Gulzar Shah, Ph.D., professor and department chair of Health Policy and Community Health in Georgia Southern University's Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health (JPHCOPH), was recently awarded a 2024 Best Researcher Award by the organization International Academic Achievements. 

International Academic Achievements recognizes scholars who have made significant accomplishments in the field of education, research and scholarly work that have global recognition and impact.

“As department chair, Dr. Shah has been consistent in leading by example through excellence in scholarship,” said JPHCOPH Dean Stuart Tedders, Ph.D. “An impactful scholar, he embraces JPHCOPH values of passion for improving the health of rural and underserved populations and making a difference in the lives of those we serve."  

Recognized for honorable achievement in innovative research in the categories of social determinants of health, health equity and child nutrition, Shah garnered the accolade for his published work in Children, an international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal on children’s health. 

"This award not only reflects individual achievement but also the collaborative and supportive environment that our college fosters," Shah said. 

Shah’s multi-sector work experience spans over 29 years with appointments in both academia and public health practice agencies, nationally and internationally. Prior to joining JPHCOPH in 2012, he was the lead research scientist at the National Association of County and City Health Departments and the director of research at the National Association of Health Data Organizations prior to that. He also served at the Utah State Department of Health for six years, contributing significantly to patient safety projects, maternal and child health research, informatics projects and health services and systems research.

His broader research interests include eHealth and public health informatics; data improvement; health equity, social determinants of health and health disparities; and Public Health Services and Systems Research (PHSSR). Specific PHSSR areas of research interests include accreditation of health departments; public health workforce; public health finance; evidence-based public health and practice-based research; quality improvement; and global HIV services. 

Shah won Georgia Southern’s 2016 Award for Excellence in Research. Recognized for his contributions, he was listed in the 2019 Marquis Who’s Who for his outstanding achievements in health. Shah holds numerous editorial leadership roles in prominent public health journals. He serves on the editorial board of the American Journal of Public Health and is the consulting editor for biostatistics for the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. He also contributes as an editorial board member for the scientific journal, BMC Public Health, in public health informatics, is a topic editor for the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health and is an associate editor for Frontiers in Public Health.

Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/R2 institution founded in 1906, offers approximately 140 different degree programs serving more than 25,500 students through 10 colleges on three campuses in Statesboro, Savannah, Hinesville and online instruction. A leader in higher education in southeast Georgia with expert faculty, the University is focused on public impact research and engaging learning opportunities through knowledge and know-how that prepare our students to take ownership of their lives, careers and communities. Visit GeorgiaSouthern.edu.