MSc International Public Health, 2019.
Meet Luret Lar, a Nigerian medical doctor turned public health specialist and research manager extraordinaire.
Her passion for improving health outcomes in her home country has led her to work on the COUNTDOWN research project, which tackles neglected tropical diseases in Nigeria and is implemented by Sightsavers. Luret is a logistical mastermind who handles everything from financial management to ethical approvals, proposal writing to toolkit development, and training researchers to collecting and analyzing data. She's a networker extraordinaire, collaborating with stakeholders at all levels of government and community to achieve her goals.
Luret's drive to excel and make a difference inspired her to pursue a Master of Science in International Public Health at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) in 2019. Her thirst for knowledge and skills development, coupled with her desire to become the go-to person for qualitative research in Nigeria and strengthen the capacities of younger researchers, led her to LSTM. She loved the practical sessions, especially during the qualitative research lectures, and had a blast exploring new meals and making new friends.
Since leaving LSTM, Luret has been applying everything she learned to her work at Sightsavers and beyond. She's a sought-after expert on qualitative research, training and leading teams, and providing technical support. Her PowerPoint slide decks are the stuff of legends, and her presentation skills are top-notch. Although she admits that writing concisely is still a work in progress, she's gotten better with each reviewed draft.
Luret describes LSTM in three words: quality, rigor, and excellence. Her advice to current and prospective students is to hang in there, even when things get rough, because the hard work pays off in the end.