SHE Center Staff, Collaborators, and Partners

Program Founder and Director

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Navid Madani, PhD, is a Senior Scientist in Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, with appointments at Harvard Medical School in the Department of Microbiology and the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine. Madani’s research emphasizes HIV/AIDS, drug discovery, and development of a woman-controlled microbicide to halt HIV transmission. She uses a multidisciplinary approach to find preventive measures to inhibit HIV-1 transmission. Her studies have led to the biochemical characterization of two classes of small molecules that bind HIV-1 gp120 and inhibit HIV-1 entry. Currently, she is the principal investigator on a study that is optimizing the application of a CD4-mimetic small-molecule inhibitor of HIV-1 infection as topical microbicides.

View a video describing Madani's HIV research

Madani has applied a deep knowledge of research- and scientific-based approaches to public health projects in the areas of cancer and infectious diseases in the MENA region. The SHE Center was born out of her past decade of work in the region — bringing together crucial stakeholders within key populations.

Postdoctoral Fellows

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Ru’a Rimawi, MD, is a Palestinian physician and researcher who earned her medical degree from Al-Quds University in Jerusalem, Palestine. Dr. Rimawi is a member of the Palestinian Neuroscience Initiative (PNI) and the founder of PALs (Pediatric Research, Alliance, and Leaders) at Stanford and Al-Quds. PALs is the first initiative dedicated to establishing pediatric research infrastructure in Palestine. Having been an integral part of the SHE team for several years, she assumed her role as a SHE-DFCI postdoctoral fellow in September 2023. Driven by a profound commitment to global health equity, Dr. Rimawi’s work focuses on evaluating health inequities that contribute to oncological disparities in the MENA region, with a particular emphasis on the pediatric population. Her dedication extends to enhancing healthcare access and delivery to the most vulnerable populations.

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Kourosh Morshedy, MD is a physician who graduated from Kashan University of Medical Sciences in Iran in 2021. After graduation, he worked as a general practitioner in hospitals and clinics affiliated with the University. He also served as a research assistant in biochemistry, studying nutrition and metabolic diseases at the Institute for Basic Sciences at Kashan University of Medical Sciences. Currently, he is engaged in research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's SHE Center. His work focuses on the MENA region, aiming to improve access to cancer care and raise awareness about cancer prevention and early detection, thereby addressing critical gaps in healthcare services in the region.

SHE Collaborators

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Bram Wispelwey, MD, MS, MPH is a medical school graduate of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel, where he received the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Achievement from 2012–2014 and the Carmi Margolis Award for top clinical performance among graduating students. He is co-founder of Health for Palestine, a community-based health program focused on chronic diseases and trauma that serves thousands of patients and their families in three refugee camps in the West Bank. In 2021, Dr. Wispelwey co-founded the Palestine Program for Health and Human Rights at the Harvard FXB Center, which he co-directs in a collective leadership model with four other colleagues from Israel, Palestine, and the U.S. 

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Fardad Doroudi, MD has been the Country Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS) in Iran since 2009. His academic background has been enriched with additional studies in public health, clinical trials, and business administration. Since he joined the United Nations in 1999, he has served in the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), World Food Programme (WFP), and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in different capacities, all in challenging environments. His work history is prominently highlighted in certain areas, particularly inspirational leadership, effective advocacy, significant resource mobilization, reflective mediation and conflict resolution, result-based programming, and precise monitoring and evaluation. His multifaceted work in a very conservative environment to reduce stigma and discrimination towards people living with HIV is one of the most notable ones.

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Reem Al-Ajlouni is a public health leader and health economist with experience in social development, health policy, and program management. Currently serving as the Director of the Jordan Breast Cancer Program at the King Hussein Cancer Foundation and Center, Reem has led numerous high-impact projects promoting healthy living and disease prevention. Reem's career includes pivotal roles such as Health Project Management Specialist at USAID, National Health Officer at UNICEF, and Program Coordinator at Médecins du Monde/France. Reem holds a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Jordan and a master’s in health economics from the University of South Wales. Her extensive expertise, strategic vision, and exceptional communication skills made her a valuable advocate for global health and social development.

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Noor Bader, PhD is a Palestinian researcher and writer focused on deconstructing feminine oppression within the sociology of everyday life in Palestine. In 2020, she published a book titled "Engineering Oppression: Policies of Controlling Silent Bodies" with the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation. In 2023, she produced a documentary titled "The Edge of Death: In the Face of Adversity; Palestinian Women Afflicted with Breast Cancer." Noor has numerous research studies and has participated in many Arab and international conferences.

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Mollie Marr, MD, PhD is a resident physician and scientist in adult psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital. Her research focuses on the intergenerational transmission of childhood trauma and trauma-informed care. She has been invited to give grand rounds on trauma-informed care in critical care settings and hematology and oncology based on her work on trauma-informed care and its implementation across diverse service settings. She is currently completing training to serve as a psychological evaluator for the Massachusetts General Hospital Asylum Clinic at the Center for Global Health. Additionally, she is a research consultant for work on youth mental health projects in Thailand and Uganda focusing on underserved communities.

Global Partners

  • Mohammed VI Polytechnic University – Ben Guerir, Morocco
  • King Hussein Cancer Center – Amman, Jordan
  • Jordan Breast Cancer Program, King Hussein Cancer Foundation – Amman, Jordan
  • Sultan Qaboos University – Muscat, Oman
  • Augusta Victoria Hospital – East Jerusalem, Palestine

Learn More About the SHE Center

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Education and Training

Using mentorship and educational capacity-building tools for scientific research and care, we are training the best and brightest individuals within the MENA region as the next generation of leaders in health care and policy.

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Research

The SHE Center facilitates collaborative research specific to the MENA region – addressing key health gaps through cutting-edge research, with the goals of better understanding and ultimately reducing the region's disease burden.

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Events and Advocacy 

The SHE Center frequently hosts, sponsors, and promotes special events and projects throughout the United States, the Middle East, and North Africa, including Teatime with SHE and SHE Walks.