Dr. Ismatara Reena

Dr. Ismatara Reena is an Assistant Professor in the School of Kinesiology (Health Promotion and Wellness) at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She earned an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership with a focus on underrepresented population in STEM, and two M.S. degrees- one in Health Promotion and the other in Food and Nutrition from Lamar University, Texas. Her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from Rajshahi Medical College, Bangladesh, brings a unique interdisciplinary perspective to health education and research.

Dr. Reena’s research focuses on health disparities, mental health, health literacy, and the impact of public health interventions, particularly among marginalized populations and international students. Her work has been widely published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national and international conferences. In her scholarly activities, she involved both undergraduate and graduate students. Dr. Reena received the Office of the Vice President for Research, Innovation and Economic Development’s Rising Star Award in 2022-2023, a university-wide recognition of her scholarly activities. The award recognizes a junior faculty member showing great promise in scholarship in their respective college. She is an institutional contact for the All of Us (AoU) Research Program Data Use and Registration Agreement (DURA) hosted by Vanderbilt University.

Dr. Reena is committed to fostering academic excellence and health advocacy. She is committed to reduces health disparities through inspire the next generation through mentorship, research collaboration, and innovative health education initiatives.