Growing up in Pakistan, Sameer Ahmed, MPH, learned early on about the direct relationship between air quality and respiratory health. He could see the smog, and he understood its connection to asthma. And, he wanted to know about the many other factors that also shape health outcomes. In the following Q&A, he explains why he became passionate about public health, and how the MPH program has given him the added tools to make a difference in the field.
What is your background?
My academic and professional interests have centered around community health, health equity, asthma prevention, environmental health, and addressing the social determinants of health. As part of the Applied Practice Experience (APE) requirement of the MPH program, I had the honor of serving for more than a year as the Project Manager for the New York City Asthma Network (NYCAN), a citywide coalition housed within the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Bureau of Harlem Neighborhood Health.
What first attracted you to this field?
My interest in public health and asthma work is deeply personal. I was born in and spent the first 18 years of my life in Pakistan, where air pollution and poor air quality are major public health concerns. In many cities, air quality index levels can become dangerously high, especially during the season when farmers burn wheat crop stubble, which significantly worsens smog and air pollution. During those periods, hospitals often experience extreme spikes in respiratory illness-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations.
Seeing the direct relationship between environmental conditions and respiratory health sparked my earliest interest in asthma and environmental health. Over time, that evolved into a broader passion for public health as I realized that many health outcomes are shaped not only by medicine, but also by housing, environment, policy, infrastructure, and systemic inequities. Public health appealed to me because it combines science, advocacy, systems-thinking, and community engagement to create meaningful change.
Who were your mentors?
I’ve learned from incredible mentors throughout my time at Mount Sinai and the NYC Department of Health. Sire Sow, MD, a former Mount Sinai physician and now Clinical Director of Asthma Initiatives within the Bureau of Harlem Neighborhood Health, has been my preceptor and supervisor during my time as NYCAN’s project manager, and he played a major role in helping me grow professionally within asthma and community health work. I am also deeply influenced by Geoffrey (Cappy) Collins, MD, my professor and advisor across multiple MPH courses. They included Intro to Public Health, where I first learned foundational intervention models; Public Health Lab: How to Solve Problems in Public Health, where I learned how to design public health interventions and develop grant proposals, and Communitology, where we explored community-centered public health approaches. Dr. Collins fundamentally shaped the way I think about public health and continues to inspire me. His approach to addressing public health crises reinforced my belief that sustainable health improvement requires systems-level and community-centered solutions.
What are some of your research highlights?
One was my APE, leading and coordinating projects through NYCAN that were focused on asthma disparities, housing conditions, environmental health, and implementation of New York State’s Medicaid 1115 Health Equity Reform Waiver. My capstone project explored how NYCAN’s coalition infrastructure could help address housing-related asthma conditions in East Harlem by leveraging opportunities created through Social Care Networks and health-related social needs initiatives. I also helped coordinate citywide asthma education and outreach efforts, including NYCAN’s Annual World Asthma Day Resource Fairs, coalition-wide policy and advocacy initiatives, and collaborations with health care providers, community-based organizations, and government partners across New York City.
Why Mount Sinai—what, specifically, are the strong points of the MPH program?
One of the strongest is its deep connection to New York City communities and real-world public health practice. The program emphasizes applied learning and interdisciplinary collaboration, which gave me opportunities to directly engage with government agencies, health systems, and community-based organizations throughout my studies. What especially stood out was the accessibility and support of the faculty and program leadership. Faculty and program managers were always available to guide students, provide mentorship, and support both academic and professional growth. The relatively small class sizes also created opportunities for more personalized learning and meaningful one-on-one interactions with professors and classmates. Another unique strength is Mount Sinai’s New York City location at the intersection of the Upper East Side and East Harlem, a geographic proximity that allows students to directly observe and better understand the stark health and socioeconomic disparities that exist between these two communities. Studying public health while immersed in neighborhoods shaped by such complex histories of inequity, structural injustice, and resilience made the learning experience far more tangible and meaningful.
How else did you excel at Mount Sinai?
I focused heavily on applied leadership, coalition-building, and community engagement. Through my work with NYCAN and the NYC Department of Health, I coordinated meetings, projects, and events involving partners across health care, housing, advocacy, academia, government, and community sectors. I contributed to coalition infrastructure development, policy and advocacy initiatives, public health communications, and large-scale community outreach efforts focused on asthma education and health equity. These experiences helped strengthen my leadership, systems-thinking, and collaborative problem-solving skills while contributing to work that directly impacts New Yorkers. I also appreciated the opportunity to bridge classroom learning with practical public health implementation in real community settings.
What’s Next?
I am joining the Bronx Asthma Program within the Bureau of Bronx Neighborhood Health at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene as the Asthma Community Engagement Coordinator. I’m excited to continue working in asthma prevention, environmental health, and health equity. Long-term, I’d like to continue bridging public health practice, health care systems, policy, and community-based approaches to address chronic disease disparities and improve health outcomes in underserved communities and continue to grow as a public health professional and future health care provider.