Research Experience
This page is a portfolio of my research experience. It provides insights into project insights, skills used, and relevant deliverables. This serves as a comprehensive overview of my achievements and qualifications, to ensure that I am the best fit for any job opportunity. I have also included a blog section to share relevant graduate projects, my lived experiences, and discussions of pressing environmental challenges pertaining to marine and coastal systems and the complex interactions between humans and nature.
01
Climate Change and Public Health
Research exploring the public health impacts of climate change by identifying vulnerabilities in Washington coastal communities, and comparing proximal and distal factors to understand how resilient strategies can be streamlined to inform long-term sustainability.
Skills: Implementation Science Framework • Interdisciplinary & Intersectional Assessment • Literature Reviews • Scientific Writing
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September 2022 - Present
02
Tourist, Local, and Broker Perceptions of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Gazes, Ultra-Artifacts, and Hyperreality
An exploratory study to develop insights on concepts of tourist gazes, ultra-artifacts, and hyperreality by delving into processes and interactions between brokers, locals, and tourists within natural and built environments in the Emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates using a mixed-methods research design.
Skills: Tourism Management & Development • Scientific Writing • Survey Instrument Development • Content Analysis • Semi-structured Interviews
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September 2021 - February 2023
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03
Coastal Tourism Sustainability in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: Environment, Protected Areas, and Culture
An exploratory study to understand the concept of sustainability at the intersection of local communities, coastal tourism, and marine protected areas in Abu Dhabi through a mixed-methods research design comprising interviews and social survey with tourism brokers, locals, and tourists.​
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I collaborated with a variety of stakeholders to develop recommendations for sustainable coastal tourism practices and shoreline management that account for the interactive processes between coastal ecosystems, socio-ecological resiliency, and sustainable economic development while considering equity, space specificity, and diverse demographics in coastal zone management programs. The study also develops insights on coastal tourism processes and stakeholder interactions across social, cultural, political, economic, and environmental factors impacting sustainability.
Skills: Statistical Methods • Mixed-Methods Research • Qualitative Data Collection & Analysis • Quantitative Data Collection & Analysis • Survey Instrument Development • Scientific Writing • Content Analysis • Semi-structured Interviews • Sustainable Tourism Management • Community Engagement • Data Visualization • Stakeholder Engagement • Institutional Review Board (IRB) Processes
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September 2020 - June 2022
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04
Convention on Biological Diversity: Sustainable Development of Small-Scale Fisheries
Assisted in the development of guidelines to include small-scale fishers and indigenous communities in the equitable co-management of local coastal environments and resources in India under the guidance of Dr. Ramya Rajagopalan.
The project included conducting literature reviews of marine protected areas management schemes internationally, and community-centered approaches for coastal zone management, in efforts to develop programmes, targets, and commitments on aquatic, marine, and coastal biodiversity. Using scenario planning and illustrative examples to account for diverse contextual factors, the Handbook aims to help fishing communities understand the important links between biodiversity and human rights capabilities in small-scale fisheries sectors.
The project also involved developing an action plan comprising recommendations to engage indigenous and fisher communities in coastal resource management, habitat restoration, and nature-based solutions through just, equitable, and sustainable strategies at national and international scales.
Skills: Marine Protected Areas Research & Management • Fisheries Research & Management • Ocean & Coastal Governance Frameworks • Local Ecological Knowledge Systems • Climate Change Science • Policy Analysis • Literature Review
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September 2020 - March 2021
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05
Scripps Institute of Oceanography
Research Areas: Marine Microbial Diversity, Population Dynamics, Food Webs, Ocean Chemistry
Assisted Dr. Farooq Azam's research on understanding temperature sensitivities on the formation and functioning of bacterial nanotubes for intercellular linkages and ocean nutrient cycling.
Skills: Cell Culturing • Media Preparation • Scientific Writing • Image J Software • Fluorescence Microscopy • Confocal Microscopy
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November 2018 - May 2020