Dr. Sarah Marsden is a Researcher affiliated with Lancaster University's Health Research Department within the Lancaster Medical School, part of the Faculty of Health and Medicine. Her role involves a Scoping Study on Suicide, Self-harm and Learning Disability. She focuses on qualitative research addressing mental health challenges in marginalized groups, particularly suicidality and self-harm behaviors among autistic individuals, neurodiverse populations, and those with learning disabilities. Her research emphasizes understanding systemic barriers in healthcare access through studies like 'Diversifying medicine by widening participation' and exploring self-harm dynamics in autistic adults. Publications reflect interdisciplinary approaches bridging medical sociology and clinical psychiatry. She holds no listed awards but contributes actively to public health discourse through blogs and peer-reviewed journals. As part of the Health Research team, her work aligns with broader institutional priorities in advancing equitable healthcare practices and improving outcomes for vulnerable groups.
Kora DeBeck is a Distinguished Professor of Substance Use and Drug Policy in the School of Public Policy at Simon Fraser University, a CIHR Applied Public Health Chair, and Dorothy Killam Fellow. She is also a Research Scientist with the BC Centre on Substance Use and Principal Investigator of the At-Risk Youth Study (ARYS), a longitudinal cohort tracking over 1,200 street-involved youth. Her research focuses on substance use policy, health services for marginalized populations, and the structural drivers of drug-related harms. She has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles challenging ineffective drug enforcement models and advocating for policy reforms. Recent publications analyze trends in opioid use, harm reduction during the COVID-19 pandemic, drug decriminalization, and youth-focused interventions. Her work consistently addresses social inequities through data-driven approaches to the toxic drug crisis. CIHR Applied Public Health Chair Dorothy Killam Fellow Michael Smith Health Research BC Scholar Award Distinguished SFU Professorship She has secured over $50 million in research funding, including $21M as principal investigator for ARYS. Her lab collaborates with healthcare providers, community organizations, and policymakers to translate research into practice.
Dr. Katerina Marcoulides is an Associate Professor in the Quantitative and Psychometric Methods Program at the University of Minnesota's Department of Psychology. She is affiliated with the Minnesota Population Center and serves as Co-Chair of the Structural Equation Modeling Special Interest Group (SEM SIG) for the American Educational Research Association. Her research focuses on advanced data mining and modeling techniques for complex longitudinal data, particularly applied to developmental processes in economically disadvantaged immigrant children. She holds a PhD in Quantitative Psychology from Arizona State University, an MA from UC Davis, and a BA from UC Santa Barbara. Education: PhD: Quantitative Psychology, Arizona State University MA: Quantitative Psychology, University of California, Davis BA: Psychology (minor in Education), University of California, Santa Barbara Research Interests: Dr. Marcoulides develops and applies statistical methods such as structural equation modeling (SEM), Bayesian synthesis, and data fusion to study developmental and educational processes. Her work emphasizes longitudinal data analysis, item response theory, and multilevel modeling. Recent projects include NIH-funded research on parenting, marginalization, and well-being during the pandemic. Awards: APS Rising Star Award (2021) NIH Grant Award Teaching & Collaboration: She teaches courses on SEM, multilevel modeling, and data analysis at the University of Minnesota. Previously at the University of Florida, she contributed to workshops on educational data mining and served as an APA Advanced Training Institute presenter. Her interdisciplinary collaborations span population studies, health inequities, and workforce research. Labs & Groups: She leads the Data Analytics and Visualization Lab and actively participates in the Minnesota Population Center, integrating computational and statistical innovations with real-world applications.
