Mitra Naseh

Mitra Naseh is an Assistant Professor at the Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, and Founding Director of the Forced Migration Initiative (FMI). She specializes in the social and economic integration of forcibly displaced populations, drawing on interdisciplinary academic training, lived experience as an immigrant, and extensive fieldwork in the Middle East and South Asia.

• PhD in Social Work from Florida International University

Her research addresses structural barriers faced by refugees, including projects on health outcomes in Missouri and psychological interventions with cash assistance in Türkiye. She has authored a book Best Practices in Social Work with Refugees and Immigrants (Columbia University Press, 2019) and contributed to the Migration Information Source journal.

Recent work explores multidimensional poverty, trauma, and policy restrictions affecting Afghan refugees in Iran. Supported by grants from the Russell Sage Foundation and Missouri Foundation for Health, she collaborates with NGOs like USCRI and Monarch Immigrant Services.

• Co-Chair, Immigrants and Refugees Cluster of the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR)
• Former Executive Committee Member, International Association for the Study of Forced Migration (IASFM)
• Advisory Board Member, International Institute Community Development Corporation (IICDC)

Her academic service and community engagement highlight her commitment to refugee well-being and systemic policy reform.