Syeda Jesmin
Dr. Syeda S. Jesmin is a Professor of Sociology at the University of North Texas at Dallas. With a Ph.D. in medical sociology and a background in public health (MPH), her scholarly interests center on policy-relevant research in social determinants of health, the “upstream” factors, such as social disadvantages and social inequalities that play a fundamental causal role in population health and health disparities. She conducts research that informs policymakers to better serve disadvantaged communities, at-risk populations, and racial and ethnic minorities.
Dr. Jesmin has been PI on grant awards totaling more than $1M. Her current grant award HOPE is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA, $625,000, Year 2022-2027). With this Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT) grant, she has been implementing a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training program in the DFW Metroplex. With a recently completed grant award (Garett Lee Smith Suicide Prevention Grant, SAMHSA, $303,000; Year 2019-2022), Dr. Jesmin led a suicide prevention program named STRONG.
Her work is interdisciplinary and spans several disciplines including sociology, public health, criminal justice, gender studies, and social psychology. She is committed to the production of new knowledge and health interventions that could be useful at local, national, and international levels. Her work has appeared in journals including Substance Use & Misuse, Archives of Sexual Behavior, Aggressive Behavior, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Violence and Victims, Culture, Health & Sexuality, Women & Health, Health Care for Women International, Journal of Comparative Family Studies, and Educational Gerontology.
With new course development and consistently high teaching evaluations, Dr. Jesmin is rated excellent in the area of teaching. Courses she teaches include Sociology of Health and Illnesses, Sociology of Mental Health and Illnesses, Culture and Health, Issues in Urban Health, Health Behavior in the Social Environment, Social Stratification, and Sociology Capstone.
Dr. Jesmin believe that she has social accountability and civic responsibility to engage with the community on issues of public relevance. She has presented and served as Chair, Panelist, and Keynote Speaker, at national and international conferences, and served as an Expert Reviewer for NSF and Canada’s top research granting agency Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Her scholarly achievements and community engagements have resulted in invitations to give academic talks and interviews with the media.
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