Biography

I am an Associate Professor at Yale School of Public Health, trained as an infectious disease epidemiologist with expertise and long-term experience conducting epidemiological research in Low-and-Middle Income Countries (LMICs).  My current work is focused primarily on the health issues of conflict-affected populations and in humanitarian settings with a focus on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.  This work has included the impact of exposure to violent conflict on substance use and risk of HIV infection, interpersonal violence and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs.)  I have also done research on prevention of firearm injury through policy and law in the U.S.  I am the principal investigator of a pilot study of "Rapid Assessment and Response to Substance Use and Risk of HIV and other Blood-borne Infections among Lebanese nationals and Displaced Populations” and an investigator on a NIH/NICHD study "Addressing Disparities in HIV Testing and Care among Displaced Men who have Sex with Men in Lebanon.”  In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, I collaborated with colleagues working in Somalia, Nepal and Iran.  I have also participated in cancer prevention research projects with conflict-affected populations in Lebanon, Turkey and Somalia.  I have expertise in ethics of global health research, including in humanitarian settings.  I am committed to strengthening public health education and research capacity in LMICs, particularly those affected by conflict and am currently involved in several projects with academic partners in Lebanon, Sudan, Somalia and Iraqi Kurdistan.  I am currently the Principal Investigator of a Fogarty International Center - funded grant entitled “Masters Level Research Ethics Training and Curriculum Development Program with China.”  I am co-founder of Yale Violence and Health Study Group and a faculty member of the Program on Conflict, Resiliency and Health at the Yale MacMillan Center.

Research Priorities:

• Health in humanitarian crises;
• Substance use and HIV/AIDS epidemiology and prevention;
• global health research ethics

Previous Academic Collaborations with SUMS:

I  have collaborated with Drs. Hossein Molavi Vardanjani, Parinaz Tabari, Mitra Amini on several projects.