Lisa M. Jones is a Research Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of New Hampshire , affiliated with the Crimes Against Children Research Center (CCRC) and Family Research Lab . With over 20 years of experience, she specializes in child victimization, abuse, trafficking, and digital safety. Education: Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology – University of Rhode Island (1999) M.A. in Clinical Psychology – University of Rhode Island B.A. in Psychology – University of Virginia Research Focus: Dr. Jones's research spans child abuse and neglect , commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) , human trafficking , youth internet victimization , and digital citizenship education . She leads multiple large-scale studies funded by the CDC, NIJ, WHO, and private foundations, focusing on prevention, intervention, and policy development. Current Projects: She is Principal Investigator on: A 5-year CDC-funded RCT evaluating youth-focused trafficking prevention education in Minnesota. An NIJ-funded quasi-experimental evaluation of Love 146’s services for trafficking victims. An NIJ-funded study on improving national surveillance of child sexual abuse in youth-serving organizations. Private RCTs evaluating digital citizenship programs like Common Sense Education and Google Be Internet Awesome. Publications & Impact: With over 100 publications, her work has shaped national and international discourse on child protection, digital safety, and trauma-informed practices. She regularly presents at national and international conferences. Contact: Email: lisa.jones@unh.edu Address: Crimes Against Children Research Center, 10 West Edge Dr., Suite 106, Durham, NH 03824, USA
Asef Bayat is Professor of Sociology and the Catherine and Bruce Bastian Professor of Global and Transnational Studies at the Department of Sociology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He has held previous academic positions at the American University in Cairo, Leiden University (where he held the Chair of Society and Culture of the Modern Middle East), and visiting appointments at UC Berkeley, Columbia University, Oxford, and Brown University. His research interests include: Political Sociology Collective Behavior and Social Movements Sociology of Religion Urban Life and Politics Islam and Modernity Contemporary Middle East Bayat's research focuses on the role of ordinary people and subaltern classes in social and political transformations, particularly in the context of the Arab Spring and Middle Eastern urban movements. His work bridges comparative and historical sociology with global and transnational perspectives, emphasizing everyday forms of resistance and the reconfiguration of political Islam. He has extensively explored the sociological dimensions of revolution, modernity, migration, and loss of home. His recent publications, including articles in International Journal of Urban and Regional Research and Journal of Democracy , reflect a sustained engagement with urban politics, revolutionary dynamics, and youth activism in the Global South. The recurring themes across his work include the agency of marginalized populations, the transformation of public space, and the evolving nature of political engagement in non-Western contexts. Bayat has received numerous honors and fellowships: Guggenheim Fellow Ford Foundation Fellow MacArthur Fellow Open Society Fellow Wissenschaftskolleg Fellow, Berlin He has been actively involved in academic leadership, having served as director of the International Institute for the Study of Islam in the Modern World (ISIM) and elected to the Board of the UN Research Institute for Social Development. He has taught key courses such as Global Social Movements, Global Religion and Politics, and Middle Eastern Societies. Though specific students are not listed, his role as a full professor and author of major works indicates extensive mentorship and academic advising. He is affiliated with multiple interdisciplinary centers, including the Center for African Studies, Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, European Union Center, and Center for Global Studies.
Motahhare Eslami is an Assistant Professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction Institute. Her research bridges human-computer interaction, social computing, and AI ethics. Education : PhD in Computer Science from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, advised by Karrie Karahalios Research Focus : Dr. Eslami investigates algorithmic opacity and user behavior in socio-technical systems, developing frameworks to enhance transparency and stakeholder participation in AI governance. Her work addresses: Algorithmic bias mitigation through participatory audits Ethical implications of generative AI and smart assistants Inclusion of marginalized communities in AI design Transparency mechanisms for opaque algorithms Civic technology and public sector AI Recent Article Trends : Her publications analyze algorithmic harms through lenses of: Medical imaging and data generation Labor market equity and low-wage employment Youth perspectives on AI ethics Content creator experiences with demonetization Explainability in black-box AI systems Scientific Recognition : Best Paper at AAAI HCOMP (2025) Google Academic Research Award (2024) Microsoft AI & Society Fellowship (2024) 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics (2023) Teaching Innovation Award at CMU (2023) Advising & Collaborations : Mentors PhD students Shixian Xie, Wesley Deng, Seyun Kim, and former post-doc Jaemarie Solyst. Collaborates with NSF AI Institute for Collaborative Assistance (2022–2027), Amazon, Google, and Microsoft on responsible AI initiatives.
