About

“History is a narrative; it’s a collection of stories sanctioned by the ruling power, and reinforced through words and images that suit them. That was the whole point of taking on history painting: to authorize these moments that have been swept under the rug for generations.” – Kent Monkman, Canadian First Nations artist and Fish River Band member

My career is like halo-halo — a colorful mix of rich experiences 🍨 I started in microfinance and international relations in East Africa, transitioned into health policy and management, and have spent the past 10 years supporting local and state governments in civic tech and public health. I’ve collaborated with teams at the Pima County Health Department, New York State Department of Health, City of Los Angeles, US Digital Response, and more.

Today, I’m a researcher at the Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation, where I advise and train local governments on using human-centered design to develop solutions that advance climate resilience. 🌿

I’m also a proud Crown Prince International Scholar from Bahrain 🇧🇭 and a doctoral student (DrPH) in Health Equity and Social Justice at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public health. 🎓 My research explores what drives—or prevents—city and county governments in the U.S. from implementing equitable nature-based solutions (NbS) like urban tree planting and wetland restoration to improve environmental and health outcomes.

🏛️ Through my previous consultancy, Jumana Design, I helped governments, nonprofits, and startups design and launch equitable health products, services, and policies. Highlights of my work include:

  • Integrating equity-focused research practices for a state health department, resulting in multistate hackathons that boosted employee engagement and collaboration.
  • Improving COVID-19 vaccination communication for a state board of health to foster trust and transparency with its residents.
  • Advising a $4M federal grant to improve health literacy and vaccine uptake among pregnant Latina/e/o communities.

Previously, I served as Lead Human-centered Design Advisor at Pima County Health Department and supported 13+ government partners at U.S. Digital Response during the COVID-19 pandemic. I’m also an active member of communities such as Statisticians without Borders, DataKind, and Climate Action Tech. 🌍 And I advocate locally with Citizen’s Climate Lobby.

Outside of work, I live in sunny southern California ☀️ with my husband and two very loving cats. 💌 Always happy to connect—don't hesitate to reach out to me!

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