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Doctor's Profile

Dr. Aqsa Shaikh

MBBS, MD (Community Medicine)

Professor, Department of Community Medicine

Reg. Number: DMC-66477

emailtoaqsa@gmail.com

About

Dr. Aqsa Shaikh (She/Her) is an out and proud transgender woman and one of India’s first transgender doctors. A Professor of Community Medicine at Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, she has been a frontline contributor to India’s COVID-19 response. Her research spans vaccine access, adult immunization, and inclusive healthcare for transgender and disabled communities. Beyond academia, Aqsa is a passionate advocate for rights-based gender justice. She successfully petitioned the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights to ban unnecessary sex-normalizing surgeries on intersex children and helped make Delhi Metro’s toilet signage inclusive. She is part of the iHEAR initiative at Sangath India and a member of the Supreme Court Appointed National Taskforce on Student Suicide Prevention in Higher Education.

Aqsa is also a TEDx and Josh Talks speaker, poet, short story writer, and practitioner of the Theatre of the Oppressed. Her writings appear in Times of India, Indian Express, Hindustan Times. A recipient of Devi Awards by The New Indian Express Group, she is Jury Member of Pride Fund India, Advisory board member of CHELP and QAMRA.

Educational Qualifications

Degree Year Name of College & University Registration Number Date of Registration
MBBS 2006 Seth GS Medical College MUHS, Nashik DMC-66477
Diploma in Human Resource Management 2008 Welingkar College, Mumbai
MD 2010 Seth GS Medical College MUHS, Nashik DMC-66477
Advanced Course in Medical Education 2018 CMC Ludhiana
Revised Basic Course Workshop in Medical Education Technology 2018 HIMSR
Basic Course in Biomedical Research 2021 ICMR-NIE
Post Graduate Diploma in Bioethics and Medical Ethics 2022 Yenepoya University

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

Total Publications:-33

Publications(Last Three Year)

  1. Dudeja M, Shaikh A, Islam F, Alvi Y, Ahmad M, Kashyap V, Singh V, Rahman A, Panda M, Shree N, Nandy S. Assessment of potential risk factors for COVID-19 among health care workers in a health care setting in Delhi, India-a cohort study. PloS one. 2023 Jan 20;18(1):e0265290.
  2. 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
  3. Raghuram H, Parakh S, Tugnawat D, Singh S, Shaikh A, Bhan A (2024) Experiences of transgender persons in accessing routine healthcare services in India: Findings from a participatory qualitative study. PLOS Glob Public Health 4(2): e0002933. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0002933
  4. 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.
  5. 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
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. Jabeen R, Shaikh A, Gautam R, et al. (May 22, 2025) 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 17(5): e84623. DOI 10.7759/cureus.84623
  9. Narula Khanna H, Roy S, Shaikh A, et al. Impact of probiotic supplements on behavioural and gastrointestinal symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorder: A randomised controlled trial. BMJ Paediatrics Open 2025;9:e003045. doi:10.1136/ bmjpo-2024-003045
  10. 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. J Family Med Prim Care 2025;14:1695-701
  11. Islam, Farzana; Alvi, Yasir; Gautam, Richa; Shaikh, Aqsa; Panda, Meely1; Thakur, Archana2; Pathak, Rambha3; Sharma, Varun; Jiloha, RC4. Sexual Harassment among Female Healthcare Workers, its Consequences and Barriers in Seeking Help in India’s Health Sector. Indian Journal of Community Medicine 50(5):p 808-814, Sep–Oct 2025. | DOI: 10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_225_24
  12. 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.
  13. Lavalekar E, D’souza S, Raghuram H, Dongare N, Khan MA, Likhite C, Mahajan G, Chowdhury P, Shaikh A, Bandewar SS, et al. 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. 2025; 13(11):1095. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines13111095
  14. Alvi Y, Islam F, Ahmad M, Gautam R, Shaikh A, Husain M, Yadav K, Rashid M, Behera S, Boddington NL, et al. Building Local Research Capacity for Global Pandemic Preparedness: Lessons from WHO Unity Studies and Their Expansion in India. Viruses. 2026; 18(2):198. https://doi.org/10.3390/v18020198

Research Work & Projects

  1. Qinship: A project focused on elderly in the queer community. Funded by School of Law, Williams Institute, UCLA. 2023
  2. iHEAR Doctors for Equity: Making medical education in India LGBTQIA+ Affirmative. 2023. Funded by Direct Aid Program, Govt of Australia.
  3. 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
  4. Kiphart Project: Creating a pool of first-person narratives of queer persons interaction in healthcare. Funded by University of Chicago
  5. 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.
  6. iHEAR RainbowMed: Making medical education in India LGBTQIA+ Affirmative. 2023. Funded by US Consulate, Mumbai
  7. 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.
  8. AffirmCare: Empowering healthcare providers in Kerala to deliver LGBTQIA+ affirmative care, funded by the US Consulate, Chennai.
  9. 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
  10. Integration of Maternal Infant and Young Child Nutrition in Undergraduate Curriculum – Funded by Alive and Thrive, FHI360, 7 Lacs (2018-2019)
  11. Training of Community Service Providers on Health Promotion- Funded by United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees – BOSCO, (Amount: 60,000) 2014
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. 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
  18. 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
  19. 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/
  20. 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
  21. 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
  22. 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
  23. 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

  1. Life Member and Joint Secretary of Delhi Branch, Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine (L-4279)
  2. Life member and General Secretary, Association of Muslim Doctors
  3. Advisor in Residence: LedBy fellowship incubated at Harvard University
  4. Member, World Professional Association of Transgender Health
  5. Life Member, Indian Public Health Association (L/2016/DEL/7314)
  6. Life Member, Indian Association of Adolescent and Youth Health (326/DL/2015)
  7. Life Member, Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine (L-4279)
  8. Life member, Indian Professional Association for Transgender Health
  9. Life Member, Society for Menstrual Disorders and Hygiene Management (34023)
  10. Life Member, Society for Menstrual Disorders and Hygiene Management (34023)
  11. Life member, Association of Muslim Doctors

