October is internationally recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. To commemorate the month, we recently met with 2024–25 US Fulbright student Joseph Puthumana.
A surgical resident at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, Joseph decided to take a year off from his surgical residency to pursue a project that’s near and dear to his heart. As a US Fulbright student, Joseph is spending the academic year in Innsbruck at the Medical University of Innsbruck, where he’s researching breast implants and both the opportunities and challenges they present for individuals recovering from breast cancer.
In this interview, Joseph discusses his research project as well as the short- and long-term goals of his Fulbright experience.
00:00 Intro
01:03 Tell us about your Fulbright research project.
03:38 Your research focuses on breast implants. Why is such research a critical component of cancer-related research?
05:15 What are your research goals and what made the Marshall Plan award the best fit to pursue them?
07:16 Have you come across any stigmas or stereotypes that impact your research?
08:58 What makes the potential partnership between Johns Hopkins University and the Medical University of Innsbruck so appealing?