FOCUS
Mahader is dedicated to advancing health and justice in underserved and historically marginalized communities globally. Her research focuses on mental health disparities, particularly community-based interventions that address the structural forces driving these disparities. Utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methods in epidemiology, Mahader investigates how structural determinants, including racism, poverty, housing, community violence, migration, and trauma influence mental health both across the life course and intergenerationally. She envisions research that translates beyond academia to transform the world around us.
MORE ABOUT MAHADER
An epidemiologist rooted in social theory, Mahader seeks to affect change in communities from which she came and beyond. She believes interdisciplinary, reflective, and transformative leadership is necessary for this change. She looks forward to building and learning with her fellow HPRS scholars toward a more just and equitable world.
DISSERTATION GRANT AWARDEE — SUMMER 2022
Assessing the Impact of Structural Racism on the Mental Health of Birthing People
There is a growing body of work examining the health effects of structural racism as a consciously and unconsciously coordinated, cross-institutional system. Leveraging California state-wide data on over 11 million births spanning 20 years (1997-2018), this project seeks to add to the growing body of work by systematically investigating the relationship between area-level markers of structural racism and mental health outcomes (depression and anxiety) of birthing people. Findings from this project can inform interventions that move beyond solely buffering individual-level experiences of discrimination toward additionally reducing institutional discrimination through policy-level changes.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE HPRS DISSERTATION AWARDS, CLICK HERE.
