Mona Arora, PhD, MsPH Dr. Arora has over ten years of experience in disaster preparedness and resilience. Her research focuses on building community resilience to global “wicked problems,” including pandemics, disasters, and climate. She works collaboratively across sectors and with community partners to understand current challenges in addressing heat risk and vulnerability. Her current projects include developing rural heat resilience across Arizona communities and understanding the impacts of medications on heat-related risks. Dr. Arora has served on several national committees, including the Lancet Countdown U.S. Policy Brief Working Group, National Adaptation Forum Program Committee, and the National Association of City and County Health Official’s (NACCHO) Workgroup on Global Climate Change.
Sofia Forier-Montes, MS Ms. Forier-Montes is an avid dirt lover who studied farming just so she could grow delicious things to eat. She managed a non-profit farm in Tucson for several years, implementing a 2-acre no-till system and growing a wide range of tasty vegetables for donation to local food pantries. When it was time for a career change, she became a grant consultant and has worked with various small farms, rural communities, and tribal organizations throughout the state. She is deeply interested in the nexus of local food movements, sustainability, and environmental health.
Abdul Tawab Kawa Saljuqi, MD, DrPH, MPH Dr. Saljuqi has 20 years of experience in global public health and trauma systems and specializes in geriatric trauma and fall prevention. He leads several research projects focused on reducing fall-related injuries among older adults and serves as a Co-Investigator on the Arizona Falls Prevention Integrated Network. His interdisciplinary work integrates clinical research, policy advocacy, and community engagement to enhance care for aging populations. As an Adjunct Lecturer at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, he also mentors students and contributes to training the next generation of public health professionals in injury prevention and health equity.
Bridget S. Murphy, DBH, MEd Dr. Murphy also works with the U of A’s Arizona Center for Rural Health and Comprehensive Center for Pain and Addiction. She has more than three decades of education and experience in public and behavioral health. Dr. Murphy has had positions in academic institutions, community-based, and private sector organizations. She has a doctorate in behavioral health and a master’s in education. Her principal expertise is in substance use and related issues (e.g., pain/trauma, infectious diseases) prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery for culturally and linguistically diverse populations in various settings. Dr. Murphy prioritizes addressing stigma and including people with lived experience by using adult learning principles and strength-based approaches.
Zhao Chen, PhD, MPH Dr. Chen has been focused on epidemiologic research of women's health and aging-related health conditions. She has a wealth of experience in studying body composition assessments, breast cancer risk factors, fracture risk in cancer survivors, osteoporosis prevention, epidemiology of anemia, biomarker and genetic variations for chronic diseases and sarcopenia measurements among women and elderly from different ethnic backgrounds. She is a member of the Arizona Cancer Center, Arizona Center on Aging, Arizona Arthritis Center and Bio5. She is a funded researcher by the National Health Institute (NIH), and has served on numerous scientific study sections for the NIH and other funding agencies nationally and internationally. Dr. Chen also has an affiliated faculty appointment with the School of Anthropology.
