Ali Ardalan
Visiting Scientist
Department of Global Health and Population
Harvard Humanitarian Initiative
2nd Floor, 14 Story Street
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
ardalan@hsph.harvard.edu
Background:
Ali Ardalan, M.D, Ph.D. is an associate professor of epidemiology in Iran’s National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) and School of Public Health at the Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS). Dr. Ardalan is a pioneer in disaster risk management in Iran’s health system who was the driving force behind the creation of the first division of public health research in disasters and helping to create MPH and PhD training programs in disaster health studies in Iran – and one of the first such programs in the entire Middle East region.
He is the founder of the Department of Disaster & Emergencies Health at the NIHR and the Department of Disaster Public Health at TUMS. There he is the chair of both departments and directs the PhD and MPH programs of disaster & emergency health. In addition to his disaster health focus, Dr Ardalan is also a field epidemiologist and has contributed to many outbreak investigations as well as instructs in the Field Epidemiology Training Program at TUMS.
Since 2012, Dr. Ardalan is a Visiting Scientist at Department of Global Health and Population at Harvard School of Public Health and a Fellow at Harvard Humanitarian Initiative where working on development of two programs: “Middle East & North Africa Crisis Management” and “Public Health Leadership for Disaster Risk Reduction”.
Dr Ardalan has served in many operational positions outside of academia. His international collaboration began in late 2003 when he worked with WHO as a medical officer and head of the field mission in the 2003 Bam Earthquake response. In 2008, collaborating with the UNISDR, he initiated the campaign of “Hospitals safe from disasters” and in 2009, he served as an advisor to the UNDP and contributed to the UN Global Assessment Report on Disaster Reduction. He was a guest researcher at the Karolinska Institute and remains an active contributor to the Disaster Supercourse through the WHO collaborative center at the University of Pittsburgh.
In 2010, he led the assistance mission for Iran in response to the massive floods in Pakistan that year. In 2011 he was appointed as a senior adviser to Iran’s Deputy Minister of Health and Medical Education (MOH&ME) and found the Disaster Risk Reduction Unit at MOH&ME. And most recently, in August 2012 he led as the National Coordinator of Public Health Response to the twin earthquakes in East Azerbaijan. In addition, he has served as an epidemiologist in a variety of smaller natural hazard responses over the last decade.
Dr Ardalan is a winner of the Mary Fran Myers Scholarship 2009 from the Natural Hazards Center, University of Colorado at Boulder. In 2009, he received the National Health Friend Award and his community-based research initiative on early warning of flash floods was selected amongst the top projects in National Development & Creativity Festival.
Dr Ardalan continues to collaborate with partners around the world to promote effective training, programs and research on the effects of disasters on human health.
Publications:
Ardalan A, Babai J, Moradian MJ, Shariati M, Yousefi H. Incorporating the lessons learned from 2012 east Azerbaijan earthquakes in Iran’s national health emergency plan. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine. June 2013. doi:10.1017/S1049023X13000319.
Ostadtaghizadeh A, Soleimani SV, Ardalan A. Lessons from a flash flood in Tehran subway, Iran. PLoS Currents Disasters. 2013. May 2.
Ardalan A, Rajaei MH, Masoumi G, Azin A, Zonoobi V, Sarvar M, Vaskoei Eshkevari K, Ahmadnezhad E, Jafari G. 2012-2025 Roadmap of I.R.Iran’s disaster health management. PLoS Currents Disasters. 2012 July 16.
Zafarghandi MR, Soroush MR, Mahmoodi M, Naieni KH, Ardalan A, et al. Incidence of cancer in Iranian sulfur mustard exposed veterans: a long-term follow-up cohort study. Cancer Causes Control. 2013 Jan;24(1):99-105.
Ardalan A, Babaie J, Banaye Jedi M, Moradian MJ, Arzanloo M, Hajizadeh A. Response operations of health system to 2012 Chaldoran flood: A case study. Journal of Search & Rescue. 2012;4(1): 54-60.
Ostad Taghizadeh A, Hosseini M, Navidi I, Mahaki AA, Ammari H, Ardalan A. Knowledge, Attitude and practice of Tehran’s inhabitants for an earthquake and related determinants. PLoS Currents Disasters. 2012 August 06.
Ardalan A, Mazaheri M, Mowafi H, VanRooyen M, Teimoori F, Abbasi R. Impact of the Bam earthquake, 26 December 2003, on activities of daily liviting and instrumental activities of daily living of older people. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine. 2011; 26(2):99-108.
Ardalan A, Najafi A, Sabzghabaie A, Zonoobi V, Ardalan S, Khankeh HR, Masoumi GHR, Abbasi M, Nejati, A, Zahabi M. Development of a local model of hospital disaster risk assessment: A pilot study. Hospital Journal. 2011; 3-4:7-14.
