Armine Kalbakian is a recent graduate from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health where she earned a Master of Public Health in the Sociomedical Sciences department with a certificate in Health Policy and Practice. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Cornell University. Armine has experience working in research institutes, government agencies, and non-profit organizations in the U.S. and abroad. Her research interests include migrant and refugee, mental, and maternal health. Her practicum with Africa Mental Health Research and Training Foundation focused on intimate partner violence (IPV) in Kenya. This research involved a social network analysis of organizations offering IPV services in Kibera, an informal settlement in Kenya’s capital, using UCINet and SPSS software. This aimed to fill research gaps on existing collaborations among organizations offering IPV services in Kibera. Mapping the relationships between these organizations could be instrumental in strengthening organizations’ capacity to empower women and reduce stigma, thereby leading to greater reporting, overriding past underestimates of IPV prevalence, and low policy prioritization. Armine is now based out of Los Angeles and is conducting qualitative research on community-based organizations and the health and well-being of older adults from minority communities across the United States.
