One of nine student editors who oversee the section, Modjarrad published his first issue in October 2002, focusing on international health. "I wanted to bring a little more exposure to the realm of international health in a journal that is focused primarily on medicine in North America," he explains. He says the idea was fueled by his research.

Last fall, under the direction of Sten Vermund, M.D., Ph.D., Modjarrad set up a clinical trial in Zambia to test a potential low-cost way to help people with HIV in Africa and other resource-poor countries. The trial, which will run until January 2004, seeks to determine whether treatment of intestinal worms, a condition that’s prevalent in developing countries, could help reduce HIV patients’ viral load.

"I went into epidemiology so that I could marry clinical practice and research that would improve people’s lives–on a global scale," he says of his work in the M.D./Ph.D. program. For his next msJAMA issue, Modjarrad wants to broaden his scope even further; he plans to explore the interface of medicine and different perspectives of spirituality.