Dr. Rozina Karmaliani is a prominent member of the Aga Khan University (AKU), where she currently serves as an Implementation Scientist and Associate Director at the Brain & Mind Institute, overseeing the South and Central Asia region. She also leads the Centre for Graceful Aging at AKU.

Dr. Karmaliani was the first Pakistani to earn a PhD in Nursing, which she obtained in 2000 from the University of Minnesota. She also holds a Master of Public Health and a Master of Science in Nursing from the same institution, along with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from AKU. In addition, she has completed diplomas in Midwifery and Nursing from the Aga Khan Health Services and AKU, respectively.

She served as Dean of the AKU School of Nursing and Midwifery (SONAM) from 2019 to 2022, where she led strategic initiatives to advance nursing education, strengthen institutional excellence, and develop healthcare leaders and educators. Beyond Pakistan, Dr. Karmaliani has contributed significantly to the development and promotion of higher education in nursing across East Africa, Afghanistan, Syria, and Egypt.

A recipient of numerous national and international research grants, Dr. Karmaliani’s research focuses on women’s, child, and adolescent health, with particular emphasis on the prevention of gender-based violence, promotion of mental health, and suicide prevention from a health systems perspective.

Her exceptional contributions have earned her several prestigious awards, including the Juran Fellowship Award for Leadership in Quality and the Distinguished Leadership Award for Internationals from the University of Minnesota. She was recognized as one of the WHO Global 100 Nurse and Midwife Leaders in 2020 and received the Women Leaders Award from the Hum Television Network in 2022. Most recently, she became the first nurse from Pakistan to be inducted into the American Academy of Nursing, a highly distinguished honor.

She has also received the Aga Khan University Award of Distinction in recognition of her distinguished service and outstanding contributions to the University, as well as the Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award for her exceptional service to society.