Meet Amarjit

Amarjit Dass received her Master’s in Global Medicine at the University of Southern California. Additionally, she received certifications in Health in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies from Emory University, Epidemiology in Public Health Practice from John Hopkins University, International Women’s Health and Human Rights by Stanford University and Child Protection: Children’s Rights in Theory and Practice by Harvard University.

 

She attended lectures at the UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre in Florence, Italy and at the University of Florence. The experience in Italy gave her unique insights on pediatric, geriatric and refugee health, research methodologies and policy work on best practices in healthcare for migrants and refugees in Europe. In 2015 Amarjit presented her independent research paper on global issues and policies pertaining to the rights of children at the Humanitarian Effectiveness International Conference at the University of Manchester.

 

Amarjit has over 10 years of biomedical and social-behavioral research experience with focus on serving underrepresented, marginalized populations. She has worked with academic researchers, professors, scientists and clinicians in Los Angeles and San Diego Counties in California to develop and execute ethically designed research studies. Amarjit was involved in creating educational materials for community-engaged research to ensure that community members, such as those from low socioeconomic background and refugees, had a voice in the research process and the opportunity for research outcomes to be more relevant to their needs. In turn, researchers were afforded insight into the unique health needs and research barriers of these populations.

 

Her professional experience and interests include management, leadership and development, program planning & evaluation, humanitarian efforts and research on human rights issues and policies. Amarjit works with startups, grassroots, NGOs, foundations, academic institutions and communities to formulate strategies and implement solutions that generate lasting social benefits. Amarjit enjoys expanding professional development for her clients as she feels that lack in professional collaboration hinders the advancement of niche careers.

 

She has successfully led the design and oversight of several programs in research and NGOs. Her work has included research and advocacy with Human Rights Watch on criminal justice reforms aimed at remedying California’s juvenile justice system, international violations and abuse of children and women, and summary returns of asylum seekers and migrants in Europe and North America. Additionally, she interned at USNC for UN Women Los Angeles Chapter as Director of Young Professionals program where she managed and developed outreach programs, advocacy campaigns, events, and fundraisers. Other advocacy and research involvement included with Mending Kids, Al Otro Lado and Soy Nina. 

 

She served as Director of Program Development at Miry’s List, a nonprofit that aids resettling refugees in the United States, where she implemented and developed programs to provide refugees opportunity for economic growth and social, emotional and mental wellness. 

Amarjit is a mentor at MENTEE, an organization that offers a network of global mentor specialists for mentees who are marginalized and displaced in their communities. 

 

Due to her lifelong passion for advocating children’s rights, protection and well-being, Amarjit joined UNICEF’s Next Generation, a group of young leaders dedicated to protecting marginalized and historically underrepresented children across the globe. She previously was an ambassador for SOS Children’s Villages.

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