Our Team
Hamara Health was founded at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, led by its founding executive board and a diverse board of directors from all across the United States. Today, Hamara Health is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a professional advisory board consisting of leading researchers and clinicians supporting our wide range of programs. Learn more by getting involved!
Executive Board
Rohan Shah
Co-Founder
Rohan is a fourth-year medical student at Northwestern University and passionate about clinical research investigating the impacts of social determinants of health and looks forward to a future career advocating for patients in need. He is passionate about mental health and is looking forward to pursuing a career in psychiatry.
Shiv Patel
Co-Founder
Shiv is a fourth-year medical student at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, where he established a student volunteer program at a free clinic serving uninsured South Asian patient populations. He is active in several community outreach organizations and involved in several ongoing research efforts.
Board Of Directors
Anjay Saklecha
Director of Education
Sareena Shah
Director of Communications
Sareena attends the University of Missouri Kansas-City and aspires to practice as an academic anesthesiologist. She combines a strong foundation in research with her passion for education, developing impactful learning materials for Hamara Health. Sareena also prioritizes wellness, enjoying yoga, running, and weightlifting in her active lifestyle.
Saaz Malhotra
Director of Outreach
Shrey Patel
Director of Research
Adit Khandelwal
Director of Strategy & Operations
Adit serves as a full-time consultant at Ernst and Young, with particular interests in business strategy. He is passionate about healthcare equity, and looks forward to increasing the scale of Hamara Health’s operations.
Raveena Pandhare
Director of Finances
Professional Advisory Board
Joshua Owen, MD
Physician, Internal Medicine
Dr. Joshua Owen is an internal medicine physician actively involved with the Indian American Medical Association Free Clinic, where he serves as a preceptor for medical students. A clinician-educator at the Feinberg School of Medicine, Dr. Owen completed his internship at Rush University Medical Center before pursuing residency at the University of Minnesota.
ii. He is devoted to providing medical care for communities in need and supports Hamara Health’s cardiovascular health and diabetes management initiatives.
Colleen Stiles-Shields, PHD
Pediatric Psychologist
Colleen Stiles-Shields, Ph.D., is a Pediatric Psychologist and Assistant Professor at the Institute for Juvenile Research and the University of Illinois at Chicago. She earned a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Chicago and a Master’s and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.
Dr. Stiles-Shields is passionate about increasing access to evidence-based mental and behavioral health care, particularly for youth and families with minoritized identities and from marginalized communities.
Sameer Patel, MD, MPH
Physician, Infectious Diseases
Dr. Sameer Patel is an Associate Professor at the Feinberg School of Medicine and Medical Director of Antimicrobial Stewardship at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. After completing medical school, Dr. Patel trained in pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medical Center and pursued subspecialization in infectious diseases at Columbia University Medical Center, where he also received his Master’s in Public Health.
Dr. Patel is dedicated to reducing national and global disparities in infectious disease prevention, and is a passionate advisor for our organization.
Our Valued Partners
