Shenikqua Bouges, MD, assistant professor, Geriatrics and Gerontology, and Christine Sharkey, MD, clinical assistant professor, Rheumatology, were accepted into the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) Centennial Scholars/Centennial Clinicians Program. 

The competitive program develops faculty whose diversity enhances the quality of education, clinical care and research at the SMPH, and who may serve as visible and available role models for students and trainees, especially those from underrepresented minority backgrounds.

Centennial Scholars receive $70,000 per year for three years, which may go towards salary support of their protected time, but may be used to support the scholar’s research or other scholarly activities. Centennial Clinicians receive $30,000 per year for seven years, and may be used for salary support, faculty development opportunities or to support program development and evaluation of scholarly work that the faculty member will pursue.

Dr. Bouges, Centennial Scholar

Dr. Bouges’ research interests include the impact of metabolic syndrome risk factors on cognition, assessing trust in medical researchers and an individual’s willingness to participate in research studies using two community outreach interventions. Her ultimate goal is to find alternative recruitment strategies to increase the participation rate of under-represented populations in dementia research studies.

Dr. Bouges earned her medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina. She then completed an internal medicine and pediatric residency at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. This was followed by a geriatric and advanced geriatric fellowship at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

Dr. Sharkey, Centennial Clinician

Dr. Sharkey is passionate about her role at UW SMPH as a clinician-educator with interests in education and mentorship from medical students through faculty. Her clinical interests include treating patients with autoimmune interstitial lung disease, lupus, and arthritis. Her ultimate goal is finding strategies to increase the representation of underrepresented populations in health care.

She received her medical degree from McGovern Medical School in Houston, Texas, completed her residency at Brooke Army Medical Center where she served as a medical officer in the army for seven years, and completed her fellowship at UW Hospitals and Clinics. She joined the Department of Medicine faculty in 2019.