Halima Al-Khattab is from Indianapolis, IN and has a background in community mental health, behavioral research, and health innovation & implementation. She attended Indiana University where she earned B.S. degrees in Cytotechnology (2003) and Nursing (2009) and PhD in Nursing (2016). She completed graduate and post-graduate fellowships in the areas of behavioral research, adolescent health, health innovation and implementation science, and clinical psychiatry at the IU School of Nursing and IU School of Medicine. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Case Western Reserve University. She served as a co-coordinator of the interdisciplinary Leadership Education in Adolescent Health program and has secured individual funding from the National Institute of Nursing Research. She currently works as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner at Hamilton Center, Inc.
Halima’s research has focused on the mental health of community-based racial/ethnic and religious minorities. Her work seeks to understand how contextual factors, culture and religion shape health-related beliefs, behaviors, and outcomes. This understanding guides the development of community education and tailored interventions to better meet the mental health needs and reduce disparities in these underserved communities.
​
Halima has been a longstanding member of the Indianapolis Muslim Community Association (IMCA), a 501c3 organization. The IMCA includes a mosque, full-time K-12 school, Sunday school, food pantry, and cemetery program. She was a member of the first graduating high school class and for more than 20 years, has served in a variety of teaching, mentoring, counseling, and leadership roles. She currently serves as Chair of the IMCA Board of Directors and coordinates the Muslim Wellness Project, a program that seeks to meet the mental health and social service needs of Muslims in central Indiana. She serves in member- and leadership roles with a number of professional and community organizations, including the Midwest Nursing Research Society, Center for Interfaith Cooperation, Muslim Youth Coalition, and Coalition for Our Immigrant Neighbors. Halima Al-Khattab is passionate about transforming communities by nurturing the social, emotional, and physical health of youth and families. 

​