Ricardo Sabates is a Professor of Education and International Development at the University of Cambridge, affiliated with the Faculty of Education and the Research for Equitable Access and Learning (REAL) Centre . He is a Fellow at Hughes Hall and serves as Deputy Director of Research at the Faculty of Education. His career spans institutions including the University of Sussex, Institute of Education London, and Hughes Hall, Cambridge. PhD in Development (University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA) MSc in Economics (University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA) BA Honours (ITAM, Mexico) Ricardo is a development economist with expertise in educational inequalities , particularly in low-income countries. His work focuses on quantitative methods , maternal education impacts , and equity in educational access and learning . He collaborates with international agencies such as the OECD , UNICEF , UNESCO UIS , DFID , and the World Bank . His recent research trends include large-scale educational reform in Ethiopia , community-school participation in India , disability and learning outcomes , and teacher effectiveness in Africa . Projects often involve experimental/quasi-experimental designs and policy evaluation in Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Pakistan, Rwanda, and Tanzania. Ricardo also supervises postgraduate doctoral and masters students and contributes to core research training courses at Cambridge. He is actively involved in multiproject collaborations funded by the DFID-ESRC , MasterCard Foundation , and CAMFED , addressing topics like girls' secondary education , teacher effectiveness , and equity in educational interventions .
Dr. Auzeen Shariati is an Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Programs in the Department of Criminology, Law and Society at George Mason University. She holds a Ph.D. in Public Affairs and Criminal Justice from Florida International University (2017), an M.A. in Criminal Law and Criminology from Allameh Tabataba’I University (2010), and a B.A. in Judicial Law from the University of Tehran (2006). Prior to academia, she practiced as a defense attorney at the Iranian Bar Association. Her research focuses on environmental criminology, crime prevention, victimization, policing strategies, and comparative criminal justice systems. Key areas include pandemic impacts on domestic violence, school safety through Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), and policy evaluation in criminal justice. She has published extensively in journals like American Journal of Criminal Justice , Journal of Family Violence , and Security Journal . Recent work examines how the Covid-19 pandemic and social upheavals like the murder of George Floyd influenced domestic violence reporting and victim experiences. Her studies combine quantitative and qualitative methods, emphasizing real-world policy implications. Dr. Shariati teaches courses such as Introduction to Criminology , Law and Justice Around the World , and Evaluation of Crime and Justice Policies . She actively presents at conferences like the American Society of Criminology and has contributed to public discourse on campus safety and criminal justice reform through media engagements.
Ira Lit is a Teaching Professor at the Graduate School of Education at Stanford University. They serve as Faculty Director of the Stanford Teacher Education Program (STEP) and are affiliated with the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment . Their work bridges teacher education, elementary education, and educational equity. Key research areas include: Equity in education systems Design of schooling models Experiences of marginalized students Family-school partnerships Recent publications analyze teacher preparation programs, voluntary desegregation, and multilingual education. Lit has supervised doctoral students like Elena Darling Hammond and Nallely Aceves , with a focus on race, identity, and policy in California schools. They hold a Ph.D. from Stanford in Curriculum Studies and Teacher Education (2003) and have taught at Stanford since 1986.
