University of North Texas 
First, tell us a little about yourself. 
I am a medical doctor trained in public health and preventive medicine.
Why did you choose to study public health?
I like to improve the health of populations and address the underlying socioeconomic
determinants that affect health, and public health is the best field to do that.
What are your main areas of research, and why did you choose those specific areas?
Global Health, Heath Policy, Health Systems Research, Health Economics and Financing.
Most of my work is focused on global health especially financial access barriers to
care since the level of insurance coverage in developing countries is low and thus
the means to pay for healthcare is less. I chose this specific area to research because
addressing this would help in removing access barriers to millions of people.
What do you enjoy most about teaching?
I love to interact with students and in sharing my experiences and real-world examples
in public health across different countries.
What do you hope your students gain from your courses?
I would like them to gain a broader understanding of public health as a social science.
What did you do before pursuing a career in academia, and why did you decide to pursue
higher ed instead?
I worked as a physician and later in public health agencies such as the WHO and CDC
before moving into academia.
When you’re not teaching, what do you enjoy doing?
I love playing tennis, travelling and swimming. I have two dogs.
Do you have any fun facts that others may not know about you?
I chose public health over a general surgery residency.