Kyle Lumsden ’25
Kyle Lumsden ’25 has received a Fulbright award to conduct research on addiction medicine strategies in Jamaica. The Morehead-Cain is the second Fulbright U.S. Student Program awardee from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to Jamaica and the first since 1998, according to the UNC Office of Distinguished Scholarships.
Kyle will examine how Jamaica’s National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA) and leading psychiatrists at the University of the West Indies are addressing addiction through treatment, prevention, and surveillance approaches.
The recent graduate said she was interested in pursuing the Fulbright because of the “fruitful global exchange” associated with the program.
“As someone planning to attend medical school, the Fulbright was particularly attractive because it would allow me to broaden my understanding of global addiction medicine while strengthening my ability to treat diverse patients,” Kyle said. “I’m also excited about facing the unknown and living in another country for an extended period of time.”
Kyle’s undergraduate research focus stems from a deep concern about the ongoing addiction crisis in the United States.
“Over the past few years, I have watched the opioid epidemic infiltrate and swiftly grip my community,” said the Charlotte native, pointing to systemic barriers to adequate care as one of the causes for the annual average of 100,000 drug overdose deaths per year. “A critical source of hope lies in addiction research and addiction medicine, which continues to expand as leading experts address this universal crisis.”
Kyle said she chose Jamaica as her research location because of the country’s vulnerability to drug trafficking and recent increase in government resources to address the problem. Her Fulbright project will involve conducting mixed-methods research with the NCDA related to substance-use prevention and national health trends, as well as collaborating with psychiatrists at the University of the West Indies to focus on the clinical manifestation of this data. She will also be examining the role of culture in the perpetuation of substance use disorders.
The research will aim to provide insights that could benefit both countries, she said.
“I hope my research will illuminate the strategies that may or may not be working in a different country in hopes of strengthening the response in North America. Importantly, I also hope my research provides some clarity for Jamaican psychiatrists and practitioners, public health specialists, and addiction researchers who are not as intimately connected despite addressing the same problem in different ways.”
Kyle’s path to Fulbright was shaped significantly by her Morehead-Cain experiences, the alumna said, particularly in exploring research questions abroad.
During her Global Perspective summer in 2023, she went to Portugal, Scotland, and the Netherlands to research drug decriminalization and harm reduction strategies. During her Professional Experience summer in 2024, she conducted addiction research at the NYU School of Medicine as a National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Fellow, where the alumna examined the efficacy of opioid overdoes prevention in twenty permanent supportive housing sites across New York City.
“All of these experiences cemented my interest in medicine and improving this field,” she said.
Additionally, during her time at UNC–Chapel Hill, Lumsden has been deeply engaged in addiction research, working as a research assistant at the Duke University Traumatic Health and Stress Lab in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences. Her research portfolio spans studies on posttraumatic stress disorder, insomnia, and alcohol use disorder in veteran populations.
“I have a deep interest in the intersection of culture, public health, and medicine,” Kyle explained, describing how this interdisciplinary approach will guide her work in Jamaica.
UNC–Chapel Hill named top public university for Fulbright U.S. Student Program
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program promotes international educational exchange to increase mutual understanding between people of different nations.
The program, an initiative of the U.S. Department of State, partners with more than 140 countries worldwide. Kyle’s research in Jamaica represents the program’s mission of fostering global collaboration to address pressing challenges that transcend borders.
The alumna joins a robust community of Fulbright awardees at UNC–Chapel Hill. Earlier this year, Carolina earned the distinction of having the most Fulbright U.S. students than any other public university.
More than 20 Tar Heels will pursue graduate study, conduct research, or teach English abroad through the program this year.
