Research, Evaluation, & Ethics Committee

Society members launched their first committee – with a mission of fostering refugee health research among Society members and acting as a source of research expertise and support for the broader refugee health community. Selected committee members include professionals representing an array of specialties, including a cohort of refugee health experts who also identify as previously resettled refugees.

Join this committee

Research Evaluation and Ethics Committee

Collaborative Impact
Work alongside dedicated professionals to drive meaningful change in refugee and immigrant healthcare through shared expertise and innovative ideas.
Professional Growth
Enhance your skills and knowledge by contributing to important projects, gaining experience, and learning from peers in the field.
Leadership Opportunities
Take on leadership roles within the committee, influencing the direction of healthcare initiatives and shaping policies that matter.

About the Research, Evaluation, & Ethics Committee

Learn about our mission, our vision, and download the committee charter (updated September 2025). Resources and our leadership and members are below.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Research, Evaluation, and Ethics Committee is to foster refugee health research among members of the Society of Refugee Healthcare Providers and to act as a source of research expertise and support for the broader refugee health community.

Committee Vision

The vision of the Research, Evaluation, and Ethics Committee is to create a refugee health evidence base and to support data driven program creation and evaluation in order to improve refugee health outcomes for refugee children, families, individuals and communities.

Committee Charter

Learn more about our objectives.

Download the Committee Charter

Publications / Presentations

Examples

Some example publications and presentations that represent collaboration among committee members are listed below.

Publications

Hauck, F. R., & Brown, C. (Eds.). (2021). Immigrant Health, An Issue of Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice, E-Book (Vol. 48, No. 1). Elsevier Health Sciences. https://www.primarycare.theclinics.com/issue/S0095-4543(20)X0005-4
Zhang, M., Gurung, A., Anglewicz, P., Subedi, P., Payton, C., Ali, A., Ibrahim, A., Haider, M., Hamidi, N., Atem, J., Thang, J., Wang, S., Kim, C., Kimball, S.L., Karaki, F., Nazhat, N., Abouagila, M., & Yun, K. (2021). Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine among refugees in the United States. Public Health Reports, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1177/00333549211045838
Payton, C., Kumar, G.S., Kimball, S., Clarke, S.K., AlMasri, I., & Karaki, F.M. (2021). A logic model framework for planning an international refugee health research, evaluation, and ethics committee. Health Promotion Practice. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248399211035703
Payton, C. & Kumar, G.S. (2023). Planning an international refugee health research, evaluation, and ethics committee. Sage Perspectives. https://perspectivesblog.sagepub.com/blog/research/planning-an-international-refugee-health-research-evaluation-and-ethics-committee

Presentations

Payton, C., Kumar, G.S., Kimball, S., Clarke, S.K., AlMasri, I., & Karaki, F. Strategic planning for refugee health research: Prioritizing activities for a research, evaluation, and ethics committee. Workshop at the 2021 North American Refugee Health Conference; 2021, September 11, virtual.
Zeidan, A., Brewer, S., Payton, C., Dawson-Hahn, B., Agrawal, P., & Talavlikar, R. Future directions and priorities for Refugee Health Research: Building a roadmap. Workshop at the 2022 North American Refugee Health Conference; 2022, June 23, Cleveland, OH.
Aultman, J., Zaaeed, N., Atem, J., Whiting-Collins, L., Payton, C., & DiVito, B. Applying cultural humility to an ethical review of refugee research. Workshop at the 2022 North American Refugee Health Conference; 2022, June 24, Cleveland, OH.

Logic Model

Download the logic model to learn more about our strategic plan for the SRHP Research, Evaluation, and Ethics Committee.

Note. Logic model template derived from Taylor-Powell, E., & Henert, E. (2008). Developing a logic model: Teaching and training guide. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin-Extension, Cooperative Extension, Program Development and Evaluation.

Need Assistance from the Committee?

Complete a Research Collaboration Form to request assistance from the Research, Evaluation and Ethics Committee.

You can also apply for a free consultation with the Refugee Review Board who can provide feedback and advice about your research proposal and/or health program to ensure it is inclusive of refugee voices.