Lisa L. Wynn is Professor in the School of Social Sciences (Discipline of Anthropology) at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. She serves as Associate Editor of American Ethnologist (2022-2027) and previously held leadership positions including President of the Australian Anthropological Society (2020) and membership on the AAS Executive Committee (2018-2021). Wynn earned her PhD in 2003 from Princeton University's Anthropology Department, followed by postdoctoral positions at Princeton's Office of Population Research and Center for Health and Wellbeing. Her research program centers on gender, reproductive health technologies, sexuality, and religion, with continuous fieldwork in Egypt since 1998. More recently, she has expanded her work to examine ethics review bureaucracies, lay understandings of infectious disease, and young adult vaping behaviors in Australia. Her methodological approach combines deep ethnographic engagement with critical analysis of how power structures intersect with medical technologies and bodily experiences, particularly among marginalized communities. Analysis of her recent publications reveals an evolving trajectory that maintains her foundational interest in Middle Eastern contexts while increasingly addressing digital spaces (as seen in studies of online fatwas) and contemporary health crises (including pandemic responses and vaping culture), with consistent attention to bodily autonomy and reproductive justice. Her significant scholarly contributions have been recognized through multiple prestigious awards: Vice Chancellor's Teaching Excellence Award from Macquarie University (2009) Australian Award for Teaching Excellence (2012) OLT National Teaching Fellowship (2012-2014) Leeds Honor Prize from the Society for Urban, National, and Transnational/Global Anthropology (2008) Wynn actively mentors graduate researchers specializing in gender, sexuality, medicine and technology, with particular emphasis on sexual and reproductive health. Her research program has received substantial funding from the Social Science Research Council, Australian Research Council, Office of Learning and Teaching, and Hort Innovation. Notably, she co-led a major international project to develop multilingual sexual and reproductive health resources that have reached millions of users across 208 countries. She also created a free online ethics training program for humanities and social sciences researchers at Macquarie University. Through collaborations with Cambridge Reproductive Health Consultants and other partners, Wynn has successfully translated academic research into accessible public resources, including evidence-based information on medication abortion available in six languages (English, Spanish, French, Arabic, Turkish, and Farsi).
Dr. Deborah J. Johnson is a researcher in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Michigan State University, affiliated with the College of Social Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. from Northwestern University, an M.A. from Cornell University, and a B.A. from the University of Chicago. Her work focuses on racial-ethnic socialization, cultural adjustment of immigrant/refugee groups, and resilience among marginalized populations, with particular attention to South Sudanese refugees, Indigenous Australians, and Roma youth. She explores how cultural identity intersects with global contexts, gender, and education to shape developmental outcomes. Key research areas include: Racial-identity development in African American and Latina college women Cultural adaptation of Sudanese refugees and its tridimensional aspects of identity alignment Positive youth development in Indigenous Australian communities through virtual reality initiatives Policy impacts on oppressed ethnic groups' identity reformation Her work has been published in over 50 peer-reviewed articles and books, including Identity Re/Formation among Immigrant Youth and Families (upcoming) and Children and Prejudice (2018). She leads interdisciplinary projects at the intersection of education, mental health, and public policy, emphasizing equity and culturally responsive practices. Dr. Johnson collaborates with institutions like the Child Development Laboratory and Couple & Family Therapy Clinic to translate research into community-focused interventions. Her global projects span North America, Australia, and Eastern Europe, addressing systemic barriers faced by vulnerable populations.
Lucia Binotti is a Professor of Spanish and Digital Humanities at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH), with dual affiliations in the Department of Romance Studies and interdisciplinary Digital Humanities initiatives. She serves as Graduate Advisor for Hispanic Linguistics and Director of the Honors Study Abroad Program in Rome. Her work bridges traditional philology with cutting-edge digital scholarship, emphasizing immersive learning experiences through virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies. Binotti holds a Ph.D. from UC Santa Barbara (1990), an MA (1985), and a BA (1984) in Romance Philology from the Università degli Studi di Pisa. Her research focuses on linguistic identity, cultural heritage preservation, and innovative educational platforms like Amirabilia—the world’s first experiential learning platform. Notable projects include nXimena (healthcare training for Latinx abuse survivors) and Entiendelo (a linguistic/cultural navigation app for Latinx communities). Her scholarly interests span Early Modern Spanish literature, digital humanities applications, and the intersection of technology with social justice. She has directed grants totaling over $500K for projects involving AR/VR integration in education, including collaborations with the UNC Health Science Library and NCSU’s DELTA initiative. Recent awards include the John K. Walsh Award (2010) and Digital Innovation Fellow status (2014). Grants & Leadership: CFE-Lenovo Technology Grants (2018–2019) for AR/VR expansion iLRN 2020 International Co-Chair XR Faculty Learning Community Leader (UNC) Teaching: Courses span from introductory Hispanic literature to advanced topics like medieval intellectual history and digital humanities methodologies. Binotti’s work emphasizes ‘place, presence, and perspective’ in Cyber-Humanities education, particularly addressing marginalized communities through technology-driven solutions.
