In July 2026, Benjamin De Wilde received a Master’s degree from the UCSF Institute for Global Health Science, where he was awarded the John L. Ziegler Outstanding Capstone Award and the Madavi Dandu Leadership Award. A physician, he will be a general practitioner and researcher in training at KU Leuven in Brussels, Belgium. He recently spoke with Steven Birenbaum about what attracted him to global health and his experience at UCSF. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
IGHS: What drew you to studying global health at IGHS?
De Wilde: I’m from Belgium, which is where I did my higher education. During medical school we were pushed on the individual level, but I felt a hunger for research and policy. One aspect that drew me to UCSF Is the huge network and top-tier research.
IGHS: When you say focused on the individual, do you mean individual patients, as opposed to the larger population or health care system?
De Wilde: Yes, we were trained to focus on individual patients and within our discipline. If I’m a cardiologist, I’m often not going beyond what the heart does. At times, it felt frustrating to see beautiful work being done, but it felt like putting a bandage on a big wound. You fix this person, but due to systemic factors, they will be back in. It was painful.
IGHS: You entered IGHS at a time of massive flux. Early on, the second Trump administration dissolved USAID and there were other major cuts to U.S. foreign aid. Did you have reservations about starting a global health master’s program during this crisis?
De Wilde: I did not. I really felt especially now that it is the perfect time to do this. It’s needed. And in times of dire need, that’s when you need to jump in.
IGHS: What are you hoping to do with your degree?
De Wilde: I want to practice medicine and to be a part of policy and research. Doing both gives you practical experience with what people are dealing with you can take to your research. I was lucky to land a position as a half-time resident in family medicine and a half-time PhD student in planetary health. I will be a general practitioner and researcher in training at KU Leuven in Brussels.
IGHS: What interests you about family medicine?
De Wilde: I always wanted to do family medicine, because I love being at the community level, at the local level, and being close to patients. And I love variety. I love getting everything and nothing, all at once. It also fits with my interest in system thinking.
IGHS: Every master’s student does a capstone project. What was yours about?
De Wilde: I worked on the intersection between malnutrition and sepsis in children in Tanzania, both the burden and underlying mechanisms through which the two interact. This was done in Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar es Salaam. Sepsis is a heterogeneous syndrome and almost one-third of children in Tanzania suffer from malnutrition. We figured out that malnutrition increases mortality and morbidity of these children with sepsis. We did genomic analysis and biomarker analysis to really figure out through which mechanisms, to hopefully develop some kind of risk ratification or pinpoint mechanisms for biomarker panels or targeted therapeutics.
IGHS: Tell me about your relationship with your capstone mentor.
De Wilde: My mentor was Dr. Theresa Kortz. She gave me crash course in everything, on the topic of malnutrition and sepsis and specific research methods. I’d say we had a more hands-off relationship. I did my thing and when I needed help, I knew she was there for me. She would send me opportunities…“Hey, this is a lab meeting you can join, or hey, this is an interesting article.” I am really happy with the experience I’ve gotten working with Theresa and the broader research team.
IGHS: You received two awards at graduation, the John Ziegler Outstanding Capstone Award and the Madavidandu, Leadership Award. First, way to go! What do these honors mean to you?
De Wilde: I was overwhelmed in the moment. It’s an appreciation of all the work you’ve put in. It also gave me some “internal legitimacy,” of okay, I’m on the right path.
IGHS: You were also elected class president. What were your relationships like with your IGHS fellow students?
De Wilde: When I came to the U.S. this year I was thinking, I’m only here for a short time, I want to make the most of it. From day one I tried to talk to everyone, to learn why they’re here, what drives them, and who they are. I guess that’s what eventually got me voted into the president role. What I really appreciated about my classmates was the incredible kindness. People took me into their homes. It was the same dynamic in the classroom: everyone was happy to help and support each other. We also went out together in San Francisco. I guess I was a little cog in that too.
IGHS: What would you say to someone interested in pursuing a graduate degree in global health?
De Wilde: It’s truly been an enriching experience. I would also say to know what you want, because global health is a unique, niche area and it gears you towards certain jobs. However, it can be very worthwhile if that’s what you are gearing towards in your future.
IGHS: This last question is a tough one. You were living in the United States for the World Cup, when Belgium beat the U.S. Who were you rooting for and what kind of soccer fans are Americans?
De Wilde: I was rooting for Belgium, I’m sorry, that was a red card.
IGHS: Rules are rules.
De Wilde: Rules are rules. Honestly, I never thought of America as a soccer nation. I was pleasantly surprised by all the enthusiasm and spirit. That was one of the first things I did coming to UCSF, I looked for teams to play on. I think at the end of the year there were seven teams I could just hop in and out on. For a nation that doesn’t play soccer, I think If you keep going with this, you might have a shot in a decade or so.
Photo: Benjamin DeWilde (left) poses with Alden Blair (right)