Breaking the Silence in Academia: A Call to Heal the Research Ecosystem

December 2024 Sondos Al Sad “You can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.” Jodi Picoult It’s both frustrating and heartbreaking to witness how much of academia’s potential is wasted due to inadequate communication and the silent battles fought within its walls. Over the years, I’ve encountered countless stories of researchers—both […]

Mental Health: Reclaiming the Language

November 2024 Sondos Al Sad “Stigma is a process by which the reaction of others spoils normal identity.” Erving Goffman When we talk about the “stigma” of mental health in the Muslim community, we often overlook a crucial factor: the healthcare landscape itself. Instead of addressing the root issues, we focus on superficial solutions, using […]

From Inquiry to Impact: Sharing Research with Purpose

October, 2024 Sondos Al Sad “Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose” Zora Neale Hurston Research has become central to both my personal and professional life. Over time, I’ve learned to recognize the quality of public information and the logistics of sharing it effectively, especially since often the research landscape […]

Equity-focused research resources

Sondos Al Sad Welcome to my bookmarked list of research resources. If you’re like me—on a quest for minority-focused research—these are some essential resources I frequently turn to: Muslim Health Research: Women’s Health Research: Community Health Research: I continue to update this list as I learn more.

Overcoming Barriers to Minority Research: Lessons from My Journey

September, 2024 Sondos Al Sad “Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought” Albert Imre Szent-Györgyi It’s not uncommon for me to hear—whether from collaborators, students, peers, or even my own research—”I can’t find much literature about minorities.” This recurring challenge may feel overwhelming, but every […]

Suicide, Muslims, and Censorship

September, 2024 Sondos Al Sad “These mountains that you are carrying, you were only supposed to climb.” Najwa Zebian For Muslims, September carries a unique weight. It is both Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and a reminder of the negative labels that threaten their lives daily. Suicide remains a taboo subject for many Muslims, in part […]

From Struggle to Revolution: Empowering Women Today

August, 2024 Sondos Al Sad  “Perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it.” Albus Dumbledore At first hesitant to watch Harry Potter, I soon found myself captivated. Reflecting on why it resonated, I realized all women face daily battles akin to Harry’s fight against dark magic. One that […]

Healthcare Bias and the Palestinian Cause

Unveiling Prejudices Against Muslims July, 2024 Sondos Al Sad “Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future, and renders the present inaccessible” Maya Angelou In the labyrinth of healthcare, where compassion and equality are meant to reign supreme, the burden of biases weighs heavily, particularly for Muslims. The tax of stereotypes, an […]

Weaponizing Food vs. Wasting It

June, 2024 Sondos Al Sad “He is not a believer whose stomach is filled while his neighbor goes hungry” Prophet Muhammad PBUH In our world of abundance and scarcity, who would have thought that food could be a double-edged sword sharply injuring our moral existence? On edge is weaponizing food as a means of control […]

Free Palestine: Global Healing

Sondos Al Sad “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story” Maya Angelou I was summoned to co-present in a workshop on the vital role of advocacy in primary care. It seemed I was chosen for this task due to a case study that hit close to home: Gaza. Gaza the story that […]