Dr. Hyun Kyoung Ro is an Associate Professor in the Department of Counseling and Higher Education at the University of North Texas, affiliated with the College of Education. She previously served as a faculty member at Bowling Green State University and worked as a Research Designer and Analyst at Carnegie Mellon University’s Office of Institutional Research and Analysis. Ph.D. in Higher Education, The Pennsylvania State University (minor in Educational Psychology—Applied Measurement) M.A. and B.A., Korea University Her research centers on gender and racial equity in STEM education , learning experiences of marginalized students , and critical quantitative research and assessment . She employs rigorous methodologies to examine systemic inequities and institutional practices affecting underrepresented populations in higher education. Dr. Ro's recent publications span top-tier journals such as Journal of Engineering Education , The Review of Higher Education , and Research in Higher Education , reflecting a strong focus on equity, policy, and assessment in STEM and higher education contexts. Her work consistently emphasizes intersectionality, data justice, and institutional reform. She has received significant external funding, including: National Science Foundation ADVANCE Adaptation Track grant for gender equity on campus AccessLex Institute/Association for Institutional Research grant on law school access and enrollment among women of color Collectively, these grants total $1.1 million, supporting her leadership in advancing equity through research and institutional change. While no formal list of advisees or awards is provided, her role as a leading author and grant recipient highlights her active mentorship and scholarly leadership. Dr. Ro has not indicated any lab or research team affiliations in the provided text, but her research profile suggests collaboration with institutional research units and equity-focused initiatives.
Qimin Liu is an Assistant Professor at Boston University, serving as Lab Director of the Quantitative Psychopathology Laboratory. He holds a PhD in Psychological Sciences from Vanderbilt University with specializations in Clinical Science and Quantitative Methods. His research focuses on emotional disturbances across development, statistical methodology development, and health equity with an emphasis on intersectional marginalization. He has expertise in analyzing intensive longitudinal data and has published extensively on topics like irritability, suicidality, and mental health disparities among sexual and gender minority populations. Dr. Liu’s work frequently integrates advanced statistical techniques such as latent variable modeling, network analysis, and machine learning. His recent studies explore the temporal dynamics of affect, the impact of stigma on mental health, and the role of childhood adversity in psychiatric outcomes. Notable contributions include developing methods for analyzing zero-inflated longitudinal data and creating algorithms for digital phenotyping of mood disorders through mobile device usage patterns. His scholarship emphasizes bridging clinical phenomena with rigorous quantitative approaches, addressing gaps in understanding how social determinants and individual differences shape mental health trajectories. He has collaborated on large-scale datasets like the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiological Surveys and contributed to interdisciplinary research on public health outcomes among aging sexual minority men. Dr. Liu’s methodological innovations include the DACF framework for ceiling/floor effect data and the lamme package for log-analytic multiplicative effects modeling. He actively publishes in high-impact journals such as Psychological Methods and Journal of Abnormal Psychology , focusing on both empirical findings and statistical best practices.
Professor George Palattiyil is a Personal Chair of Social Work and Refugee Studies at the University of Edinburgh , with a focus on forced migration, HIV/AIDS, human rights, and social work education. He leads interdisciplinary initiatives like the Global Refugee Health Research Network and contributes to teaching across BSc, MSW, and MSc programmes. PhD in Social Work (University of Strathclyde, 1999) Masters in Social Work (Kerala, India) His research bridges social work and public health, emphasizing lived experiences of refugees, HIV-affected families, and older populations. Recent projects include: Impact of COVID-19 on families of care home residents in Scotland Adolescent reproductive health in Uganda, Jordan, and Bangladesh HIV/TB care barriers for refugees in Kampala Human rights of HIV-positive asylum seekers Cross-border surrogacy ethics Scientific achievements include: Senior Fellow , UK Higher Education Academy Best Personal Tutor Award (2019) Editorial work on Social Work in a Global Context He supervises PhD projects on topics like Queer women in Kerala , Refugee detention alternatives , and intergenerational care in China . His teaching integrates cross-cultural experiences, including abroad programmes to India.
