About us
About us
Our story so far
Our story so far
Meet the team and learn about our mission.
Who we are
Who we are
About GSHIFT
About GSHIFT
GSHIFT was born out of a collaboration of surgeons and researchers who have initiated a number of health projects in low- and middle- income settings. The decision to formally establish in 2025 will allow us to grow in number, diversity and impact.
GSHIFT was born out of a collaboration of surgeons and researchers who have initiated a number of health projects in low- and middle- income settings. The decision to formally establish in 2025 will allow us to grow in number, diversity and impact.
Mission & values
We're on a mission…
…to empower surgeons, clinicians, and students to improve healthcare globally
Mission & values
We're on a mission…
…to empower surgeons, clinicians, and students to improve healthcare globally
Mission & values
We're on a mission…
…to empower surgeons, clinicians, and students to improve healthcare globally
Team
Meet our founders
Helen Please M.D.
Co-founder
Helen Please is general surgery registrar working in the Oxfordshire Deanery, UK. She has had a strong interest in Global surgery for many years, particularly in Subsaharan Africa, and has been involved in a number of studies and collaborations including in Uganda, Sierra Leone, and the UK. She is a past president of GASOC (the Global Anaesthesia, Surgery & Obstetric Collaboration) and winner of the ASiT-GASOC Global Surgery prize 2025. Her research focuses on innovation, education, and widening access to surgery.
Sergio Navarro M.D.
Co-founder
Sergio Navarro is a Resident Physician and Research Fellow in the Surgery Department at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. He received his MBA from Oxford and his MD at the Baylor College of Medicine, where he was a Trinity Fellow. Before graduate school, he specialized in risk analytics in the Finance Division at Goldman Sachs. He double-majored at MIT in Mechanical Engineering and History.
Mike Nsubuga
Co-founder
Mike Nsubuga is committed to leveraging data-driven approaches to tackle pressing health challenges, from infectious diseases to trauma and other critical areas impacting populations worldwide. He is dedicated to developing innovative approaches that make cutting-edge science accessible and impactful in diverse settings, particularly low- and middle-income countries. He is a research scientist of the African Centers of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Data Intensive Science at the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI), Makerere University. Kampala. He is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Bristol, funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC)
Timothy Kintu M.D.
Co-founder
Timothy Kintu is a medical doctor passionate about translating data science and needs-driven innovation into equitable health impact across LMICs. Adept at securing funding by aligning proposals with funder priorities and leading and coordinating multidisciplinary projects. He is also actively engaged in pioneering health data science and virtual reality initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on transformative projects on including mental health and infectious diseases. He is experienced in participatory user research and co-design of digital tools, with a leadership style grounded in clear communication, effective delegation, and conflict resolution.
Kelsey Stewart M.D.
Co-founder
Kelsey Stewart is a fellow physician at Mayo Clinic in Minimally Invasive Gynecology, and an Obstetrics and Gynecology resident at the University of Minnesota. She is passionate about improving health outcomes for women, working with underserved populations, resident and medical student education, and global surgery. She is experienced in teaching and mentorship, needs assessment and project development, and clinical outcomes research.
Isaac Mubezi M.D.
Collaborator
Isaac Mubezi is the head of the Department of Surgery at Iganga District Hospital. He also founded and is CEO of Hope and Healing Center, a rural based community hospital in Iganga, his home village, which foucusses on increasing access to safe and affordable surgery in rural Eastern Uganda. He has recently been appointed chair of the Global Surgery committee of ASOU (the Association of Surgeons of Uganda) and sits on the National Ethics Committee of the Uganda Medical Association. He has been a VRiMS scholar (Virtual Reality in Medicine and Surgery) and is Country Director Something Deeper Ministries Uganda.
Team
Meet our founders
Helen Please M.D.
Co-founder
Helen Please is general surgery registrar working in the Oxfordshire Deanery, UK. She has had a strong interest in Global surgery for many years, particularly in Subsaharan Africa, and has been involved in a number of studies and collaborations including in Uganda, Sierra Leone, and the UK. She is a past president of GASOC (the Global Anaesthesia, Surgery & Obstetric Collaboration) and winner of the ASiT-GASOC Global Surgery prize 2025. Her research focuses on innovation, education, and widening access to surgery.
Sergio Navarro M.D.
Co-founder
Sergio Navarro is a Resident Physician and Research Fellow in the Surgery Department at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. He received his MBA from Oxford and his MD at the Baylor College of Medicine, where he was a Trinity Fellow. Before graduate school, he specialized in risk analytics in the Finance Division at Goldman Sachs. He double-majored at MIT in Mechanical Engineering and History.
