“My work does not only come from a place of intellectual curiosity, but also shared grief”: Dr. Zoha Salam’s Journey as the Second Global Health Doctoral Program Graduate

Dr. Zoha Salam completed her PhD in Global Health this Spring of 2024, a remarkable achievement that makes her the second graduate of McMaster University’s PhD program in Global Health. Her journey as a racialized first-generation immigrant and student, marked by dedication and a profound commitment to addressing systemic inequities, serves as a note of admiration to many hoping to follow in her footsteps. Dr. Salam’s research primarily focused on the disparities in access to mental health care services among racialized immigrants and refugees in Ontario, Canada. Her work critically examined the influence of the immigration and mental healthcare systems. This past week, Dr. Salam sat down with Yusra Naqvi, a student in the M.Sc. Global Health program, to discuss her research, experiences, and future aspirations. 

Research Insight: Dr. Salam’s PhD research investigated the structural and social determinants of mental health care services in Ontario. Her work examined how these influence mental health care service usage among racialized immigrants and refugees. Her research committee, comprising experts from diverse fields, provided valuable guidance and support. Dr. Salam’s work under the supervision of Dr. Ameil Joseph allowed her to have the racially and culturally safe space she needed to complete her work.

Critical Findings: Dr. Salam’s research highlighted critical insights into how the immigration and mental healthcare systems interact to produce vulnerabilities for racialized immigrants and refugees which limit their access to psychosocial services. Key findings include the recognition of cultural and medical forms of racism, the inadequacy of one-size-fits-all approaches in mental health services, and the necessity of systemic reform in both immigration policies and healthcare services to improve access to care.

She developed the Navigational Insights for immiGrant mental Health Access and Treatment (NIGHAT) Framework (named after her mother) as a conceptual framework to expand the conversation on understanding service design, delivery, and access by attending to both systemic and individual factors – and emphasizing that this broad population should not be treated as a monolith.

Future Aspirations and Continued Commitment: With her PhD now completed, Dr. Salam is set to embark on a new chapter in her academic and professional journey. She will be taking a postdoctoral fellowship position at McGill University in the Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry. Additionally, she will be starting her Master of Social Work to further integrate clinical practice with her research. Her goal is to bridge the gap between policy, research, and practical applications in mental health for racialized immigrants and refugees.

A Legacy of Dedication and Endurance: Throughout her journey, Dr. Salam appreciated the flexibility of the Global Health program at McMaster as a working professional with various pursuits. She has a career in the Ontario government as a senior-level policy professional, leading work on youth related sectors by improving equity in services, programs, and policies. She serves as an expert on various research advisory committees related to health equity. She also is an adjunct professor, teaching HTHSCI 3RH3 Racism and Health and her own module (The Master’s Tools: Scientific Inquiry and Intersectionality) in the Health Sciences Praxis Pathways Curriculum. She concurrently completed a Graduate Diploma in Community Engaged Research and Evaluation through the School of Social Work at McMaster. Lastly, she has supervised MSc Global Health students every year for their Major Research Paper.

Dr. Zoha Salam’s graduation from McMaster University’s PhD program in Global Health is a testament to her dedication and commitment to health equity. Her critical research, professional achievements, and future aspirations reflect her profound impact on furthering the dialogue on research related to her communities. As Dr. Salam embarks on her postdoctoral journey at McGill University, the global health community eagerly anticipates her continued contributions to the field, inspired by her remarkable journey.