Shafaq Mahmood

Research Interests

Women's and maternal health Mental Health Health services and systems Child and adolescent development Public Health Community health care Health equity

Teaching Strengths

Women's sexual and reproductive health
Research writing
Health Systems
Epidemiological Research Methods
Biostatistics

Dr Shafaq Mahmood

Higher Degree by Research Candidate

School of Public Health

College of Health

I am a Public Health physician and PhD candidate at the School of Public Health, Adelaide University. I have a background in medicine and public health, holding an MBBS and a Fellowship in Preventive Medicine (FCPS) from The Aga Khan University, Pakistan, with expertise in quantitative research methods, epidemiology, and population-level data analysis. My research experience includes leading and contributing to population-based health interventions and community outreach programs, as well as involvement in randomized controlled trials and qualitative and mixed-methods studies. I have authored 17 publications in peer-reviewed national and international journals, including high-impact journals such as PLOS ONE, BMC, and Child Abuse & Neglect, and have presented my work at relevant national and international forums.
 
Alongside research, I have been involved in teaching and mentoring at undergraduate, postgraduate, and professional levels, supporting capacity building in public health research and evidence-informed practice. My broader research interests include women’s health, reproductive and adolescent health, mental well-being, and advancing health equity for underserved populations.

My PhD project is focused on developing a deeper understanding of how women’s empowerment can be conceptualized and measured in a high-income context, and on examining its impact on mental health outcomes among Australian women. Using data from three cohorts of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (born 1989–95, 1973–78, and 1946–51), we aim to construct a multidimensional Women’s Empowerment Index (WEI) tailored for a high-income context, covering key domains including education, work, health autonomy, psychological wellbeing, social participation, and household decision-making. The study will also examine differences across cohorts and explore associations with mental health outcomes including depression, anxiety, psychological distress, and overall mental well-being.

Date Position Institution name
2023 - 2024 Senior Research Associate BMY Health

Language Competency
English Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review
Urdu Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review

Date Institution name Country Title
2019 - 2022 Aga Khan University Pakistan FCPS, Community Medicine
2011 - 2017 University of Health Sciences Lahore Pakistan MBBS

Date Title Institution Country
2022 - 2022 Public Health Traineeship - Erasmus International Credit Mobility Program Universidade Nova de Lisboa Portugal