Invited Talks and Lectures

  1. 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
  2. Panelist at India’s Queer Futures hosted by Godrej DEI Lab at Mumbai on 4th February, 2025
  3. Panelist at screening and discussion of Trans Dudes with Lady Cancer at LGBTQIA+ Centre, Delhi on 1st February
  4. Organised and Facilitated Food Safety Workshop on 20th January 2025 at HIMSR
  5. 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.
  6. Delivered a talk on - Effecting changes in the medical curriculum for the implementation of Gender Affirmative Care at IPATHCON 2025 on 3rd June 2025
  7. Facilitated Panel Discussion on - Integrated Public Health Action Linking Environment, Communities, and Care at Conference on Dengue on 5th June 2025, Delhi
  8. Delivered a talk on Reproductive Health of Transgender People at "National - Level Multidisciplinary TOT on Transgender Care" organized by SRM College of Nursing, Chennai
  9. 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
  10. Delivered a talk as part of Foundation programme at IIT Gandhinagar on 14th August 2023
  11. Moderator and Panelist at Quality Equity and Inclusiveness initiative launch event at IIT Delhi on 26th August 2023
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. Delivered a talk at MAMC Dialogues 2023 on 5th September 2023 at Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi
  15. 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
  16. Organiser & Speaker at 1st International Conference on Transgender Health, 1-2 Nov 2019 at Jamia Hamdard, Delhi
  17. Delivered a Talk on Making Medical College and Medical Curriculum Trans-inclusive at IPATHCON2019 at Jamia Hamdard on 1st Nov 2019
  18. 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
  19. Attended as a Panelist (on LGBT Issues) at Harvard US India Initiative Conference 2020 at Mumbai on 3rd January 2020
  20. 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
  21. Speaker in Webinar on Gender-Friendly Healthcare Facility organized by Association for Transgender Health in India on 15th August 2020
  22. Panelist, 8th National Bioethics Conference, by FMES, December 2020
  23. Delivered Lecture on Blueprinting in Assessment in pre-Conference Workshop on Assessment in Medical Education – PSI-SAAP 2021 Conference
  24. 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.
  25. Panelist At Science Gallery Bengaluru’s Panel Discussion on “Unpacking Covid-19 from evidence to Action” on 4th June 2021
  26. 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.
  27. Speaker at Emerging Issues in Sexual and Reproductive Health of Transgender Persons, organized by SAATHII and QKnit on 18 July 2021
  28. 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
  29. Panelist at Confluence 2021: LGBTQ+ Inclusivity in Healthcare Education organized by KEM Hospital Mumbai on 8th September 2021
  30. Speaker at Sisters’ Living Conference on The LGBTQIA+ Community and Suicide Prevention on 11th Sept 2021
  31. Speaker at IIT Kharagpur, Amber, Sexual and Gender Diversity support group, on 5th September 2021
  32. Speaker at Virtual course in Gendering Medical Education by CEHAT on 24th September 2021
  33. Speaker at Refresher Course in Gender Studies organized by The Human Resource Development Centre, Jamia Milia Islamia on 28th September 2021
  34. Speaker at Panel Discussion on Body as Data at Love, Sex and Data Conference on 7th October 2021.
  35. Speaker at Foundation Course for School of Unani Medical Education and Research on 21st October 2021
  36. Speaker at Panel Discussion on Gender Inequities at EFICON, on 30th October 2021
  37. Speaker at NSS Students orientation to diet in pregnancy organized by SUMER, Jamia Hamdard on 31st October 2021.
  38. Speaker at Dissemination Workshop for WHO funded Unity Studies on 11th November at HIMSR
  39. 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
  40. 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.
  41. 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
  42. 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.
  43. 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
  44. 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
  45. Speaker at 8th AMDCON 2021 Conference on Challenges in Covid-19 Vaccination for Minority Communities
  46. 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
  47. Speaker at 2nd Transgender Summit 2022 – Talk on gender Affirmation Surgery for Trans persons, organized by Alliance India
  48. Speaker at AIIMS Bhopal on 5th March 2022 – A step towards inclusion: Sensitizing medical students and faculty on Trans and Disability inclusion
  49. Talk on Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare in India: Trans Rights and Reproductive Justice at NLIU Bhopal on 5th March 2022
  50. Invited Lecture on Unlearning and Learning Transgender Issues-Rights and Wrongs. Central University of Kashmir, Green Campus, Ganderbal, on 14 March 2022
  51. Panel Discussion on Career Guidance for School Students organized by Department of Education, Government of Delhi on 29th March 2022
  52. Online Workshop on Trans-inclusive Health Research conducted in association with Sangath India on 31 March 2022
  53. Moderated a Panel on Transgender Doctors at National Transgender Conference at Delhi, May 5-6 2022
  54. Talk with Pinkishe Foundation on Menstruation on 10th May 2022
  55. Facilitated a session on Education for Transgender Students for National Institute for Social Defense, 13 May 2022
  56. Panelist on Trans Inclusion at Workplace at Global Summit on Diversity, Inclusion and Equity on 16th May 2022 at Delhi
  57. Panelist on Epidemic Ethics on 16 May 2022 for The Global Health Network

Workshops/ CMEs/ Conference Organised

  1. Organized and Participated in the Workshop on Theater of the Oppressed: Reclaiming Humanity in Medical Education at HIMSR on 15-16 March 2019
  2. 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
  3. Facilitated Sessions at Basic Course in Medical Education organized by HIMSR from 19th to 21st September 2024
  4. Facilitated Workshop on Demystifying Gender: Addressing the Felt Need for Nursing Students of Jamia Hamdard on 23rd September 2019
  5. Facilitated Revised Basic Course Workshop in Medical Education Technologies at HIMSR on 14-16 October 2019
  6. Facilitated Sensitization Programe on AETCOM at HIMSR on 17th October 2019
  7. Organized in the Workshop on Theater of the Oppressed at HIMSR on 10-11 October 2019
  8. Organizing Committee member, CME on Immunization Updates, 2016
  9. Organized CME on “Immunization Update” held at HIMSR on 15th May 2018
  10. Organized Workshop on Biomedical Research Methodology: A hands-on Workshop at HIMSR on 25th October 2019
  11. Organized Workshop on Use of Smart Apps in Health Professions Education on 23rd February 2019.
  12. Organized Orientation program for first MBBS Students for the years 2015 and 2016.
  13. Organized Internship Orientation Program for Internship Batches of 2012, 2013 and 2014.
  14. Organized Workshop on Developing Competencies on Trans-affirmative healthcare provision on 3-4th September 2021