Leadership & Members

Committee Chairs

Colleen Payton, PhD MPH CPH MCHES
Associate Professor of Public Health
Moravian University

Pooja Agrawal, MD MPH
Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine
Yale University

Research Agenda Subcommittee Chairs

Elizabeth Dawson-Hahn, MD MPH
University of Washington

Sarah Brewer, PhD MPA
Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine, ACCORDS
Associate Director, Colorado Children’s Outcomes Network (COCONet)
University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus

Ethics Subcommittee Chairs

Tim Holland, MD MA CCFP(EM)
Head, Department of Bioethics, Dalhousie University
Medical Lead, Newcomer Health Clinic, Nova Scotia

Najah Zaaeed, DrPH LMSW MPA CHES®
Assistant Professor, Department of Health Promotion and Wellness State University of New York, Oswego

Refugee Review Board

Anisa Ibrahim, MD, University of Washington
Dunya Moghul
Farduus Y Ahmed, MSW
Hiwot Weldemariam
Ibrahim Almasri, MD
Jacob Atem, PhD, MPH
Mahri Haider, MD, MPH
Masood Habib
Matilda Rial, MBBS, MPH
Mohammed Abdullah
Mohammed Almashhadani
Nadege Mudenge
Noor Flanagan Almusahwi
Ola Alani, MS, Stanford University
Yensy Zetino
Yusef Al-Molieh, MSC, University of Toronto

Members

Pooja Agrawal, MD MPH
Yale University

Mohammed Almashhadani, DrPH(c) MS
Mercer University & CDC

Ibrahim AlMasri, MD
University of Calgary

Jacob Atem, PhD MPH
Southern Sudan Healthcare Organization

Julie M. Aultman, PhD
Northeast Ohio Medical University

Sophia Bazini-Barakat
University of California, Berkeley

Melanie Bisnauth-Brachfogel, PhD MSc
University of Witwatersrand, African Centre for Migration and Society, South Africa

Sarah Brewer, PhD MPA
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Elizabeth Dawson-Hahn, MD MPH
University of Washington

Brittany DiVito, MPH FNP-BC
Valleywise Health/District Medical Group

Lisa H. Gren, PhD MSPH
University of Utah

Ali Hasan, MBBS ECFMG
Primary Medical and Dental Care (PMDC)

Fern R. Hauck, MD MS
University of Virginia

Tim Holland, MD
Dalhousie University

Anisa Ibrahim, MD
University of Washington

Mariel Jung, MBS
Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine

Fatima Karaki, MD
University of California, San Francisco

Heval Kelli MD
Georgia State University School of Public Health
Twitter: @hevalkellimd
Website: www.hevalkelli.com

Sarah Kimball, MD
Boston University School of Medicine

Sahar Mahmoud, MD PhD
Sandals Translation Services

Jennifer McQuaid, PhD MA
Yale Center for Asylum Medicine & Williams College Dept. of Psychology

Amin Meghdadi, BHSc
Queens University

Amir Mohareb, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School

Darya Moosavi, PhD MS
University of Washington – Fred Hutch Cancer Center

John Bosco Nizeimana, PhD
YMCA of Greater Houston – International Services
Africa Center for Strategy and Policy-Leadership and Governance Lab

Colleen Payton, PhD MPH CPH MCHES
Moravian University

Duncan Reid, MD
Harborview Medical Center; EthnoMed

Altaf Saadi, MD MSc
Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital

Ranjani Shah, WHNP-BC RN
NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing

Elizabeth Singer, MD MPH
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Rachel Talavlikar, MD CCFP cTropMed
Mosaic Refugee Health Program
University of Calgary

Tra Tran
Refugee Community Partnership

Lillian Whiting-Collins, PhD MSPH
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Karin Wachter, MEd PhD
Arizona State University

Mark L. Wieland, MD MPH
Mayo Clinic

Sarah Yeo, PhD MPP
University of Arizona

Najah Zaaeed, DrPH LMSW MPA CHES
State University of New York, Oswego

Amy Zeidan, MD
Emory University School of Medicine