Neda Maghbouleh

Neda Maghbouleh serves as Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), holding a cross-appointment to the graduate department at St. George campus. She holds the prestigious Canada Research Chair in Migration, Race, and Identity and received the Ontario Early Researcher Award. As Principal Investigator of the RISE (Refugee Integration, Stress, and Equity) Team, she leads a major SSHRC Insight Grant (2018-2023) examining refugee settlement experiences in Canada.

Her research critically investigates racialization processes among Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian populations in North America, challenging the Black-White racial binary. She specializes in refugee integration dynamics, Iranian diaspora identity formation, and gendered migration experiences. Her methodological approach combines critical race theory with feminist and qualitative frameworks, particularly in refugee motherhood studies and digital activism among Muslim-American youth.

Analysis of her publications reveals evolving thematic focus from Iranian-American identity politics (2009-2017) to contemporary refugee integration challenges. Her work consistently examines how structural inequalities manifest in everyday interactions, with increasing emphasis on Syrian refugee experiences in Canada since 2018. Key contributions include reframing MENA racial categorization and developing trauma-informed frameworks for refugee settlement.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• Canada Research Chair in Migration, Race, and Identity
• Ontario Early Researcher Award

Through the RISE Team, Maghbouleh directs community-engaged research on refugee health equity, collaborating with scholars like Melissa Milkie and Ito Peng. Her SSHRC grant supports interdisciplinary investigation of Syrian mothers' settlement stressors and resilience factors, informing Canadian integration policies. Current projects emphasize participatory methodologies that center refugee voices in knowledge production.

She leads the RISE research collective, an interdisciplinary team developing evidence-based interventions for refugee health equity through mixed-methods investigation of settlement challenges and community support systems.