Team

Zafir Naseem, Director

Zafir Naseem is a freshman at the University of Maryland double majoring in Neuroscience with a concentration in behavior and cognition, and Business Management. Zafir joined his first ILIA retreat in middle school and attended many ILIA programs as time went on. Zafir’s involvement within ILIA began when he received an opportunity to make a difference in the community by attempting to solve a problem of his choice. Zafir learned many practical and professional skills, which allowed him to apply for and earn a grant, allowing him to fund and deliver his situational leadership workshop to teens across Baltimore. Soon after, Zafir was appointed as a Vice President and Director of the ILIA Internship Program. In an effort to pursue his passions, Zafir transitioned into directing the Youth Crisis Line (YCL), where he is currently working on expanding the reach of this critical resource to Islamic and Non-Islamic institutions across the country.

Dr. Esraa Badr, Researcher

A positive youth development researcher at Islamic Leadership institute of America. She holds a MBBCh degree from Alexandria Faculty of Medicine, Egypt with focused training in adult and child neuropsychiatry specialties combined with a neurology training in Selcuk University, Turkey.

Esraa has also completed a public health diploma with a specialization in mental health from the High Institute of Public Health, Egypt. Currently she is a pediatrician at the Ministry of Health and Population, Egypt and a clinical scholar at Egypt Clinical Research Scholars Training Program (ECSRT) by Harvard Medical School.

Esraa is also a member of the Mental Health Research Network in Egypt and has participated in several research projects on different mental health issues. She is a writer and health promoter about mental health affairs with special interest in parenting issues. Esraa hasparticipated in many civil work projects targeting the public awareness about mental health affairs.