Dr. Aqsa Shaikh
MBBS, MD (Community Medicine)
Professor, Department of Community Medicine
Reg. Number: DMC-66477
emailtoaqsa@gmail.com
About
Dr. Aqsa is a Community Medicine with interest in Covid-19 surveillance, vaccination and research. She has keen interest in medical education technology and medical humanities. She is India’s first and only Nodal Officer of a Covid Vaccination Centre. Aqsa has penned numerous books on subject matters besides contributing essays and chapters. She also blogs on issues of social interest.
Area of Interest
- Medical Education
- Medical Humanities
- Transgender Medicine
- Covid-19 Vaccines
Educational Qualifications
| Degree | Year | Name of College & University | Registration Number | Date of Registration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MD | 2010 | Seth GS Medical College MUHS, Nashik | DMC-66477 | |
| MBBS | 2006 | Seth GS Medical College MUHS, Nashik | DMC-66477 |
Details of Teaching Experience
| Designation* | Institution | From | To | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professor | HIMSR, New Delhi | 19-01-2024 | Present | |
| Associate Professor | HIMSR, New Delhi | 22-06-2020 | 18-01-2024 | 3 Years, 6 Months |
| Assistant Professor | HIMSR, New Delhi | 07-11-2016 | 21-06-2020 | 3 Years 7 Months |
| Lecturer | HIMSR, New Delhi | 26-02-2015 | 06-11-2016 | 1 Year 9 Months |
| Demonstrator | HIMSR, New Delhi | 22-08-2013 | 25-02-2015 | 1 Year 6 Months |
Publications
- Lavalekar, E., D’souza, S., Raghuram, H., Dongare, N., Khan, M. A., Likhite, C., Mahajan, G., Chowdhury, P., Shaikh, A., Bandewar, S. S., Singh, S., & Bhan, A. (2025). Adapting the WHO BeSD COVID-19 Survey to Examine Behavioral and Social Drivers of Vaccine Uptake Among Transgender, Intersex, and Disability Communities in India. Vaccines, 13(11), 1095.
- Km A, Singh S, Maroof KA, Shaikh A. Educating for Equity: Implementing Trans-Affirmative Competencies in Physiology Curriculum. Advances in Physiology Education. 2025 Aug 13
- Jabeen R, Shaikh A, Gautam R, Nabi N, Sultana E, Bano A. A Multifaceted Analysis of Self-Medication With Antibiotics in South-East Delhi: A Mixed-Method Study Among Adults Who Self-Reported Antibiotic Use in the Past Three Months. Cureus. 2025 May 22;17(5):e84623. doi: 10.7759/cureus.84623
- Habib SA, Roy S, Shaikh A. Prevalence of gynaecological morbidities and their association with sociodemographic factors among women aged 18-49 years attending outpatient clinic of an outreach center of a medical college in Delhi. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care 14(5):p 1695-1701, May 2025.
- Khanna HN, Roy S, Shaikh A, Chhabra R, Uddin A. Impact of probiotic supplements on behavioural and gastrointestinal symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorder: A randomised controlled trial. BMJ Paediatrics Open. 2025 Mar 4;9(1):e003045.
- Islam F, Alvi Y, Gautam R, Shaikh A, Panda M, Thakur A, Pathak R, Sharma V, Jiloha RC. Sexual Harassment among Female Healthcare Workers, its Consequences and Barriers in Seeking Help in India’s Health Sector. Indian Journal of Community Medicine.:10-4103.
- Obedin-Maliver J, Ochu E, Zhong F, Shaikh A, Hanna JH, Foley E. Pride in STEM worldwide. Cell. 2022 Aug 18;185(17):3070-2.
- Aditya Bhat, Farzana Islam, Aqsa Shaikh, Knowledge, attitude, and practices of barbers regarding blood borne viral infections in south-west district of Delhi, Indian Journal of Forensic and Community Medicine, Year-2022, Volume: 9, Issue 4, 162-168
- Raghuram H, Parakh S, Chidambaranathan S, Tugnawat D, Pillai V, Singh S, Singh S, Shaikh A and Bhan A (2023) Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of transgender persons in India: Findings from an exploratory qualitative study. Front. Glob. Womens Health 4:1126946. doi: 10.3389/fgwh.2023.1126946
- D'souza S, Ghatole B, Raghuram H, Parakh S, Tugnawat D, Shaikh A, Singh S, Bandewar SS, Bhan A. COVID-19 Vaccine decision-making: trust among the transgender and disability communities in India. Journal of Communication in Healthcare. 2024 Apr 10:1-0.
- Raghuram H, D’souza S, Ghatole B, Singh S, Shaikh A, Bhan A and Sheel Bandewar S (2024) “Gender-mainstreaming” in immunization must be inclusive of transgender and gender diverse people. Front. Glob. Womens Health 5:1338409. doi: 10.3389/fgwh.2024.1338409
- D'souza S, Ghatole B, Raghuram H, Sukhija S, Singh S, Shaikh A, Bandewar SS, Bhan A. Understanding structural inequities in Covid-19 vaccine access and uptake among disability, transgender and gender-diverse communities in India. Vaccine. 2024 Aug 8:126174.
- Nagral S, Duggal R, Singh S, Shaikh A. The public healthcare system must be a priority for India’s new government. bmj. 2024 Jul 15;386.
- Khanna HN, Roy S, Shaikh A, et al. Emerging Role and Place of Probiotics in the Management of Pediatric Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2022;12(2):102–108.
- Raghuram H, Parakh S, Tugnawat D, Singh S, Shaikh A, Bhan A. Experiences of transgender persons in accessing routine healthcare services in India: Findings from a participatory qualitative study. PLOS Global Public Health. 2024 Feb 29;4(2):e0002933.
- Singh FH, Islam F, Shaikh A, Pathak R, Kohli S, Kashyap V. A Randomized controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of group-based Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) program on glycemic control and self-care activities among type-2 diabetics in South-East Delhi. Indian Journal of Community Health. 2022 Sep 17;34(3).
- Dudeja M, Shaikh A, Islam F, Alvi Y, Ahmad M, Kashyap V, et al. Assessment of Potential Risk Factors for COVID-19 among Health Care Workers in a Health Care Setting in Delhi, India – A Cohort Study. medRxiv 2022.02.28.22271674; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.02.28.22271674
- Dudeja M, Sharma P, Islam F , Shaikh A, Singh FHD, Alvi Y, et al. A hospital-based prospective cohort study to assess the factors associated with transmission dynamics of SARS CoV-2 among healthcare workers in Delhi. F1000Research. 2022; 11:728 https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.110298.1
- Singh S, Chakraborti K, Shaikh A. Intersex/Differences of sexdevelopment: Human rights at the intersection of cure and care. Indian J Med Ethics. Published online first on August 25, 2022. DOI: 10.20529/IJME. 2022.064
- Shankar P, Rajaraman BK, Shaikh A, Patel P, Nannapaneni A, Sharma S, Sharma R, Sarkar A, Pemde H. Decolonising gender in India. The Lancet Global Health. 2022 Feb 1;10(2):e173-4.
- Jain A, Shaikh A, Malhotra K. Handshake habit amongst medical practitioners, need to abandon and embrace an alternative: analytical study in view of COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health. 2020 Jun;7(6):2352.
- Shaikh Z, Panda M, Gaur D. Acceptability of low-priced, socially-marketed sanitary napkins amongst non-users of sanitary napkins in a slum population of Delhi. International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health. 2019; 6(4): 1754-9.
- Shaikh Z . Legal and ethical considerations in posting clinical images on social media. Research & Humanities in Medical Education. 2019; 6: 43-8.
- Panda M, Pathak R, Rasheed N, Shaikh Z, Islam F. Unmet need and nonacceptance of usage of contraceptive devices in a Rural Area of Delhi: An exploration of facts. Nigerian Medical Journal. 2018 Jul 1;59(4):39.
- Shaikh Z. Transgender-friendly Medical Colleges and Hospitals: a Dream Worth Chasing. The Indian Practitioner/ 2018; 71(12): 33-5.
