety of professional development opportunities, networking events, certification programs, and more available through the UNLV Graduate College.

To learn more about the life of a postdoc, we spoke to Jadhav, who came from the University of Nebraska to work in the Global Health Initiatives program in the School of Community Health Sciences. 

What are you working on at UNLV?

Currently, I am working on projects focused on mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV in Nigeria. Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Nigeria, has some of the worst health outcomes, such as a high burden of new HIV infections among children and pregnant women. I am interested in looking at the incidence rates of HIV among infants born to HIV-infected women and risk factors associated with the occurrence of MTCT of HIV.

My interests also include the effectiveness of interventions designed to reduce rates of MTCT of HIV and rates of HIV in the general populations, particularly heterosexual couples in Nigeria.

What are your long-term goals?

I am planning to become an expert in public health research. Down the road, I want to investigate problems and evaluate interventions in various fields of public health, including infectious disease, chronic disease, and occupational health.

How do you see your postdoctoral position at UNLV helping you reach your goals?

This postdoctoral fellowship is providing me with real-life experience in global health research. I am also learning mentorship, grant writing, manuscript writing, budgeting, and many other essential skills required to become an independent researcher. I am very happy that I also get to hone my skills in research and teaching during this fellowship.