Who We Are

Rupa Patel MD, MPH
Chair

Rupa is the director of the Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Program for HIV Prevention at Washington University School of Medicine, a CDC-funded technical assistance hub for HIV service providers in the Midwest. She plays an active role as member of the World Health Organization (WHO) Technical Advisory Group for HIV prevention implementation and is a health adviser for Jphiego and Friends in Village Development Bangladesh.

Dr. Patel served as an expert medical forensics documenter with Physicians for Human Rights in Bangladesh. She is a St. Louis Business Journal 40 Under 40 Honoree and was recognized with the Ethic of Service Award from Washington University in St. Louis in 2019.

Fatima Paruk MD, MPH

Fatima is the Chief Medical Officer at Allscripts. Dr. Paruk provides medical leadership to a world-class team to develop, design and deploy predictive models to improve population health. Dr. Paruk is also physician and public health specialist who has been extensively involved in health systems and global surgical initiatives. Using a big data approach, she and her team have made ground-breaking discoveries in the progression of prediabetes. Additionally, Dr. Paruk works to identify gaps in care and promote hospital quality improvement worldwide and remains committed to disaster response. Dr. Paruk has been recognized as one of the Most Powerful Women in Health IT by E&Y and Health Data Management and named one of Becker’s Rising Stars Under 40.

Ziauddin Ahmed MD, FACP
Treasurer

Ziauddin Ahmed is a Professor of Medicine at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia. He is American board certified in 5 specialties including internal medicine, nephrology, critical care medicine, geriatric medicine and clinical hypertension. He served as medical director of Dialysis Clinic, Inc. and president of the medical staff at Medical College of Pennsylvania.

He is the chairman of the health committee of the Bangladesh Environmental Network, vice president of Distressed Children and Infant Organization, and founding member and past president of Bangladesh Medical Association of North America. Dr. Ahmed has led medical teachers’ trainings in Bangladesh for many years, and he established a non-for-profit dialysis center in Sylhet. He has been recognized by the Red Crescent Society of Bangladesh for his contributions to improving health care in Bangladesh.

Lauren Fischer MSW
SEcretary

Lauren is a specialist in global and cross-cultural mental health, focusing on both program development and service delivery. She has worked in various capacities in the nonprofit sector in St. Louis, MO and served as Assistant Director of Hope Renewed International in Guatemala until 2016, where she was involved in a university-coordinated response effort providing psychosocial support to displaced landslide survivors.

Ms. Fischer currently resides in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, working in partnership with Friends in Village Development Bangladesh to develop mental health programming initiatives.

Razee Bazle
Executive Director, FIVDB

Hasan Chowdhury
Assistant Executive Director, FIVDB

Aimee James, PhD MPH
Social Behavior Specialist

Katrina Troy, MA
Humanitarian Response
Case Management Advisor

Jordan Hughes
Education Advisor

Rahul Shidaye, PhD
Psychiatry & Mental Health Implementation Expert

Julia Zigman
Gender Programs Advisor

Ben P. Cooper, MPH
Data Analyst & Video Production

Rumi Price, PhD
Mental Health &Epidemiology Expert

Kim Furlow
Theater & Media Specialist

Kate Curoe, MPH
Research Volunteer

Sadhana Matheswaran
Administrative Intern

Brian Kamusinga
Environmental & Mechanical Engineer

Stuart Federman, PharmD MBA
Pharmacist & Program
Management