The Global Institute for Health and Human Rights - GIHHR

Announcements

Four GIHHR Interns Accepted to Undergraduate Research Conference
Four undergraduate students working with GIHHR have been accepted to present at the upcoming University at Albany Undergraduate Research Conference in April. Bibi Chaterpateah (senior), Valerie Bresier (sophomore), Jaleen Fraser (junior), and Ciara Hoye (senior) will present their respective research project results related to maternal mental health in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region, HIV-related stigma and discrimination, and analysis of the Integrated Bio-Behavioral Survey (IBBS) targeting female sex workers. Their work is supervised by GIHHR mentor Kathryn Mishkin. For more details about the conference please see here: https://www.albany.edu/undergrad-research/84988.php

GIHHR Intern Receives Situation Interactive Prize for Experience Research
GIHHR intern Valerie Bresier (sophomore) has been awarded the Situation Interactive Prize for Experience Research by the Undergraduate Research team and the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education. Valerie recently submitted an application that highlighted her GIHHR research focused on maternal anxiety in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region, Her work is supervised by GIHHR mentor Kathryn Mishkin. The Situation Interactive Prize for Experience Research is a competitive award that was established by the founder and president of Situation Interactive, Damian Bazadona ’98. This award provides undergraduate students with funding to encourage and facilitate their engagement in research, scholarship, and creative activities.

GIHHR Graduate Student Researcher Presents at University at Albany Graduate Student Conference
GIHHR graduate student intern Jacqueline (Jackie) Servideo recently presented her research entitled “Factors associated with breastfeeding initiation and continuation among refugee and non-refugee mothers in low-income communities in the United States” at the University at Albany Graduate Student Conference: Institutions and Societies. Jackie is pursuing her Masters in Social Work and is passionate about refugee health and maternal health. She is mentored by Kathryn Mishkin at GIHHR and her School of Social Welfare Field Instructor is Dr. Jildyz Urbaeva. Read more about the conference here: https://sites.google.com/site/institutionsandsocieties/home.

GIHHR Intern Presents at UAlbany Women's and Gender Studies Conference
Bibi Chaterpateah, a senior Biology student and GIHHR research assistant, has worked with GIHHR mentor Kathryn Mishkin on research related to HIV-related stigma and discrimination since June 2017. On Saturday March 3rd, 2018, she presented lessons learned through a poster presentation entitled “HIV-related stigma and discrimination serves as a “border” limiting opportunities for HIV care and treatment” at the 2018 UAlbany Women, Gender, and Sexuality (WGS) Studies conference “Resistance Knows No Borders.” Please see this link for additional information about the conference: https://www.albany.edu/womensstudies/rknb-conference.shtml.

The Third High-Level Consultation on HIV in Conservative Social Settings: "HIV, Human Rights and Sustainability: From Analysis to Action"
The Global Institute for Health and Human Rights, in collaboration with the International AIDS Society and the American University of Beirut, held its third high-level consultation on HIV in conservative social settings. The conference was funded by The OPEC Fund for International Development. The two-day conference was held from January 25 - 26. Topics included stigma reduction, effective legal and policy frameworks, health care access for migrants and refugees, delivering culturally sensitive and religion-based services, and using social and mass media to engage key populations in HIV prevention programs.

Conference Agenda

Participant Biographies

"Mohammad and the Matchmaker" Documentary Film Screening
The documentary "Mohammad and the Matchmaker" will be shown as part of the University at Albany's Sexuality Month. A discussion, facilitated by Dr. Kamiar Alaei of the GIHHR, will also be held. Thursday, February 8th, 1:30pm, Campus Center 375. The full Sexuality Month brochure can be found here.

Created by award winning producer Maziar Bahari, this film looks into the life of 47-year-old Mohammad who is looking for a serious relationship with a view to marriage who is living in Iran and also is HIV positive and follows the struggles he faces in his everyday life. Following the viewing of the film, a round table discussion will be led by Dr. Kamiar Alaei of the Global Institute for Health and Human Rights surrounding the stigma those who are HIV positive face, the differences in stigma in the U.S. and abroad, the challenges of being in a relationship and being HIV positive, and more.

Fall 2017 Newsletter
Read the Global Institute for Health and Human Right's fall 2017 newsletter here.

Dr. Kamiar Alaei and the Global Institute for Health and Human Rights, in collaboration with GIHHR co-founder Dr. Arash Alaei, are developing faculty-faculty and student-student collaborations internationally. Click here to read about about a project done in collaboration with a PhD candidate in Kazakhstan, for which the candidate received an award.

Billy Zakrzewski, a graduate student researcher at the Global Institute for Health and Human Rights, presented at the American Society of Criminology (ASC) conference. Click here for more information and photos.