UNCG Alumna Wins Award to Reduce Refugee Health Disparities

Posted on August 09, 2015

Dr. Huaibo Xin, UNCG PHE Alumna

Dr. Huaibo Xin, UNCG 2010 (DrPH, Community Health Education), and currently Assistant Professor in the Department of Education, Health, and Human Behavior at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, has won the Vaughnie Lindsay New Investigator Award in support of her research efforts among Bosnian refugees in and around St. Louis, Missouri. St. Louis is home to a large Bosnian population with many entering the community as refugees. Refugees are often at high risk of mental health disorders because of pre- and post-immigration traumas; these traumas can include health disparities, inequality, war, and religious prosecution. With limited studies on efforts to improve refugees’ mental health, Dr. Xin hopes to contribute to this field. She is focusing on using strategies involving physical activity, which have been found effective in improving mental health overall.

The Vaughnie Lindsay New Investigator Award is given to faculty members whose research or creative activities have the promise of making significant contributions to their fields of study, their respective school/department and to SIUE in general. Dr. Xin will use the award as part of an ongoing Community-Based Participatory Research (CBRP) project. Ultimately, Dr. Xin hopes to reduce traumatic experiences among the current Bosnian refugees as well as future generations. The one-year $12,500 award is given by the Southern Illinois University Graduate School and School of Education, Health and Human Behavior Department.

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