Professor; Director of Graduate Studies
Heritage Hall 460Q
(205) 934-0825
Research and Teaching Interests: Religion and HIV, Health inequities, Minority health, Mental health, Epilepsy, Health-related quality of life, COVID-19
Office Hours: By appointment
Education:
- BA, University of Michigan
- MA, University of Michigan
- PhD, University of Cincinnati
- Postdoctoral Fellowship in Health Policy and Outcomes Research, University of Cincinnati
My passion and career goal has been addressing the health needs of vulnerable populations — the economically disadvantaged, minorities, stigmatized, and chronically ill. I have endeavored to advance this goal through transdisciplinary research, education, and community engagement.
I specialize in quantitative and applied research methods. I have published studies in health, medical, and social science journals on topics ranging from racial disparities in HIV/AIDS to quality of life in epilepsy and mental disorders. My research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, state agencies, and private foundations. I have published expert reviews and served on national and international scientific review panels. I have unique cross-disciplinary career insights to share with graduate students in medical sociology.
My other passion is teaching about global issues — political, economic, cultural, and health-related. Before my doctoral studies in sociology, I studied languages and international relations. I lived in Germany and travelled in Europe during a transformative period marked by the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the collapse of the Soviet bloc, Germany’s reunification, and Eastern Europe’s democratic and market transitions. I still regularly visit Europe and have also travelled in Asia. My goal is to bring my broad and diverse experiences and knowledge into the classroom and encourage lively exchange of ideas from global and sociological perspectives.
UAB Scholars Profile opens a new website-
Recent Courses
Undergraduate:
- Social Change
- Global and International Sociology
- Sociology of Health and Illness
- Sociology of Mental Health
Graduate:
- Sociology of Mental Health
- Contemporary Sociological Theory
- Global Health
- Religion and Health
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Select Publications
- Magdalena Szaflarski, Shawn Bauldry, Lisa A. Cubbins, and Karthikeyan Meganathan. “Nativity, Race-Ethnicity, and Dual Diagnosis among US Adults opens a new website,” Research in the Sociology of Health Care 35 (2017):171-91.
- Szaflarski, Magdalena and Joseph I. Sirven. “Social Factors in Marijuana Use for Medical and Recreational Purposes opens a new website,” Epilepsy and Behavior 70 (Pt B, 2017):280-87.
- Szaflarski, Magdalena, Barbara Hansen, Martina Bebin, and Jerzy P. Szaflarski. “Social Correlates of Health Status, Quality of Life, and Mood States in Patients Treated with Cannabidiol for Epilepsy opens a new website,” Epilepsy and Behavior 70 (Pt B, 2017):364-69.
- Bauldry, Shawn and Magdalena Szaflarski. 2017. “Immigrant-Based Disparities in Mental Health Care Utilization opens a new website,” Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World 3: 1-14.
- Magdalena Szaflarski, Lisa A. Cubbins, Shawn Bauldry, Karthikeyan Meganathan, Daniel H. Klepinger, and Eugene Somoza. “Major Depressive Disorder and Dysthymia at the Intersection of Nativity and Racial-Ethnic Origins opens a new website,” Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health 18 (No. 4, 2016):749-63.
- Magdalena Szaflarski, Lisa M. Vaughn, Daniel McLinden, Yolanda Wess, and Andrew Ruffner. “Using Concept Mapping to Mobilize a Black Faith Community to Address HIV opens a new website,” International Public Health Journal 7 (No. 1, 2015):117-30.
- Magdalena Szaflarski. “The Social Determinants of Health in Epilepsy opens a new website,” Epilepsy and Behavior 41 (2014):283-89.
- Magdalena Szaflarski and Lisa M. Vaughn. “Deconstructing and Addressing Health Disparities to Build Health Equity,” in Critical Health Psychology , Michael Murray, ed. (2nd ed., New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014), 87-107.
- Magdalena Szaflarski. “Spirituality and Religion among HIV-Infected Individuals opens a new website,” Current HIV/AIDS Reports 10 (No. 4, 2013):324-32.
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Academic Distinctions and Professional Societies
- Voluntary Associate Professor, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
- Scientist, UAB Center for AIDS Research opens a new website (CFAR)
- Scholar & Mentor, UAB Sparkman Center for Global Health opens a new website
- Mentor, UAB Center for Outcomes and Effectiveness Research and Education opens a new website (COERE)
- Engaged Scholar Fellowship, Hartford Institute for Religion Research/Lilly Endowment, Inc.
- American Sociological Association (ASA)
- International Sociological Association (ISA)
- Southern Sociological Society (SSS)
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Research Funding
- Szaflarski, Magdalena. Engaged Scholarship Fellow. "Congregations' Responses to Community Health Needs." Hartford Institute for Religion Research/Lilly Endowment, Inc., 2014-2015. ($20,000)
- Magdalena Szaflarski, Co-Investigator. "Behavioral and Social Factors Impact Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Obesity in HIV-infected Women." (PI: Willig). Mid-South Transdisciplinary Collaborative Center for Health Disparities Research, 2013-2015. ($100,000)
- Magdalena Szaflarski, Academic PI. “Engaging Black Churches in HIV Prevention Efforts in High-Risk Cincinnati Neighborhoods.” Community Health Grant, Center for Clinical and Translational Science and Training (CCTST), University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center, 2012-2013. ($18,000)
- Magdalena Szaflarski, Co-Investigator/Local PI. “Immigration Effects on Substance Abuse, Mental Health, and Treatment Gaps.” (R01; PI: Cubbins), National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2009-2012. ($158,951)
- Magdalena Szaflarski, Principal Investigator. “Religious Organizations’ Responses to HIV/AIDS.” (R21). National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2007-2010. ($425,100)
- Magdalena Szaflarski, Principal Investigator. “Religious Organizations’ Responses to HIV/AIDS” — ARRA Summer Student Internship Supplement. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2009. ($11,874)
- Magdalena Szaflarski, Consultant. “Socioeconomic Status and Functional Outcome after Stroke.” (K23; PI: Kleindorfer), National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke, 2006-2011.
- Magdalena Szaflarski, Collaborator. “Spirituality and Will to Live in Patients with HIV/AIDS.” (R01; PI: Tsevat), National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health, 2004-2008.