MICRO-BIO

• I am a Fulbright Scholar, researcher and published author in the fields of health psychology, public health, and behavioral sciences from Bahrain. My mission is to explore the role of stress on health in order to develop evidence-based interventions...More

  I am a Fulbright Scholar, researcher and published author in the fields of health psychology, public health, and behavioral sciences from Bahrain. My mission is to explore the role of stress on health in order to develop evidence-based interventions and improve health outcomes. My unique combination of expertise in science, research, and communications was nurtured by assisting and being mentored by some of the top international CEOs and leaders in their field, allowing me to effectively lead and manage various projects. I have led research projects, clinical trials, grants and communications for some of the top regional corporations, U.S. research institutions, and innovative biotechnology companies including Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CSULB Stress & Coping Lab, and Amydis Inc., a Los Angeles-based early stage pharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative chemistry for the detection of amyloid-associated diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Pre-Eclampsia. I have written research articles on several topics in health psychology, public health and psychiatry including oncology, decision-making in the context of healthy behaviors, quality of life and depression in aging populations and mindfulness meditation's effect on these two factors. I was invited to submit a chapter titled "Wellness in Cancer and Neoplastic Diseases" for Cambridge University Press' Handbook of Wellness Medicine. My work has been published in Nature, The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, and OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine. I have also co-edited and produced two cultural magazines, Alef magazine and London-based Sketchbook. I bring a strong base of health and wellness knowledge and advanced research training with two M.A. degrees in behavioral science and research incuding an M.A. in Psychological Research from CSULB and an M.A. in Marketing & Communications from the University of the Arts London. I also have a B.A.(Hons) in Psychology with a minor in Communications from the American University of Beirut. 

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EXPERIENCE

• King Hamad University Hospital

  • Scientific Researcher
  • Research & Ethics
  • Present

EDUCATION

• California State University Long Beach

  • Psychological Research - MA
  • August 2015 to January 2018

  Fulbright Scholar (GPA: 3.7/4) After seeing the impact of the protests on the mental and physical health of populations in Bahrain and the Middle East, this made me change my life path and go back to my passion of contributing to the community. I was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to the U.S. to study psychological research, specifically examining how psychological processes interact with physical health and disease. And there was a clear gap in this research on Arabic-speaking populations. With this in mind, for my Master’s thesis, I adapted a unique, validated stress measure that predicts illness to Arabic-speaking populations, focusing on refugees and immigrants. I won the Robert E. Thayer Scholarship for excellence in psychological research at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) for my work on Arab populations. My thesis was also published in the Arab Journal of Psychology and nominated for Best Thesis at CSULB.

• University of the Arts - London College of Communication

  • Marketing & Communication - MA
  • December 2007 to February 2009

  Dissertation topic: Bashmi, L. (2009). Applying the Theory of Planned Behavior to healthy eating in Bahraini adolescents. (M.A. Dissertation).

• American University of Beirut

  • Psychology - BA (Hons)
  • September 2002 to June 2005

  Minor: Communications, History Graduated with Distinction (GPA: 3.55/4)

Links

• LinkedIn Profile
• ResearchGate Profile