Our Team

Principal investigator

Mansha Mirza leads the ASIAAN project.

Dr. Mirza is an Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Illinois Chicago. She is a licensed occupational therapist with doctoral training in disability studies and postdoctoral training in health services research.

Her research and scholarship focus on addressing health and rehabilitation disparities for underserved populations, with special attention to refugee and immigrant communities. She has more than 50 publications related to her scholarship, including peer-reviewed papers and book chapters.

email: mmirza@uic.edu

Co-principal investigator

Sumithra Murthy co-leads the ASIAAN project with Dr. Mansha Mirza.

Dr. Murthy is a Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Disability and Human Development at the University of Illinois Chicago. She is a mixed methods researcher with doctoral training in disability studies and extensive experiences in research management of multiple multi-year center-based research projects, advanced statistical applications, grant writing, implementation of IRB policies and procedures, and mentoring students in research projects.

Her research and scholarship focus on addressing health disparities for underserved populations, with special attention to people with disability and minority communities, and developing culturally appropriate interventions and programs.

email: smurthy@uic.edu

Project Coordinator

Maya coordinates the ASIAAN project and serves as a research specialist on the team.

Maya received her Master’s in Public Health from the University of Illinois Chicago concentrating on Community Health and Global Health. She has a wide range of community engagement and non-profit development experience having worked with social service organizations locally and abroad.

email: mbhowm2@uic.edu

Research assistant

Andrea is a registered Occupational Therapist from India, is pursuing her Post-Professional Doctorate of Occupational Therapy at the University of Illinois Chicago. Has experience working with underserved populations through non-profit program management and consultation, as well as acute inpatient settings in hospitals.

email: aceles3@uic.edu

Co-investigator

Dr. Yochai Eisenberg is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Disability and Human Development at the University of Illinois at Chicago and affiliated researcher at the Great Lakes Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Center.

He studies the ways in which policies, systems, and environments impact community mobility, transportation use, and health among people with disabilities. His research has contributed to better understanding the implementation of ADA transition plans for the pedestrian infrastructure in the US, rideshare use and satisfaction among people with disabilities, and accessibility of environments that support healthy, active living for all.

Dr. Eisenberg is currently the Research Chair for the Transportation Research Board’s Committee on Accessible Transportation and Mobility, where he enjoys working with disability advocates and researchers to enhance the impact of disability and transportation research. Dr. Eisenberg’s interdisciplinary work reflects his training in public health (PhD), urban planning (Masters) and disability studies and is interwoven in his undergraduate course that explores the links between disability and urban planning.

email: yeisen2@uic.edu

Co-investigator

Dr. Hasnain is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Disability and Human Development and the Undergraduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Illinois Chicago. She also serves as an Honors College Faculty Fellow, a LEND faculty mentor to graduate and postgraduate disability fellows, and the capstone coordinator for DHD’s undergraduate Service Learning Program.

She is a community-engaged educator and researcher with doctoral training in special and inclusive education, community psychology, and rehabilitation counseling.  Her research and scholarship focus on addressing the needs and assets of underserved immigrant and refugee populations.

She has a long history of engaging in community-university partnerships that focus on challenging cultural stigmas; advocacy and access; narrative advocacy and storytelling; and quality-of-life agendas pertaining to disability and mental health across all age groups. Dr. Hasnain serves on numerous boards and committees and has presented and published extensively on disability and social justice issues.

email: roosheyh@uic.edu

Co-investigator

Dr. Hsieh holds the position of Research Associate Professor in the Department of Disability and Human Development at the University of Illinois Chicago, where she also serves as Associate Director in the Institute on Disability and Human Development. She  leads the Evaluation and Public Policy Unit. Additionally, she plays a crucial role as a LEND faculty member, offering mentorship to LEND fellows.

Her research and scholarly pursuits are primarily centered around health promotion within community settings, addressing health disparities, identifying health risk factors among adults with developmental disabilities, and conducting program evaluations. Dr. Hsieh’s interdisciplinary approach reflects her diverse training in fields such as community health, epidemiology, nursing, human development, and disabilities.

email: hsieh@uic.edu

Co-investigator

Dr. Lee is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Illinois Chicago. She is a licensed occupational therapist with clinical experience in adult neurological and cognitive rehabilitation.

Her current scholarly interests include integrating theory to enhance occupational therapy education and practice, self-management for people with chronic conditions, and promoting wellness and participation among aging populations. Most recently she is assisting with the development of evidence-based community programming for caregivers of people with dementia.

email: jenlee22@uic.edu