Charisse Ahmed
PhD, RN
Assistant Professor | UCSF School of Nursing
Dr. Charisse Ahmed, PhD, RN, is an Assistant Professor in the UCSF School of Nursing and a Research Fellow with the Southern African Institute for Policy and Research in Zambia. In recognition of her global nursing leadership, Charisse was awarded the 2025 UCSF Global Nursing Research Seed Award through CGN to advance her work on community-engaged HIV and mental health interventions in Zambia. 🇿🇲
Charisse collaborates in research with Ikhaya (A Place Called Home) in Zambia, addressing sexual- and gender-based violence among children and adolescents. In 2023, she co-founded Mind Changers–Pals 4 Life (MCP4L), a grassroots mental health advocacy and research advisory group comprised of youth, clinicians, survivors, and community leaders. Together with MCP4L, she co-designed Mpata Yathu, a trauma-informed, church-based mental health intervention for adolescent girls and young women exposed to address the syndemic of HIV, mental health, and gender-based violence. With strong mentorship, local partnerships, and embedded community collaborators, she continues to anchor her nursing research in equity, sustainability, and impact.