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Dr Yamma Khalid Aria

A head and shoulders photo of Yamma Khalid Aria

Dr Yamma Khalid Aria (MPH, MBBS)

Research Assistant in Public Health
E: y.aria@bsms.ac.uk
Location: Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Watson Building, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9PH

Areas of expertise: Global Public Health; Health Systems Strengthening; Forced Migration and Health; Applied Health Research.

Methods: Quantitative Research; Statistical Analysis (STATA, SPSS); Mixed Methods; Qualitative Health Research; Public Health Program Implementation.

Research interests: Health impacts of migration; Tobacco control; Maternal and child health; Mental health among displaced populations.

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Biography

Dr Yamma Khalid Aria is a public health researcher and clinician with cross-cultural experience in clinical medicine, public health programming, and global health research. Originally trained in Clinical Medicine in China, he later pursued a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) and is completing a PhD in Health Sciences at the University of York, where his research focuses on the mental health effects of forced migration.

He previously worked with Jhpiego (an affiliate of Johns Hopkins University) on USAID fundedinitiatives in Afghanistan, where he contributed to maternal and child health programming and health systems development. Due to the political crisis in Afghanistan, he was forced to flee and continue his academic journey in the UK.

Dr Aria brings to Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) a unique combination of field-based programmatic experience and advanced research training, with a passion for research that bridges evidence and policy in global public health.

Research

Dr Aria’s research spans global public health, forced displacement, and tobacco control. His doctoral work examines the psychological toll of forced migration through a mixed methods approach. His recent work has involved complex data analysis on health outcomes in migrant populations.

He is currently contributing to a Cancer Research UK–funded project evaluating the use of non-cigarette tobacco products through secondary data analysis and collaborative research dissemination with colleagues at University College London and the University of Waterloo.

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Teaching

Dr Aria has teaching experience as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of York, where he supported postgraduate modules in statistical analysis. He has delivered lab-based teaching in regression methods and provided guidance to students on data analysis using STATA and SPSS.

He aims to build students’ confidence in technical skills by creating engaging, hands-on learning experiences.

Selected publications

Three first-author manuscripts currently in preparation, focusing on:

A European Lens on Migrant Mental Health Outcomes: A Secondary Data Analysis.
Mapping the Evidence on Perinatal Mental Health Among Forced Migrants: A Scoping Review.
Resettlement Policies and Their Implications on Health: A Policy Review.