- Shaikh Z, Rupani M. Acceptability of Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision among Indian Men: An Online study. Scholars Journal of Applied Medical Sciences, 2017; 5(3F):1137-41.
- Shaikh Z, Pathak R. Revised Kuppuswamy and B G Prasad socio-economic scales for 2016.International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health. 2017;4(4). 997-9.
- Parashar M, Dwivedi S, Agarwalla R, Kishore J, Shaikh Z. Risk factors for cardiovascular diseases among male workers of building construction site in Delhi. J Clin Prev Cardiol [serial online] 2017 [cited 2017 Aug 21];6:99-103
- Pathak R, Chaudhary C, Agarwalla R, Shaikh Z, Goel R, Patvegar B. A community-based case–control study to investigate the role of iron deficiency in the persistence of goiter. Indian J Endocr Metab. 2016; 20:517-22
- Shaikh Z, Pathak R, Kapilashrami MC. Misuse of social media marketing by alcohol companies. Journal of Mental Health and Human Behavior. 2015; 20(1):22-7
- Shaikh Z.Knowledge of Reproductive Health and HIV among School Going Adolescents of Mumbai, Indian Journal of Youth and Adolescent Health.2014;1(3):36-42.
Research Work & Projects
- Qinship: A project focused on elderly in the queer community. Funded by School of Law, Williams Institute, UCLA. 2023
- iHEAR Doctors for Equity: Making medical education in India LGBTQIA+ Affirmative. 2023. Funded by Direct Aid Program, Govt of Australia.
- DiCC 2.0: Disability Inclusive Compassionate Care 2.0 - Making Rights Real: Training of the Trainers to teach Disability Competencies in Universities in India and the US. Funded by University of Chicago
- Kiphart Project: Creating a pool of first-person narratives of queer persons interaction in healthcare. Funded by University of Chicago
- VaccinEquity 2.0: To expand the BeSD framework and survey to understand the drivers and barriers of adult vaccination for transgender, intersex and disability communities. Funded by Sabin Vaccine Institute.
- iHEAR RainbowMed: Making medical education in India LGBTQIA+ Affirmative. 2023. Funded by US Consulate, Mumbai
- TransNet Project: Experiences of precarity, safety, and violence on online platforms for TNBGD (trans, non-binary, and gender-diverse) persons in India with different intersectional identities funded by the Association for Progressive Communication and Feminist Internet Research Network.
- AffirmCare: Empowering healthcare providers in Kerala to deliver LGBTQIA+ affirmative care, funded by the US Consulate, Chennai.
- iHEAR TransMHPrep: To understand and document the experiences of Mental Health Professionals and Civil Society Organizations in providing mental health support for trans and gender diverse individuals during the Covid-19 pandemic to inform best practices to ensure mental health related pandemic preparedness for TGD persons. Funded by Gender and Public Health group
- Integration of Maternal Infant and Young Child Nutrition in Undergraduate Curriculum – Funded by Alive and Thrive, FHI360, 7 Lacs (2018-2019)
- Training of Community Service Providers on Health Promotion- Funded by United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees – BOSCO, (Amount: 60,000) 2014
- Assessment of Potential Risk Factors for COVID-19 among Health Care Workers in a Health Care Setting in Delhi, India – Funded by WHO, , Amount: 10 lacs, Dec 2020-Jun 2021
- An interventional study to assess impact of behavior modification therapy versus brief advise for tobacco cessation among adult tobacco users residing in a resettlement colony of Delhi. Funded by ICMR, Amount: 8 Lacs Dec 2020-May 2022
- An epidemiological study of sleep-related disorders and its association with cardiovascular risk factors in the adult population (30-69 yrs.) of South Delhi. Funded by ICMR, Amount: Rs 50,000 2019-2022
- A Randomized Controlled Trial to assess the effectiveness of group-based Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) program on glycemic control, self-care efficacy and quality of life in individuals with Type 2 Diabetes, Funded by ICMR, Amount: Rs 50,000 2018-2021
- Community-based Sero-surveillance and incidence of Dengue among residents of South Delhi, India, Funded by THSTI, Dec 2020- Dec 2022, Amount: 3.8 Lacs
- Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Group, Multi-Centre Phase II/III Adaptive Clinical Trial to Assess the Safety and Immunogenicity of Gam-COVID-Vac Combined Vector Vaccine (Sputnik V) for SARS-Сov-2 Infection in Indian Healthy Subjects, Study Duration: January 2021 to July 2021, Status: Ongoing, Amount: Approximately Rs. 3 Lacs, Funding Agency: JSS medical Research India Pvt Ltd
- Transgender persons’ experiences in navigating and accessing healthcare during covid-19 in India: an exploratory qualitative research Ongoing, Amount: Rs 11 lacs, Funding Agency: The Thakur Foundation
- Community-based Development of Trans-affirmative health Education in India Amount: $30,000, Funding Agency: Provost’s Global Faculty Awards, University of Chicago, July 2021-Jun 2022, https://sangath.in/transcaremeded/
- A cross sectional study to assess perception and proportion of sexual harassment among working women in health sector of India: an exploration of facts. Funded by ICMR
- Structural Inequities in COVID-19 Vaccine Access and Uptake among Transgender and Disability Communities in India: A Qualitative Study through Intersectionality Lens. Funded by Sabin Vaccine Institute. Ongoing: $50,000
- iHEAR peers for equity: A peer-led and peer-focussed participatory capacity building initiative for evidence-based advocacy among disability and LGBTQIA+ communities in India, by Sangath and SAATHII. Funded by The Giving Back Fund, US. $70,000
- TransCare Queer Ambassador Program: A sensitization drive towards LGBTQIA+ affirmation and inclusion across Indian health professional school campuses. Amount: $ 30,000, Funding Agency: Provost’s Global Faculty Awards, University of Chicago, July 2022-Jun 2023.
Membership of Academic Bodies Societies
- Life Member and Joint Secretary of Delhi Branch, Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine (L-4279)
- Life member and General Secretary, Association of Muslim Doctors
- Advisor in Residence: LedBy fellowship incubated at Harvard University
- Member, World Professional Association of Transgender Health
- Life Member, Indian Public Health Association (L/2016/DEL/7314)
- Life Member, Indian Association of Adolescent and Youth Health (326/DL/2015)
- Life Member, Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine (L-4279)
- Life member, Indian Professional Association for Transgender Health
- Life Member, Society for Menstrual Disorders and Hygiene Management (34023)
- Life Member, Society for Menstrual Disorders and Hygiene Management (34023)
- Life member, Association of Muslim Doctors
Invited Talks and Lectures
- Panelist at SNDT Women’s University’s International Conference on Education on the panel ‘Breaking Stereotypes: Role of Media in Inclusion’ on 10th January 2025
- Panelist at India’s Queer Futures hosted by Godrej DEI Lab at Mumbai on 4th February, 2025
- Panelist at screening and discussion of Trans Dudes with Lady Cancer at LGBTQIA+ Centre, Delhi on 1st February
- Organised and Facilitated Food Safety Workshop on 20th January 2025 at HIMSR
- Facilitated session on Health needs of Queer communities: at the Intersection of Health, law, and human rights at training course on "Gender Based Violence and Human Rights for Promoting Women's Health" at NIHFW on 17th February 2025.
- Delivered a talk on - Effecting changes in the medical curriculum for the implementation of Gender Affirmative Care at IPATHCON 2025 on 3rd June 2025
- Facilitated Panel Discussion on - Integrated Public Health Action Linking Environment, Communities, and Care at Conference on Dengue on 5th June 2025, Delhi
- Delivered a talk on Reproductive Health of Transgender People at "National - Level Multidisciplinary TOT on Transgender Care" organized by SRM College of Nursing, Chennai
- Facilitated session on - Emotional Interventions and Addressing our internal biases: Internalized Homophobia, Biphobia and GNB – Transphobia as a part of Queer Youth Leadership Course by Keshav Suri Foundation at Lalit School of Hospitality, Faridabad on 29th April 2025
- Delivered a talk as part of Foundation programme at IIT Gandhinagar on 14th August 2023
- Moderator and Panelist at Quality Equity and Inclusiveness initiative launch event at IIT Delhi on 26th August 2023
- Moderated panel Discussion at national Sensitization Workshop on Holistic Psychosocial Wellbeing Module for LGBTQIA+ Communities organized by NIMHANS and UNDP on 28th August 2023 at Bangalore.
