Other Members & Contributors
Baian Tbakhi - Social Media Manager
Alizah Ali is a medical student at Morehouse School of Medicine.
Danah Elsayed is an M.Sc. student at the University of Guelph. She is also pursuing an undergraduate degree from Al-Azhar University.
Huma Manjra is pursuing her Bachelor’s in Neuroscience at Northwestern University.
Kamal Suleiman is an undergraduate student at The University of Pennsylvania studying Psychology.
Sheikh Hosam Helal serves as Imam and Manager of Education and Youth at ISNA Canada and is Associate Chaplain at Brock University.
Taimur Kouser is a Master's student at Duke University in the Bioethics & Science Policy program.
Merve Nursoy-Demir investigates the psychosocial effects of and responses to plague outbreaks across Muslim communities in the late Medieval and early modern Islamic History to provide insight for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ali Wazir is a second year medical student at the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
Alisha Ahmed is a Zaytuna graduate is currently pursing a diploma in Islamic Psychology at Cambridge Muslim College
Dr. Amina Hussain obtained both her medical degree and Masters of Public Health from St. George’s University.
Hamza Syed obtained his bachelor's degree in international relations from Boston University and is currently pursuing a post-bacc in counseling and psychology at UC Berkeley.
Hany El-Adle is a third year medical student at Rutgers University.
Iman Mahoui is a second year medical student at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Leena Abdelmoity is a sophomore at the University of Kansas studying psychology, Arabic and political science.
Minoo Khatami obtained her Master’s in counseling psychology from Yorkville University in Canada.
Moones Mansouri obtained her Master’s in Public Health from California State Univeristy.
Obaid Rehman is a fourth year medical student at West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine
Sameeha Salman is a sophomore at UC Davis majoring in neurobiology, physiology and behavior.
Sanah Ahmed is a junior at Cornell University majoring in Psychology,
Sheikh Yousef Wahb holds an undergraduate degree from Al-Azhar University and his Master in Law at the University of Windsor, CAnada.
Talha Topcu is currently pursuing a Master’s in clinical psychology and psychotherapy at medical school Hamburg. He has also been pursuing Islamic Madrasa studies since 2016
Zainab Raza obtained her Masters in Education, Gender and International Development.
Zeynep Acar obtained her Masters of Social Work from the University of Toronto, Canada.
Yasmeen Quadri is a senior at The Ohio State University majoring in Behavioral/Systems Neuroscience
Yusif Salaam Conn recent graduate of Zaytuna College
Consultants
Belal Zia is a Canada Vanier scholar at the University of Manitoba, where he is currently a doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program.
Zahra Mirnajafi is Social Psychologist at the University of Queensland
Dr. Salwa Barhumi obtained her Doctorate in education from John Hopkins University
Alumni
Emine Karakas Kurt
Fairuziana Humam
Dr. Merve Armagan
Heba Abolaban, MD, MPH
Nadia Hosseini
Rayan Shammet
Saadia Elahi
Fairuziana Humam
Dr. Sara Maklad
Mina Dailami
Leena Raza
Collaborators with Active Research
Institute of Social Policy and Understanding
The Institute of Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) is a nonprofit organization that aims to facilitate equitable inclusion for Muslims in America through their 3 pronged process: discover, educate, equip. In partnership with ISPU, our lab investigates the coping mechanisms of Muslim healthcare workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic as well as a research project that intends to understand and characterize attitudes towards suicidal behavior and seeking mental health services across different religious groups in America
Muslim Community Center of East Bay
Muslim Community Center (MCC) of East Bay is a religious non-profit community based organization that provides spiritual and social development services to its all-inclusive community through various programs, classes, and activities. The MCC youth director, Shaykh Rami Nsour, worked alongside Stanford’s Addiction specialist, Dr. Amer Syed Raheemullah, to facilitate a Substance Use family support group that supports the families of those dealing with substance use and addiction related issues.
Muslim Community Association
The Muslim Community Association (MCA) is a religious non-profit organization that serves a large diverse community through a variety of social and spiritual programs and activities. As one of the largest Islamic Centers in the Bay Area, our lab has partnered with them in order to conduct community based participatory research which enables our lab to understand the influence of religious leaders, community members, friends, and family on mental health support in the Bay Area Muslim community.
