Sajid Iqbal, PhD Scholar and an alumnus of The AKU School of Nursing and Midwifery, AKU-SONAM (BScN '07, MScN '13) has successfully defended his PhD thesis, titled "Culturally-Tailored Smoking Cessation Interventions for Patients with Smoking-Related Health Risks in Karachi, Pakistan: A Mixed Methods Approach." The defense, held on campus, marked a significant milestone for the School, Sajid being the first male and only the second graduate of PhD in Nursing from AKU.
Under the guidance of his thesis supervisor, Dr Rubina Barolia, Professor and Assistant Dean at AKU-SONAM, Sajid explored culturally sensitive strategies to address smoking cessation among individuals facing smoking-related health risks in Karachi. His chosen mixed methods approach aimed to bridge the gap between evidence-based interventions and the cultural nuances prevalent in the local context.
“Sajid's work holds promise for informing policy and practice in smoking cessation interventions, with the potential of contributing to improved health outcomes for smokers in Pakistan and beyond. As his thesis supervisor, I am overjoyed and really proud of how far he has come," commented Dr Rubina Barolia.
The thesis defense was chaired by Dr Rumina Hasan, Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at AKU-MC, in the presence of Dr Zahra Hasan, Director, PhD in Health Sciences, AKU; Dr Laila Ladak, Lead for the PhD Nursing Stream; Dr Tazeen Saeed Ali, Interim Dean, AKU-SONAM, among other senior faculty and staff members.
“The successful defense of his PhD thesis not only underscores his own academic prowess but also highlights AKU's role as a leading institution in groundbreaking research. We hope to see more and more PhD in Nursing graduates from Pakistan in the future as this is crucial for the advancement of the profession and better policy-making," said Dr Tazeen Saeed Ali.
“As Sajid embarks on the next chapter of his academic and professional journey, his achievements serve as an inspiration to aspiring researchers and healthcare professionals, reaffirming the impact of generating research in the local context!" remarked Dr Laila Ladak, the stream lead of AKU's PhD in Nursing programme.
Dr Iqbal is currently serving as Assistant Professor and Head of Exam Cell at the Shifa College of Nursing, Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, Islamabad.