Local is Global: Supporting the Health of Refugee and Immigrant Communities Across New Haven

Fereshteh Ganjavi

Founder and Executive Director

Elena's Light

Fereshteh Ganjavi is the Founder and Executive Director of Elena’s Light, a non-profit organization based in CT that is dedicated to building a brighter future for refugee women and children. The organization achieves this through several programs, including ESL classes to help refugees obtain their driver’s licenses, pass citizenship tests, and improve their daily communications. Additionally, the organization offers health and wellness programs for women and children, including monthly health classes, as well as legal advocacy services with educational classes on knowing one’s rights.

She firmly believes that educating refugee women can positively impact their entire families and, in turn, improve society and the community at large. Ganjavi earned her Bachelor of Business Administration and her second Bachelor of Science in Public Health from Southern Connecticut State University.

Kaveh Khoshnood

Associate Professor of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases)

Dr. Khoshnood is an Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies at the Yale School of Public Health and executive committee member at Yale Council on Middle East Studies. He is the Founder of the Humanitarian Research Lab. Dr. Khoshnood is trained as an infectious disease epidemiologist and has more than three decades of domestic and international experience in HIV prevention research among people who use drugs and other at-risk populations. Dr. Khoshnood's research interests include: 1) epidemiology and prevention of HIV/AIDS, 2) research ethics and 3) humanitarian health.

Camille Brown

Associate Clinical Professor

Yale Pediatric Refugee Clinic

At the Pediatric Primary Care Center, Camille Brown, MD provides health care for children from birth to teen years and teaches pediatric residents. Dr. Brown also direct the Yale Pediatric Refugee Clinic, caring for children from various nations whose families have resettled in the city. She performs an initial health assessment, sees them frequently during their first year, and creates a medical home for them in the PCC. She interacts with a dedicated team of nurses, social workers, case managers and other staff. Dr. Brown loves being a pediatrician because she can create relationships with patients, and their families, and follow them as they grow and develop.

Allie Ruiz

Co-President

Migration Alliance at Yale

Allie Ruiz, Yale College ’28, is a Political Science and Latin American Studies major from Los Angeles, California. She is the president of the Dwight Hall member group Yale Migration Alliance and serves as an intern with Apostles Immigrant Services. Her work and interests center on immigration law and advocacy. She also serves on the Dwight Hall Student Committee.

Rona Rohbar

Senior Manager of Health & Wellness

Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services (IRIS)

Rona Rohbar is the Senior Manager of Health & Wellness at IRIS. She is a healthcare professional and refugee health advocate with over eight years of experience working directly with refugee and immigrant communities in Connecticut. Through her work, she coordinates healthcare services for newly arrived refugees and Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders.