Joshua Cole

About Joshua

updated 6/2015: Raised in a rich cultural environment in Atlanta, Georgia, Joshua Cole developed artistic and intellectual interests early on as a humanist and a scientist. At Boston University, Joshua pursued a dual degree in French studies and biochemistry and molecular biology. During summer 2013, he conducted research at the University of Pennsylvania where he characterized the effect of Flaxseeds on HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders and the modulation of cell receptors vital to HIV entry. His results showed a reduction in HIV entry and oxidative stress in the brain, which may influence therapies for HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders. Joshua also interned with Act-up Paris in 2012, which is the leading HIV/AIDS advocacy group in France that seeks to reduce the hardship of the AIDS pandemic. That same year, Joshua investigated malarial infection via Plasmodium falciparum at Tufts University where he identified four novel parasite ligands, which may contribute to the basis of a multi-unit vaccine. In October 2012, he presented his research at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) where the American Physiological Society honored him with an award for his presentation. In addition to his research, Joshua also studied the mathematical modeling of HIV and influenza epidemics through the Outreach Conference created by the HSPH Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics. Through these experiences, Joshua has learned about the socio-cultural norms, local realities, and developmental factors that affect health around the world, which has inspired him to pursue a career in assessing traditional medical systems and addressing global issues of infectious diseases, malnutrition, and health disparity. He is committed to improving the health of populations through integrative practices and policies, such as the integration of traditional and allopathic medicine. He is also a Gates Millennium Scholar as well as a Posse Scholar and mentor.
During his Luce Year in Seoul, Korea, Joshua worked at  Seoul National University’s School of Public Health where he contributed to two Korean health-related projects. One project addressed HIV risk behavior among Korean men and the other addressed Korean social mental health. In addition to his placement at the university, Joshua also worked as a research fellow at Medipeace, a Korean humanitarian aid and global health NGO, where he engaged in project planning, advocacy, and research on Korea’s development aid. His tasks at SNU and Medipeace ranged from strategizing advocacy efforts for Korea’s engagement with the Global Fund and writing MOAs (memorandum of agreement) for maternal-child health projects in the Philippines to reviewing HIV risk surveys in Korea. The combination of these exceptional organizations has afforded Joshua a wide range of experiences in just one year. Outside of the workplace, Joshua has followed his humanist inclination to learn languages and engage in art. Throughout the year, he has taken courses on Korean royal cuisine, studied hangeul calligraphy. As a humanist, Joshua has a natural inclination to learn languages. He has gained proficiency in Korean after many hours happily spent speaking and connecting with locals.  He also enjoys speaking French, Spanish, Portuguese, and plans to learn Amharic and Arabic.