Sabera Turkmani

Adjunct Fellow

Discipline of Nursing

BIO

Specializing in Maternal Health, Sexual and Reproductive Health, with focus on Migrants and Vulnerable Populations

Dr. Sabera Turkmani is a distinguished public health practitioner and academic researcher with extensive experience in collaborative initiatives across diverse local and international settings. Her expertise spans maternal and child health, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and evidence-based practice. Dr. Turkmani has worked extensively with culturally diverse, hard-to-reach, and vulnerable populations, including those in conflict and humanitarian settings as well as high-resource environments.

Her career includes impactful contributions through her work with renowned organizations such as UN agencies, USAID, community organizations, governments, NGOs, bilateral and multilateral agencies, and academic institutions in Afghanistan, Iran, Bangladesh, and Australia.

As an academic, Dr. Turkmani has significantly advanced public health education within Australian universities. She has designed and developed innovative health promotion materials and training resources, including e-learning modules on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) for health professionals and educational tools for refugees and other marginalized populations.

Dr. Turkmani began her career as a midwife and later earned a Master’s degree in Public Health and a PhD in Public Health (2021) from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Australia. Her doctoral research focused on improving the quality of maternity care for marginalized women, underscoring her commitment to equity in healthcare delivery.

As a prolific researcher, Dr. Turkmani is the author and co-author of over 50 peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals, including The Lancet, Midwifery, Women & Birth, and BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. Her work has garnered over 1,400 citations, with an impressive h-index of 20, reflecting her research’s global impact. She has also presented her findings at more than 40 local and international conferences, often as a keynote speaker at prestigious events organized by the United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO).

In recognition of her leadership and contributions, Dr. Turkmani has received several prestigious awards, including the Jo Wilton Memorial Award for Women (UTS), the Human Rights Award (UTS), and the Dorothea Lang Leadership Award from the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM).

UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY SYDNEY APPOINTMENTS

  • Post Doctorate Research Fellow
    University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia2021 - present
  • Academic Staff
    University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia2018 - present
  • Tutor
    Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research, UTS, Australia2019 - present
  • Research Project Coordinator
    University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia2013 - 2018

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

  • Research Associate
    Burnet Institute, Australia2020 - 2020
  • Research Associate
    Western Sydney University, Australia2019 - 2019
  • Technical advisor in Afghanistan National Mortality Survey
    Johns Hopkins University, United States2011 - 2012

NON-ACADEMIC POSITIONS

  • Reproductive Health Advisor
    USAID, Afghanistan2011 - 2013
  • Project coordinator and co-investigator in High Burden Country Initiative
    WHO/Integrate International, Afghanistan2012 - 2012
  • Quality Improvement Consultant
    UNFPA, Afghanistan2011 - 2012
  • Maternal health technical advisor
    USAID, Afghanistan2011 - 2012
  • Quality Improvement Consultant
    USAID/ MCHIP, Bangladesh2011 - 2011
  • Midwifery technical advisor
    USAID, Afghanistan2005 - 2011

DEGREES

  • PhD in Public Health
    University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia2020

PROFILE TYPE

  • Academic

DISCIPLINES