Collaborators with Published Work
Dr. Hamada Hamid Altalib at Yale University
Dr. Hamada Hamid Altalib, Director of the Yale Epilepsy Outcomes Research Program at Yale University and Co-Founder of the Institute for Muslim Mental Health, collaborates with our lab on a variety of projects. Dr. Hamada Hamid Altalib and Dr. Rania Awaad have collaborated on the article titled, “Mapping global Muslim mental health research: analysis of trends in the English literature from 2000 to 2015” paper published in 2019 and are currently acting as co-editors on the Muslim Mental Health book for the American Psychiatric Association.
Dr. Yan Leykin at Palo Alto University
The Choice-making And Computer Technology for Unipolar depression (CACTUs) Lab at Palo Alto University studies decision-making of individuals with depression and develops internet-based resources for depression. Our lab collaborates with on multiple projects including a mood screener project, an automated depression and suicidality screener distributed in five languages, and on a previous publication titled, “Common and country specific characteristics associated with suicidality in the Arab region"
Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research
The Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research is a nonprofit research institution that seeks and spreads knowledge, thereby reestablishing Muslim contributions towards the betterment of humanity for the individual as well as the collective. Our lab, in collaboration with Yaqeen, has developed a series of videos as well as academic articles that highlight the influence of Muslim polymaths to the field of psychology and mental health throughout history starting from the time of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Khalil Center
Khalil Center is an international psychological, spiritual, and social community wellness center dedicated to facilitate holistic therapeutic approaches through the advancement of spiritual integration. The majority of the targeted population that Khalil Center aims to serve is Muslim, therefore in order to bridge the gap between secular practices and Islamic spirituality, the Khalil Center has developed an APA accredited Islamically integrated approach to psychotherapy. Dr. Rania Awaad serves as the Regional Clinical Director of the Khalil Center Bay Area branch thus facilitating a partnership with the lab. On behalf of Khalil Center, our lab is in the process of creating a series of educational brochures on various mental health related topics that integrate clinical psychology with Islam for the Muslim community.
American Muslim Health Professionals
The American Muslim Health Professionals is an organization dedicated to improving all aspects of American health and wellness, including mental health through the empowerment of Muslim healthcare professionals. In order to increase mental health awareness, Dr. Rania Awaad has spoken at multiple conferences including Bridging Health Care Disparities and Mental Health and Eliminating Health Disparities: A Public Health Imperative
Dr. Rania Awaad has spoken at multiple conferences for the American Muslim Healthcare Professionals regarding healthcare disparities. Some specific conferences she has spoken at are Bridging Health Care Disparities and Mental Health and Eliminating Health Disparities: A Public Health Imperative. Dr. Awaad is also on the National Muslim Taskforce for COVID-19.
Dr. Osman Umarji at the University of Illinois Chicago
The Stanford Muslims and Mental Health Lab have collaborated with Dr. Osman Umarji from the University of Illinois Chicago and Yaqeen on a chapter on COVID-19. The chapter aims to understand the interplay between mental health, religiosity, and coping in the Muslim diaspora during the various COVID-19 pandemic stages.
The Tayba Foundation
The Tayba Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports incarcerated and previously incarcerated Muslims in order to help reintegrate them back into society by providing them with access to higher education including Islamic education. In partnership with the Tayba Foundation, our lab has developed a 12 Step Rehabilitation Program for Muslims based on the Tazkiyah (purification) practice in Islam. Additionally, the lab is working to create a mental health toolkit designed to increase and improve mental healthcare within the prison system.
Community Outreach
The Rahmah Foundation
The Rahmah Foundation is an organization designed to provide educational programs geared to examine the unique topics pertaining to Muslim girls and women. With Dr. Rania Awaad as the co-founder and member of the board, the Rahmah Foundation has partnered with our lab to acquire educational materials for their Spiritual and Emotional Development program that addresses mental health related topics.
El Camino Women’s Medical Group
El Camino Women’s Medical Group is a comprehensive women’s healthcare facility that serves a diversified community of women, including Muslim women. As the Psychiatric Director of the El Camino Women's Medical Group, Dr. Rania Awaad offers a cultural and spiritual based mental healthcare treatment option in order to provide patients with the most holistic care.