- Expert Resource Person at Workshop on Healthcare & Gender Equity: Emerging Dimensions, Policies, Impact & Way Forward organized by Gender Impact Studies centre, Impact and Policy Research Institute and Centre for Ethics, Mangalore on 31st August 2023.
- Delivered a talk at MAMC Dialogues 2023 on 5th September 2023 at Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi
- Participated as Panelist in International Conference on Shared Decision Making among Vulnerable Groups at University of Chicago centre, New Delhi, from 16-17 March 2019 and spoke about Shared Decision making in contexts of LGBTQIA+ health
- Organiser & Speaker at 1st International Conference on Transgender Health, 1-2 Nov 2019 at Jamia Hamdard, Delhi
- Delivered a Talk on Making Medical College and Medical Curriculum Trans-inclusive at IPATHCON2019 at Jamia Hamdard on 1st Nov 2019
- Participated as faculty in the Pre-Conference Workshop on Menstrual Hygiene Management, on 21st November 2019 at VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, as part of 26th Annual Conference NARCHI Delhi
- Attended as a Panelist (on LGBT Issues) at Harvard US India Initiative Conference 2020 at Mumbai on 3rd January 2020
- Panelist at Youth Jamboree: Youth of India solving their queries with experts, organsied by Rajshree medical Research Institute and Hospital, Bareilly alongwith Society for Menstrual Disorders and Hygiene Management on 11th August 2020
- Speaker in Webinar on Gender-Friendly Healthcare Facility organized by Association for Transgender Health in India on 15th August 2020
- Panelist, 8th National Bioethics Conference, by FMES, December 2020
- Delivered Lecture on Blueprinting in Assessment in pre-Conference Workshop on Assessment in Medical Education – PSI-SAAP 2021 Conference
- Speaker in Global Scholars Symposium in the panel Multiple Marginalisations on 13th June 2021, organized by Rhodes and Gates Scholars from Univ of Oxford & Cambridge.
- Panelist At Science Gallery Bengaluru’s Panel Discussion on “Unpacking Covid-19 from evidence to Action” on 4th June 2021
- Panelist in xSDG Unconference on 31st August 2021 for the panel “How can global health programs be more inclusive?” organized by Belongg, Dalberg, J-PAL and Breakthrough India.
- Speaker at Emerging Issues in Sexual and Reproductive Health of Transgender Persons, organized by SAATHII and QKnit on 18 July 2021
- Speaker at National Conference on Transgender Physiology organized by Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College and Hospital, Tamil Nadu on Public Health issues of Transgender community on 5th Sept 2021
- Panelist at Confluence 2021: LGBTQ+ Inclusivity in Healthcare Education organized by KEM Hospital Mumbai on 8th September 2021
- Speaker at Sisters’ Living Conference on The LGBTQIA+ Community and Suicide Prevention on 11th Sept 2021
- Speaker at IIT Kharagpur, Amber, Sexual and Gender Diversity support group, on 5th September 2021
- Speaker at Virtual course in Gendering Medical Education by CEHAT on 24th September 2021
- Speaker at Refresher Course in Gender Studies organized by The Human Resource Development Centre, Jamia Milia Islamia on 28th September 2021
- Speaker at Panel Discussion on Body as Data at Love, Sex and Data Conference on 7th October 2021.
- Speaker at Foundation Course for School of Unani Medical Education and Research on 21st October 2021
- Speaker at Panel Discussion on Gender Inequities at EFICON, on 30th October 2021
- Speaker at NSS Students orientation to diet in pregnancy organized by SUMER, Jamia Hamdard on 31st October 2021.
- Speaker at Dissemination Workshop for WHO funded Unity Studies on 11th November at HIMSR
- Panelist at CME – Gender Dysphoria in Children – The crux of current management, on topic – The impact of stigma on Transgender identity development and mental health at MAMC on 13 November 2021
- Speaker at Asia Professional Association of Transgender Health Conference held on November 18-19 on Panel – Access to Covid-19 Vaccines amongst Transgender and Hijra Communities in India.
