Did You Know? New Faculty Q&A

Mohammed Jibriel, assistant professor, department of community and global health

1. What are your research interests?

Religion and gender as social determinants of health; minority stress and mental health; HIV prevention and care engagement; emerging infectious diseases; global health security; and community-engaged participatory research.

2. What classes are you teaching at Lehigh?

CGH 002 Introduction to LGBTQ+ Health

3. What degrees do you hold and where did you earn them?

Ph.D. in Public Health (Community Health Education), University of North Carolina at Greensboro

M.Sc. in Biohazardous Threat Agents and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Georgetown University

B.S. in Cell and Molecular Biology, Queens University of Charlotte

4. What was your previous institution?

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

5. What do you enjoy most about teaching?

I love creating inclusive spaces where students feel empowered to ask questions, challenge ideas, and connect public health concepts to their own lives and communities. Seeing students grow into critical thinkers and future changemakers is the most rewarding part of teaching.

6. Why did you choose Lehigh?

Lehigh offers a collaborative, forward-thinking environment that aligns with my commitment to health equity, community engagement, and interdisciplinary public health research. I was drawn to Lehigh culture and the opportunity to help shape the next generation of public health leaders.

Michelle Thompson, assistant professor, department of community and global health

1. What are your research interests?

Social determinants of health, sleep health equity, and translational and implementation science. Specifically, I focus on psychosocial and environmental factors (e.g. social determinants of health) that impact sleep in marginalized communities. The sleep outcomes I am most interested in include insomnia, insufficient sleep, and multidimensional sleep health. My long-term research goal is to develop and implement community engaged behavioral sleep medicine interventions.

2. What classes are you teaching at Lehigh?

CGH-101 Careers in Health Studies/ POPH-104 Careers in Population Health

3. What degrees do you hold and where did you earn them?

NIH T32 Postdoctoral Scholar, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Penn Provost Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Pennsylvania

PhD, Social Welfare; minor in Women and Gender Studies, Florida International University

MS, Psychology, Florida International University

BA, Psychology, Florida International University

4. What was your previous institution?

I recently completed a NIH T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship at The Center for Translational Sleep and Circadian Science in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Whew! That was a mouthful!

5. What do you enjoy most about teaching?

I am a philomath. Teaching requires learning and this is what I enjoy most. It is through interacting with individuals who are also on the quest for knowledge that we each learn something along the way. This can be a mutually powerful experience, if you are open to it!

6. Why did you choose Lehigh?

During my job search, my mentor asked me whether I wanted to be a “'big fish in a small pond’ or a 'little fish in a big pond.'” I thought about it. I came up with, “I want to be a happy fish in a healthy pond, no matter the size.” I chose Lehigh because of the genuine and receptive energy that I experienced from the faculty, staff and even students when I interviewed with the College of Health. It was clear to me Lehigh’s intent on creating a supportive environment for all. This is exactly what I was looking for in an institution and I am looking forward to contributing to those initiatives.

Shirin Madarshahian, assistant professor, department of biostatistics & health data science, joint appointment, Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network

1. ​​What are your research interests?

My research focuses on promoting neuromodulation and developing data-centric analytical tools to support evidence-based decision-making in clinical settings. I’m particularly interested in developing data-driven methods to personalize non-invasive stimulation strategies for individuals with neurological disorders. Moreover, I build data-driven models grounded in the physical principles of motor control to gain objective insights into the neurophysiological states of individuals-both in healthy populations across the lifespan and in those with movement disorders or disabilities, such as spinal cord injury and stroke.

A core aspect of my work is the development of objective biomarkers for tracking the effects of different interventions and disease progression. To this end, I leverage IMU-based motion capture systems, wearable sensors, and force-sensing technologies to quantify motor coordination and synergistic control. These biomarkers are derived from high-density surface EMG, standard EMG, and motion data. My goal is to enhance the accuracy and personalization of neuromodulatory interventions through artificial intelligence and advanced computational methods.

Ultimately, my research aims to reshape clinical practice by making assessment and intervention more objective, personalized, and technology-driven-particularly in the context of neurorehabilitation.

2. What classes are you teaching at Lehigh?

I will be teaching BSTA 101 Population Health Data Science and BSTA 102 Population Health Data Science | Algorithms Lab.

3. What degrees do you hold and where did you earn them?

I earned my Ph.D. in Kinesiology, with a focus on Motor Control, from Penn State University, along with a minor in Statistics. I also hold a master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering with a concentration in Neuromuscular Systems, and a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering (Bioelectric branch) from Azad University of Mashhad, Iran.

4. What was your previous institution?

I was a data scientist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, department of Raphael Center for Neurorestoration.

   5. What do you enjoy most about teaching?

What I enjoy most about teaching is helping students develop a love for learning by showing them the practical applications of knowledge. I find it rewarding to witness their growth as they build skills to think more critically and creatively. I especially enjoy encouraging students to go beyond the standard basics of topics. This deeper approach is essential for navigating and leveraging AI’s potential while addressing its complex implications in education and society.

6. Why did you choose Lehigh?

Lehigh’s College of Health offers a truly collaborative environment where innovation, data science, and health come together. I was drawn to the university’s strong commitment to interdisciplinary research, its supportive community, and the opportunity to grow both as a researcher and educator in a mission-driven setting.

Qingyun Zhang, assistant teaching professor, department of community & global health

1. What are your research interests?

International counselor training, trauma and collective trauma, and counseling fffectiveness.

2. What classes are you teaching at Lehigh?

Spring 2026 - CGH 195: Mental Health Promotion & Peer Support  and CGH 317: Sex, Drugs, and Trauma

3. What degrees do you hold and where did you earn them?

Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision, Pennsylvania State University.

M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Johns Hopkins University.

4. What was your previous institution?

Pennsylvania State University

5. What do you enjoy most about teaching?

Interacting with students and witnessing the long-lasting impact of educational experience after the course ends.

6. Why did you choose Lehigh?

Lehigh provides a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for scholars from different backgrounds at work and creates a vibrant community for daily life as well. Additionally, the joint appointment by College of Health and University Counseling and Psychological Services (UCPS) also fulfill my career goal in both academia and clinical settings, furthering my work in teaching and counseling at the same time.

Rui Hua, assistant professor, department of biostatistics & health data science

1. What are your research interests?

Wearable electronics, sensor data processing, machine learning, wearable and

AI-powered digital health solutions, such as gait and balance training for patients

with neurological disorders, and remote health monitoring.

2. What classes are you teaching at Lehigh?

Fall 2025 - CSE012-011 Introduction to Programming in Python

3. What degrees do you hold and where did you earn them?

PhD, Texas A&M University

4. What was your previous institution?

Postdoc at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and Northwestern University

5. What do you enjoy most about teaching?

I enjoy being a mentor to help students find what their interest is or achieve what they want to do.

6. Why did you choose Lehigh?

I can’t agree more with the vision of Lehigh in interdisciplinary education and interdisciplinary research.