New York University
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Naheed Ahmed, PhD, MPH, MA, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Population Health at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She is a mixed methods researcher with an interdisciplinary background in family science, public health, and medical anthropology. She studies digital health, chronic diseases, mental health, and comorbid disorders. Her research uses community-engaged approaches and is primarily with immigrant and minority populations. Dr. Ahmed’s research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and published in high impact journals including Annals of Epidemiology, Annual Review of Public Health, Assessment, and JAMA Network Open.
Shinu Mammen is a Senior Project Coordinator at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Her work includes implementing lifestyle and behavior change interventions for the South Asian community that focus on diabetes prevention and management. She works closely with community-based organizations serving New York City South Asian communities to establish partnerships and support culturally tailored health programming.
She previously worked at Northwestern University where she conducted MASALA Visit 2 exams and currently oversees NYU staff conducting data collection. She is passionate about advancing health equity for underserved immigrant communities and providing communities the resources needed to manage their health. Shinu holds a BS from Loyola University Chicago and a MPH from Benedictine University.
I am currently working as an Associate Research Coordinator at the Department of Population Health at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, where I support data-driven research initiatives. I received my bachelor's degree in computer science from CUNY York College. I am passionate about addressing health disparities and advancing health equity within underserved communities, particularly within the South Asian population. My work focuses on supporting research initiatives that use data and improve community health outcomes.
Shahmir is a doctoral student at the New York University School of Global Public Health. He received his Bachelor's degree in public health and political science from Johns Hopkins University, and has conducted research in the US, China, Australia, and Pakistan on various social and behavioral contributors to health. His current research focuses on interpersonal and community level factors involved in the eating behaviors of young and second-generation Asian Americans, and how these factors can be integrated into innovative intervention designs to address non-communicable disease disparities. Within the MASALA study, Shahmir is involved with overseeing data collection within New York City, as well as exploring the complex cultural, interpersonal, and community level experiences related to the health of South Asians.
Saikat Talukder is a Community Health Representative in the Department of Population Health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Finance from Brooklyn College. In his role, Saikat works closely with the South Asian community, providing culturally tailored health education, outreach, and individual counseling for the MASALA and CSP studies.
Saikat recruits participants in both community and clinical settings, conducts eligibility screenings, explains study goals, and supports participants through the consent process. He collects and manages study data, assists participants during clinical visits, conducts follow-up calls, and helps communicate lab results. In addition, Saikat handles administrative responsibilities such as registering participants, scheduling Clinical Research Center visits, updating study documents after visits, retrieving lab results, and managing and distributing cash incentives among participants.
Saikat has also conducted qualitative interviews with MASALA participants and is currently analyzing and coding the interview data. Within the MASALA Study, Saikat successfully recruited the highest number of Bangladeshi participants through community outreach, referrals, and personal networks.
Outside of work, Saikat enjoys traveling, hiking, and kayaking. He is passionate about sports such as cricket, carrom, and soccer. He also enjoys spending time with friends and family, and listening to his favorite podcast, Seerah (Biography) of Prophet Muhammad.
Sabiha Sultana, BSW, is a community health worker at the NYU Center for the Study of Asian American Health (CSAAH), within the NYU Langone Department of Population Health. Sabiha is fluent in Bengali/English and is dedicated to serving her community. Within her role at NYU, she works closely with the New York City (NYC) South Asian community. She has experience helping patients from NYC primary care practices to prevent and manage cardiovascular diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension, by providing in-language and culturally-appropriate health education and lifestyle coaching. She has also built strong relationships with women’s groups in the Bangladeshi community in Brooklyn and Queens for the NYU Community Service Plan. Sabiha is also a certified health navigator and assists in enrolling patients into health insurance plans. Within the MASALA Study, she will be recruiting individuals for the NYU site and will conduct MASALA Visit 1B exams. Sabiha graduated from the City University of New York (CUNY) at York College with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and a Bachelor’s degree in Social Welfare from National University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, and thus, has extensive experience and skill providing social services. Previously she’s worked as a case work liaison and outreach services specialist, providing services within New York City. In her free time, Sabiha enjoys doing Arts and Crafts, Gardening and cooking up healthy Bangladeshi dishes!
Haroon Zafar is currently working as a Research Data Associate in the Department of Population Health at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. He received his Bachelor's degree in Biomedical sciences from Brooklyn College and Master’s in Biomedical Informatics from SUNY Downstate Medical Center. He aspires to further his education with a PhD in Biomedical Informatics.
He is passionate to bridge the health literacy and equity gap in the South Asian community and promotes health education and a healthy lifestyle for community members. His work focuses on diabetes prevention and management within the South Asian community.