Year Citation
2025 Mahmood, S., & Fatmi, Z. (2025). Prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and its association with current mental wellbeing among young adults in Pakistan. Child Abuse and Neglect, 163, 13 pages.
DOI Scopus2 WoS1 Europe PMC1
2025 Shahid, S., Athar, A., Farooq, S., Yahya, M., Ashraf, M. S., Mahmood, S., & Ahmad, A. M. R. (2025). Navigating Antimicrobial Resistance Insights: An In-Depth Analysis of Healthcare Providers’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices, with an Emphasis on Precision Medicine in Pakistan. Antibiotics, 14(12), 17 pages.
DOI
2024 Mahmood, S., Sequeira, R., Siddiqui, M. M. U., Herkenhoff, M. B. A., Ferreira, P. P., Fernandes, A. C., & Sousa, P. (2024). Decentralization of the health system – experiences from Pakistan, Portugal and Brazil. Health Research Policy and Systems, 22(1), 14 pages.
DOI Scopus9 WoS7 Europe PMC7
2024 Haque, G., Asif, F., Ahmed, F. A., Ayub, F., ul Hassan Syed, S., Pradhan, N. A., . . . Latif, A. (2024). Assessment of Patient Safety in a Low-Resource Health Care System: Proposal for a Multimethod Study. Jmir Research Protocols, 13(1), 11 pages.
DOI Scopus2 WoS2 Europe PMC2
2022 Mahmood, S., Hameed, W., & Siddiqi, S. (2022). Are women with disabilities less likely to utilize essential maternal and reproductive health services?—A secondary analysis of Pakistan Demographic Health Survey. Plos One, 17(8 August), 17 pages.
DOI Scopus9 WoS9 Europe PMC10
2022 Sadia, A., Mahmood, S., Naqvi, F., Naqvi, S., Soomro, Z., & Saleem, S. (2022). Factors associated with home delivery in rural Sindh, Pakistan: results from the global network birth registry. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 22(1), 10 pages.
DOI Scopus13 WoS9 Europe PMC8
2020 Fatmi, Z., Mahmood, S., Hameed, W., Qazi, I., Siddiqui, M., Dhanwani, A., & Siddiqi, S. (2020). Knowledge, attitudes and practices towards covid-19 among pakistani residents: Information access and low literacy vulnerabilities. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 26(12), 1446-1455.
DOI Scopus16 WoS12 Europe PMC13
2020 Fatmi, Z., Mahmood, S., Samad, Z., & Wasay, M. (2020). Air pollution and Non Communicable Diseases. Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 70(11), 1875-1877.
Scopus4 WoS3 Europe PMC4
2019 Mishra, S. K., Mahmood, S., & Baig, M. A. (2019). Burn first aid knowledge and its determinants among general population of Rawalpindi. European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery, 45(6), 1121-1128.
DOI Scopus10 WoS15 Europe PMC16
2019 Mishra, S. K., & Mahmood, S. (2019). Assessing pressure ulcer knowledge of general and orthopedic surgical residents using the Pieper Pressure Ulcer Knowledge Test.. International Journal of Contemporary Surgery, 7(2), 78-83.
2018 Nusrat, M., Tariq, M. A., Aslam, S., Zil-E-Ali, A., Shahid, M., & Mahmood, S. (2018). A Case of Waardenburg-Shah Syndrome Type 4 Presenting with Bilateral Homochromatic Blue Irises from Pakistan. CUREUS JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCE, 10(8), 10 pages.
DOI WoS5 Europe PMC4
2018 Zil-e-Ali, A., & Mahmood, S. (2018). Predictors in Outcomes of Head Trauma in Pediatric Age Group: A Brief Review. EC Neurology, 10, 977-980.
2017 Khan, A. A., Mahmood, S., Saif, T., & Gul, A. (2017). Spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormality (SCIWORA) in adults: A report of two cases. Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 67(8), 1275-1277.
Scopus5 WoS3 Europe PMC4
2016 Mahmood, S., Gul, A., & Saif, T. (2016). Regression of hepatocellular carcinoma after treatment with sofosbuvir — a case report. Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 66(11), 1507-1509.
Scopus1 WoS1 Europe PMC1
2016 Mahmood, S., Nadeem, S., Saif, T., Mannan, M., & Arshad, U. (2016). NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS IN UNDER-FIVE CHILDREN OF RAWALPINDI. Journal of Ayub Medical College Abbottabad JAMC, 28(1), 67-71.
Scopus15 Europe PMC7
2016 Farooq, A., Rukhsar, A., Talib, N., Mahmood, S., & Rukhsar, N. (2016). Frequency of hepatitis B and hepatitis C in pregnant females of Rawalpindi.. Journal of Rawalpindi Medical College, 20(S-2), 77-80.
2015 Mahmood, S., Saif, T., Khurram, M., & Khan, M. (2015). Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease complicated by tuberculosis. J Rawal Med Coll, 19(1).
- Ulfat, R., Syed, F., Kashif, M., Zainib, A., Arif, M., Malik, A., . . . Ali, W. S. (n.d.). Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms and Persistent Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Healthcare Professionals of Pakistan (A Cross-Sectional Multicenter Survey Based Study). SSRN Electronic Journal.
DOI

Year Citation
2021 Mahmood, S. (2021). Influence of gender preference and sex composition of living children on childbearing intention of currently married males – Secondary analysis of Pakistan Demographic Health Survey. In https://www.aku.edu/events/hsra/Documents/Abstract%20Book%202021.pdf. Aga Khan University, Pakistan.
2021 Mahmood, S., Hameed, W., & Siddiqi, S. (2021). Inequalities in the provision of essential maternal and reproductive health services to women with disabilities – Secondary analysis of Pakistan Demographic Health Survey (PDHS 2017-18).. In https://www.aku.edu/events/hsra/Documents/Abstract%20Book%202021.pdf. Aga Khan University, Pakistan.
2020 Sadia, A., Mahmood, S., & Saleem, S. (2020). Determinants and pregnancy outcomes of home vs. hospital-based delivery in rural setting of Sindh, Pakistan.. In https://www.aku.edu/events/hsra/Documents/Abstracts%20Book%202020.pdf. Aga Khan University, Pakistan.
2020 Mahmood, S., & Fatmi, Z. (2020). Knowledge, attitudes and practices towards COVID-19 among Pakistani residents: Digital divide and low literacy vulnerabilities.. In https://www.aku.edu/events/hsra/Documents/Abstracts%20Book%202020.pdf. Aga Khan University, Pakistan.

I have contributed to teaching and academic support across undergraduate, postgraduate, and professional public health programmes. My roles have primarily involved facilitating tutorials and workshops, supporting course delivery, and mentoring students in research skills.

Undergraduate Teaching

  • Foundations of Medicine – Workshop Facilitator, Adelaide University.
  • Introduction to Public Health – Course Coordinator & Facilitator, The Aga Khan University.

Postgraduate Teaching

  • MSc Epidemiology & Biostatistics – Teaching Assistant & Course Coordinator, The Aga Khan University, Pakistan.

Professional & Continuing Education

  • Advanced Health Research Internship Programme for Healthcare Professionals – Programme Director, BMY Health, Pakistan.
  • Quantitative Research Methods, Manuscript Writing, and Research Capacity Strengthening (Sexual & Reproductive Health; WHO-collaborative initiatives) – Workshop Facilitator, The Aga Khan University, Pakistan.

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