I am a postdoctoral research scientist currently working on the biological and psychological aspects of Alzheimer’s disease at the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease at the Columbia University Medical Center. My main interest is in applying mindfulness and different types of Buddhist and Energy meditation techniques for the treatment of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. In my previous research work, I studied emotional regulation by using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques at the Psychology Department, also at Columbia U. I was initially trained in Israel at the Weizmann Institute of Science as a neurobiologist, with a strong interest in memory and the nature of consciousness.
Andrea Haidar is a PhD candidate in clinical psychology at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She is also a licensed clinical social worker and certified yoga teacher. Her research interests include culturally acceptable and accessible care for racial and ethnic minority communities, stress and resilience, mindfulness-based interventions, and immigrant and refugee mental health. Andrea’s work also seeks to examine and address health disparities among Arab, Middle Eastern, and North African communities. Prior to her doctoral studies, Andrea worked as a trilingual behavioral health specialist at a Federally Qualified Health Center, providing services in Arabic, Spanish, and English. She holds a master’s in social work and a bachelor’s in sociology from the University of Chicago. Andrea is also the recipient of national awards, including the Fulbright Scholarship, Truman Scholarship, and Critical Language Scholarship.
