Shireen Bhamani
Postdoctoral Fellow - Global Mental Health
Dr. Shireen Bhamani is an epidemiologist and nurse scientist whose work spans mental health, public health, and violence prevention. A key focus of her research is the discovery and promotion of resilience as a protective factor. Dr. Bhamani earned her PhD in Health Sciences (2023) from Ghent University (Belgium), an MSc in Epidemiology & Biostatistics (2013) and a BSc in Nursing (2004) from Aga Khan University (Pakistan). Since joining AKU over 17 years ago, she has advanced to Assistant Professor and holds a Postdoctoral Research Fellow position with Harvard Medical School Mental Health for All Lab and the Brain and Mind Institute.
As both Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator, Dr. Bhamani has secured more than USD 2 million in research funding from AKU seed grant to large scale awards through organizations such as Aga Khan University Research Council, the Department for International Development (DFID), the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Aga Khan Foundation, Right to Play Canada, and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarship.
Her portfolio includes 45+ high-impact, peer-reviewed publications that highlight cutting-edge methodologies such as psychometric validation, structural equation modelling, and actor partner interdependence analysis. Her work sheds light on how early adversities and social determinants influence long-term mental health outcomes and demonstrates how culturally tailored resilience-building strategies can help counteract these effects risks.
Her contributions have been recognized with the Best Researcher Award (2023) from AKU’s School of Nursing & Midwifery, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarship (2018–2021), the Farida Allana Research Award (2022), and the Chapter Research Award (2014) from Sigma Theta Tau’s Rho Delta Chapter.
Dr. Bhamani also holds key leadership roles: Vice President, Rho Delta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Society (2015-2017), Board Member of the Nursing Network on Violence Against Women International (2021-2023), Chair of the Aga Khan Health Board For Garden (2023-2027), Steering Committee Member, AKU-Working Group for women (2018 – 2024).
With over 17 years of teaching experience, she has designed and delivered courses including epidemiology, biostatistics, mental health nursing, nursing research and public health nursing. She has mentored 15 graduate theses and supervised more than ten research interns.
At the Brain & Mind Institute, Dr. Bhamani works with multidisciplinary teams to translate epidemiologic evidence into community-driven mental health solutions, bringing expertise in quantitative methods, statistical analysis, culturally tailored interventions, grant writing, manuscript development, and workshop facilitation, all supported by a strong international network and dedication to mentorship. For a full overview of her work, visit www.shireenbhamani.com.