Ghazizadeh MH, Mesdaghinia AR, Ardalan A, Holakouie Naieni K , Hosseini M. Are graduate schools prepared for an earthquake? Readiness assessment of a school in Tehran. Iran Hakim Research Journal. 2011; 13(4):250-6
Ardalan A, Holakouie Naieni K, Mahmoodi M, Zanganeh AM, Keshtkar AA, Honarvar MR, Kabir Mj. Flash flood preparedness in Golestan province of Iran: A community intervention trial. American Journal of Disaster Medicine. 2010; 5(4):197-214.
Ardalan A, Mazaheri M, VanRooyen M, Mowafi H, Nedjat S, Holakouie Naini K, Russel M. Post-disaster quality of life among older survivors five years after the Bam earthquake: implications for recovery policy. Ageing and Society. 2011;31:179-96.
Linkov F, Ardalan A, Hennon M, Shubnikov E, Serageldin I, Laporte R. Using google trends to assess interest in disasters. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2010; 25(5):482-4.
Yang Y, Chen Y, Chotani RA, Laporte RE, Ardalan A, Shubnikov E, Linkov F, Huang J. Chinese disasters and just-in-time education. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2010; 25(5):477-81.
Tabatabaie M, Ardalan A, Abolghasemi H, Holakouie Naieni K, Pourmalek F, Ahmadi B, Shokouhi M. Estimating blood transfusion requirements in preparation for a major earthquake: The Tehran, Iran study. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine. 2010; 25(3):246-52.
Sishani K, Shubnikov E, Ardalan A, LaPorte R, Linkov F. Invited Article: Improving global nursing education. Online Journal of Nursing Informatics. 2010; 14(2).
Ardalan A, Mazaheri M, et al. Elders’ needs following the disasters: Older people’s needs following major disasters: a qualitative study of Iranian elders’ experiences of the Bam earthquake. Ageing and Society. 2010; 30:11-23.
Khatami M, Ziaie A, Aghamiri S, Ardalan A, Ahmadnejad E. Assessment of first aid training on student volunteers of Iranian Red Crescent Society. Iranian Journal of Epidemiology. 2010; 6(1):10-7.
Khatami M, Ziaie A, Aghamiri S, Ardalan A, Ahmadnejad E. Knowledge and attitude of IRCS university students volunteers on first aid training. Journal of Health Research Institute (Payesh). 2010; 9(2):205-13.
Ardalan A, Holakouie Naieni K, et al. The early warning system for flash floods in Golestan province: the model of village disaster taskforce. Journal of Health Research Institute (Payesh). 2010;2:147-154.
Ardalan A, Ansari A, Daburov K, Rahimian N, Mohajeri M, Ebrahimzadeh A, Chotani R, LaPorte RE, Linkov F, Lovalekar M, Shabnikov E. Just-in-time public health training and networking in Farsi language countries: Influenza A (H1N1) Experience. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine. 2009; 24(6):571-2.
Ardalan A, Holakouie Naieni K, et al. Evaluation of Golestan province’s early warning system for flash floods, Iran, 2006-7. International Journal of Biometeorology. 2009. 53(3):247-54.
Ardalan A, Masoomi GR, Goya MM, Ghaffari M, Miadfar J, Sarvar M, Soroush M, Maghsoodi A, Kabir MJ, Holakouie Naieni K, Khankeh HR, Aghazadeh M, Abolshams B. Disaster health management: Iran’s progress and challenges. Iranian J Publ Health. 2009; 38 Suppl 1:93-7.
Ardalan A, Masoomi GR, Goya MM, Sarvar M, Haddadi M, Miadfar J, Shahmoradi M. Road traffic injuries: A challenge for Iran’s health system. Iranian J Publ Health. 2009; 38, Suppl 99-101.
Ardalan A, Linkov F, Shubnikov E, LaPorte R. Public awareness and disaster risk reduction: Just in time networks and JIT learning? Prehospital and Disaster Medicine. 2008;23(3): 286-288.
Linkov F, Ardalan A, Dodani S, Lovalekar M, Sauer F, Shubnikov E, LaPorte R. Building just in time lectures during the prodrome of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine. 2006 Mar-Apr;21(2 Suppl 2):132.
Ardalan A, Holakouie Naieni K, Aflatounian MR, Nekouie M, LaPorte LE, Noji EK. Risk factors of death and injury in Bam earthquake. Iranian Journal of Epidemiology. 2006;1(4): 25-34.
Ardalan A, Holakouie Naieni K, Aflatounian MR, Nekouie M, LaPorte R, Noji EK. Experience of a population-based study on needs and health status of affected people in Bam. Iranian Journal of Epidemiology. 2005;1(1): 33-46.
Ardalan A, Linkov F, Holakouie Naieni K, LaPorte RE, Noji E. Bridging the schools of public health between Iran & the USA. Lancet. 2004; 363 (9423).