Nafisa Halim

Dr. Nafisa Halim, MA, PhD, is a distinguished applied sociologist whose work centers on designing and evaluating interventions to enhance pregnancy and childbirth outcomes, particularly for women with a history of intimate partner violence (IPV). As a respected faculty member at the Boston University School of Public Health, Dr. Halim has cultivated a robust research portfolio focusing on IPV and its various impacts, especially in developing countries. Her latest research delves into the effects of antenatal sickle cell disease screening on IPV in central India's sickle cell belt, examining how this screening can affect intimate relationships and gender dynamics during pregnancy. Dr. Halim's academic journey began at the University of New Mexico, where she earned her MA and PhD in Sociology, alongside an MA in Economics, graduating with distinction. She further refined her expertise in gender, family dynamics, and global health through postdoctoral training in Social Demography at Emory University. Over the years, she has spearheaded and contributed to numerous research initiatives on IPV, ranging from documenting its impact on maternal mental health to developing and assessing gender-training interventions aimed at violence prevention. Notably, she led a cluster randomized controlled trial in Tanzania, evaluating the effectiveness of gender-training interventions for men and community leaders to improve attitudes towards women and reduce IPV perpetration. Dr. Halim's research is global in scope, with significant projects in South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia. She has explored public-private partnerships in Bangladesh to assess their influence on primary schooling outcomes, investigated the link between maternal education and child survival in Nepal, and studied the impact of IPV on child nutrition in Liberia. Her work in systematic reviews has shed light on the connections between IPV and maternal mental health, contributing to a broader understanding of how violence affects women's physical and psychological well-being during and after pregnancy. Since joining BUSPH in 2011, Dr. Halim has collaborated on numerous large-scale clinical trials and program evaluations in countries such as Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda, Kenya, Vietnam, South Africa, and Bangladesh. She has partnered with leading organizations like the World Health Organization, with her research funded by prestigious agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and the United States Agency for International Development. Beyond her academic accomplishments, Dr. Halim serves as an Associate Editor for PLOS One and PLOS Global Public Health, contributing to the global health discourse. Dr. Halim's work has been extensively published in high-impact journals, including Demography, Social Science & Medicine, BMJ Global Health, and PLOS One. Her research is characterized by an interdisciplinary approach, leveraging her background in sociology, economics, and public health to address complex issues related to IPV, gender-based violence, and maternal health. Throughout her career, she has remained committed to employing evidence-based interventions to foster meaningful improvements in women's health outcomes, with a particular focus on marginalized and vulnerable populations.