Research in focus: Fahra Rajabali

Name:

Fahra Rajabali

My pronouns:

she/her

Title:

Researcher

Faculty/Department/Unit:

BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine

Location:

BC Children's Hospital

Year I started working at UBC:

2000

Provide an overview of your research in 75 words or less:

I have been at UBC for 25 years and am a specialist in injury data, epidemiology, visualizations, and evaluation. My focus is on the incidence, rates, and costs of injury-related incidents. I manage the publicly available Injury Data Online Tool (iDOT©), and I am the evaluation manager for the Period of PURPLE Crying Program in BC, a provincial intervention that looks to reduce the incidence of traumatic head injury by child maltreatment/shaken baby syndrome.

What do you hope will change as a result of this research?

It takes decades to make a cultural change. I am hoping that through injury prevention research, we are able to shift mindsets to think of injuries as preventable, rather than “accidental.” We have come a long way with seatbelt, booster seat, and drinking and driving legislations. A lot more needs to be done, and through education, enforcement, and engineering, all using an equitable lens, our research will hopefully make a positive change.

Are there any research collaborators you'd like to acknowledge and why?

I really want to acknowledge the entire team at the BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit for their expertise and support over the years. We fit the definition of a collaborative team and I am thankful to have worked with them for so long. I would also like to thank our national partners from Parachute, York University and Public Health Ontario for their collaboration and support.

What have you learned during your research that has surprised you the most?

Injuries are the leading cause of death among individuals ages 1 to 44 years old. Preventable injuries kill more people than cancer and heart disease, combined. Despite this fact, it surprises me as to how injuries, whether from motor vehicle crashes, poisoning, falls, drowning, or other causes, are often viewed as inevitable or merely “accidents.” The majority of serious injuries are preventable; therefore, focusing on how to prevent them will save lives and taxpayer dollars.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I love to volunteer and give back to my community; in 2014, I received a UBC President’s Staff Award for Global Citizenship. I love to cook wholesome, nutritious meals for family and friends. I recently received funding from the UBC Healthy Workplace Initiatives Fund to offer Cooking with Fahra: A UBC Culinary Wellness Series — virtual monthly cooking classes to the UBC community! Learn how to make recipes such as lentil soup, coconut curry, and masala wraps. If you're interested, please contact me: frajabali@bcchr.ca.