- Participated in Panel Discussion on Clarifying the gender lens for mainstreaming gender in medical education At Centre for Ethics, Yenepoya University, Mangalore on 20 November 2021
- Speaker at symposium on “Transgender Health: Towards Equity & Social Justice” organized by Department of Physiology, UCMS on 23rd November 2021 on the topic: Recognising our Unconscious Prejudices to bring change.
- Chairperson in Panel Discussion on LGBTQIA+ health education and training in medical, nursing and related fields 0n 10th December at 2nd LGBTQI+ Health Conference, Delhi
- Panelist at 5th Transform Conference 2021 by Centre for Law and Policy Research at Bangalore on 12th December 2021 – Sexual and Reproductive Health of Queer Persons
- Speaker at 8th AMDCON 2021 Conference on Challenges in Covid-19 Vaccination for Minority Communities
- Panelist at PsyCov-22: National Seminar on Psychological Impact of Covid Pandemic on 11th February. Panel Discussion on Queer-Trans Perspectives on Psychology research in the time of covid, University of Calicut
- Speaker at 2nd Transgender Summit 2022 – Talk on gender Affirmation Surgery for Trans persons, organized by Alliance India
- Speaker at AIIMS Bhopal on 5th March 2022 – A step towards inclusion: Sensitizing medical students and faculty on Trans and Disability inclusion
- Talk on Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare in India: Trans Rights and Reproductive Justice at NLIU Bhopal on 5th March 2022
- Invited Lecture on Unlearning and Learning Transgender Issues-Rights and Wrongs. Central University of Kashmir, Green Campus, Ganderbal, on 14 March 2022
- Panel Discussion on Career Guidance for School Students organized by Department of Education, Government of Delhi on 29th March 2022
- Online Workshop on Trans-inclusive Health Research conducted in association with Sangath India on 31 March 2022
- Moderated a Panel on Transgender Doctors at National Transgender Conference at Delhi, May 5-6 2022
- Talk with Pinkishe Foundation on Menstruation on 10th May 2022
- Facilitated a session on Education for Transgender Students for National Institute for Social Defense, 13 May 2022
- Panelist on Trans Inclusion at Workplace at Global Summit on Diversity, Inclusion and Equity on 16th May 2022 at Delhi
- Panelist on Epidemic Ethics on 16 May 2022 for The Global Health Network
Workshops/ CMEs/ Conference Organised
- Organized and Participated in the Workshop on Theater of the Oppressed: Reclaiming Humanity in Medical Education at HIMSR on 15-16 March 2019
- Organizing committee member, ISARCON 2015, HIMSR, Jamia Hamdard Organized and Attended CME on Diagnosis and Management of Depression and Anxiety Disorders on 7th April, at HIMSR, Jamia Hamdard
- Facilitated Sessions at Basic Course in Medical Education organized by HIMSR from 19th to 21st September 2024
- Facilitated Workshop on Demystifying Gender: Addressing the Felt Need for Nursing Students of Jamia Hamdard on 23rd September 2019
- Facilitated Revised Basic Course Workshop in Medical Education Technologies at HIMSR on 14-16 October 2019
- Facilitated Sensitization Programe on AETCOM at HIMSR on 17th October 2019
- Organized in the Workshop on Theater of the Oppressed at HIMSR on 10-11 October 2019
- Organizing Committee member, CME on Immunization Updates, 2016
- Organized CME on “Immunization Update” held at HIMSR on 15th May 2018
- Organized Workshop on Biomedical Research Methodology: A hands-on Workshop at HIMSR on 25th October 2019
- Organized Workshop on Use of Smart Apps in Health Professions Education on 23rd February 2019.
- Organized Orientation program for first MBBS Students for the years 2015 and 2016.
- Organized Internship Orientation Program for Internship Batches of 2012, 2013 and 2014.
- Organized Workshop on Developing Competencies on Trans-affirmative healthcare provision on 3-4th September 2021
