Arwa Nasir, M.B.B.S., selected for prestigious Fulbright Award

Arwa Nasir, M.B.B.S., has been selected for a prestigious Fulbright Award to teach and do research in Jordan, which is part of the Fulbright Middle East and North Africa program.

She will be working with colleagues at the department of pediatrics at the Jordan University College of Medicine in the integration of mental health in pediatric practice and will participate in clinical and didactic teaching, particularly in child behavioral and mental health.

“It is a great honor for me to be in the company of so many distinguished scholars,” said Dr. Nasir, associate professor in the UNMC Department of Pediatrics and chief of the Division of General Pediatrics. “I have been interested in child and family behavioral and mental health for the past 20 years and have been delivering specialized services to patients and their families at UNMC and internationally for a number of years as well as research in the field around Nebraska.”

While in Jordan, she will collaborate with colleagues to explore the development of culturally appropriate models of integrating mental health into pediatric practice.

“I am also hoping that my work will stimulate further work by others in Jordan and the region in this important field of study and practice resulting in improved health for children and families,” said Dr. Nasir who sees patients at Nebraska Medicine and is the immediate past president of the Nebraska Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Bradley Britigan, M.D., dean of the UNMC College of Medicine, said since the program was created over 70 years ago, Fulbright Scholars have been synonymous with outstanding scholarship and cultural exchange. “Dr. Nasir’s selection as a Fulbright Scholar is a credit to her and brings honor to UNMC. She is to be congratulated her on this tremendous accomplishment,” he said.

“Dr. Nasir’s selection to engage in the prestigious and competitive Fulbright Scholarship Program is a reflection of her dedication to children, their mental and physical health, and to education and research in medicine,” said Ann Anderson Berry, M.D., Ph.D., UNMC professor of pediatrics and chief of the UNMC Division of Neonatology. “Her work in Jordan will impact the healthcare system and improve knowledge about and delivery of mental health services by pediatricians in Omaha and across the U.S. Congratulations to Dr. Nasir on being awarded the opportunity to increase the scope of her already impactful career in primary care pediatrics.”