LAHORE: Dr Rubeena Zakar, Associate Professor of Public Health at Institute of Social and Cultural Studies, University of the Punjab has been appointed as Executive Director Student Advancement Fund Endowment (SAFE) on the recommendations of the PEP Foundation, New York.
Dr Rubeena has a distinguished career as a physician, public Health expert and women rights activist. She earned her PhD from Bielefeld University, Germany (2012) with Suma Cum Laude (Latin expression meaning “highest academic distinction”), Master in Population Sciences (Gold Medal) from Punjab University (2006), FCPS in Gynecology (2001) and MBBS from Sindh Medical College, Karachi (1998). She also won prestigious German Fellowship from Boell Foundation and two best dissertation awards from German organisations (2012). She worked as a resident gynecologist at Jinnah Post Graduate College, Karachi and Sheikh Zaid Hospital, Lahore. She was also associated and worked as adjunct faculty in the Department of Public Health Medicine, Bielefeld University, Germany. Dr Rubeena is prolific writer and influential social scientist. Her research interests include gender-based violence, women’s health in developing countries, health inequalities, and women’s rights in cross cultural perspective. Her research has been published in flagship scientific journals and in international conference proceedings. She has published more than 30 research articles in international impact factor journals, including Journal of Adolescents Health, Journal of Pediatrics, American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Journal of Maternal and Child Health to name a few. Dr Rubeena’s magisterial work on the intersection of violence and its public health consequences has been published in International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Journal of Violence Against Women, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, and Journal of Family Violence.
Dr Rubeena has excelled in conducting research projects sponsored by recognised international institutions, including the World Bank, SDPI, UNICEF, and Care International. She has acted as focal personfrom Pakistan for “Cross-cultural research on Violence and Development” sponsored by BMZ Germany. Currently, she is working on WHO funded project on “Development of Curricula on Health Equity and Human Rights for Healthcare professionals”. Dr Rubeena has also been instrumental in developing and strengthening collaborative arrangements between Punjab University and universities from the United Statesand Germany. —Staff Report