This profile is part of a series to highlight the researchers who will be honored at a ceremony on Nov. 14 for UNMC’s Scientist Laureate, Research Leadership, Distinguished Scientist and New Investigator Award recipients.
New Investigator
The New Investigator Award is given to outstanding UNMC scientists who in the past two years have secured their first funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense or other national sources. New investigators also had to demonstrate scholarly activity, such as publishing their research and/or presenting their findings at national conventions.
- Name: Shireen Rajaram, PhD
- Title: Associate professor, Department of Health Promotion, UNMC College of Public Health
- Joined UNMC: 2009
- Hometown: Chennai (Madras), India
Describe your research focus in three words or less:
Gender-based violence and brain injury
Why is research important in the world today?
Public health research and practice enable us to take a systematic and scientific approach to better understand and address real-world problems that affect people, especially those in disenfranchised communities. Research helps us be collaborative, innovative and open to new ways of thinking and solving problems. Through critical thinking, informed decision-making and the advancement of knowledge, we can improve the lives of people locally, regionally and globally.
My research will make a difference because:
There is very little awareness of the fact that survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) are at high risk for brain injury due to one or more hits to the head, neck and face and attempted strangulation. Brain injury can have short- and long-term consequences on IPV survivors’ well-being and quality of life.
IPV survivors are more likely to reach out for help from community-based organizations providing IPV-related support services.
Using implementation science, this project will provide insights into how strategies to increase screening of brain injury and referral to support services can be effectively integrated into the workflow for IPV-serving community organizations using a participatory approach.
Comprehensive screening of brain injury among IPV-serving community-based organizations and timely neurorehabilitation interventions, such as referral to and receipt of evidence-based approaches, have the potential to mitigate the impact of IPV-related brain injury and aid women in the recovery process.
The best advice I’ve ever received is:
Meet people where they are.
Something you may not know about me is:
I played basketball for my university and state in India.
Congratulations Dr. Rajaram!
Congratulations, Shireen, on this well-deserved recognition—your dedication to health promotion is truly inspiring!
Congratulations, Shireen. This is a well-deserved honor for a dedicated public health researcher. Best wishes!