Mike Nsubuga
Co-founder
Mike Nsubuga is committed to leveraging data-driven approaches to tackle pressing health challenges, from infectious diseases to trauma and other critical areas impacting populations worldwide. He is dedicated to developing innovative approaches that make cutting-edge science accessible and impactful in diverse settings, particularly low- and middle-income countries. He is a research scientist of the African Centers of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Data Intensive Science at the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI), Makerere University. Kampala. He is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Bristol, funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC)
Timothy Kintu M.D.
Co-founder
Timothy Kintu is a medical doctor passionate about translating data science and needs-driven innovation into equitable health impact across LMICs. Adept at securing funding by aligning proposals with funder priorities and leading and coordinating multidisciplinary projects. He is also actively engaged in pioneering health data science and virtual reality initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on transformative projects on including mental health and infectious diseases. He is experienced in participatory user research and co-design of digital tools, with a leadership style grounded in clear communication, effective delegation, and conflict resolution.
Kelsey Stewart M.D.
Co-founder
Kelsey Stewart is a fellow physician at Mayo Clinic in Minimally Invasive Gynecology, and an Obstetrics and Gynecology resident at the University of Minnesota. She is passionate about improving health outcomes for women, working with underserved populations, resident and medical student education, and global surgery. She is experienced in teaching and mentorship, needs assessment and project development, and clinical outcomes research.
Isaac Mubezi M.D.
Collaborator
Isaac Mubezi is the head of the Department of Surgery at Iganga District Hospital. He also founded and is CEO of Hope and Healing Center, a rural based community hospital in Iganga, his home village, which foucusses on increasing access to safe and affordable surgery in rural Eastern Uganda. He has recently been appointed chair of the Global Surgery committee of ASOU (the Association of Surgeons of Uganda) and sits on the National Ethics Committee of the Uganda Medical Association. He has been a VRiMS scholar (Virtual Reality in Medicine and Surgery) and is Country Director Something Deeper Ministries Uganda.
Team
Meet our founders
Helen Please M.D.
Co-founder
Helen Please is general surgery registrar working in the Oxfordshire Deanery, UK. She has had a strong interest in Global surgery for many years, particularly in Subsaharan Africa, and has been involved in a number of studies and collaborations including in Uganda, Sierra Leone, and the UK. She is a past president of GASOC (the Global Anaesthesia, Surgery & Obstetric Collaboration) and winner of the ASiT-GASOC Global Surgery prize 2025. Her research focuses on innovation, education, and widening access to surgery.
Sergio Navarro M.D.
Co-founder
Sergio Navarro is a Resident Physician and Research Fellow in the Surgery Department at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. He received his MBA from Oxford and his MD at the Baylor College of Medicine, where he was a Trinity Fellow. Before graduate school, he specialized in risk analytics in the Finance Division at Goldman Sachs. He double-majored at MIT in Mechanical Engineering and History.
Mike Nsubuga
Co-founder
Mike Nsubuga is committed to leveraging data-driven approaches to tackle pressing health challenges, from infectious diseases to trauma and other critical areas impacting populations worldwide. He is dedicated to developing innovative approaches that make cutting-edge science accessible and impactful in diverse settings, particularly low- and middle-income countries. He is a research scientist of the African Centers of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Data Intensive Science at the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI), Makerere University. Kampala. He is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Bristol, funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC)
Timothy Kintu M.D.
Co-founder
Timothy Kintu is a medical doctor passionate about translating data science and needs-driven innovation into equitable health impact across LMICs. Adept at securing funding by aligning proposals with funder priorities and leading and coordinating multidisciplinary projects. He is also actively engaged in pioneering health data science and virtual reality initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on transformative projects on including mental health and infectious diseases. He is experienced in participatory user research and co-design of digital tools, with a leadership style grounded in clear communication, effective delegation, and conflict resolution.
Kelsey Stewart M.D.
Co-founder
Kelsey Stewart is a fellow physician at Mayo Clinic in Minimally Invasive Gynecology, and an Obstetrics and Gynecology resident at the University of Minnesota. She is passionate about improving health outcomes for women, working with underserved populations, resident and medical student education, and global surgery. She is experienced in teaching and mentorship, needs assessment and project development, and clinical outcomes research.
Isaac Mubezi M.D.
Collaborator
Isaac Mubezi is the head of the Department of Surgery at Iganga District Hospital. He also founded and is CEO of Hope and Healing Center, a rural based community hospital in Iganga, his home village, which foucusses on increasing access to safe and affordable surgery in rural Eastern Uganda. He has recently been appointed chair of the Global Surgery committee of ASOU (the Association of Surgeons of Uganda) and sits on the National Ethics Committee of the Uganda Medical Association. He has been a VRiMS scholar (Virtual Reality in Medicine and Surgery) and is Country Director Something Deeper Ministries Uganda.