Karishma Chhabria Unrue

Dr. Karishma Chhabria Unrue is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health at the University of West Florida, where she teaches graduate-level courses in Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Applied Data Analysis within the Master of Public Health program. She is committed to fostering an engaging and supportive learning environment that emphasizes applied skills, critical thinking, and hands-on research experiences. In recognition of her dedication to student success and mentorship, she received the 2024–2025 Usha Kundu, MD, College of Health Department of Public Health Mentorship Excellence Award.

Dr. Chhabria Unrue is the Director of the IMPACT Lab (Integrated Mental Health and Population Analytics for Clinical Translation), where she leads an interdisciplinary research program focused on mental health, cancer survivorship, women's health, and chronic disease prevention. Her research leverages population science, epidemiology, and predictive analytics to identify factors associated with adverse health outcomes and to develop evidence-based strategies that improve health and well-being among vulnerable populations. She serves as Principal Investigator on multiple externally funded projects and has published and presented her work extensively at national and international scientific meetings. In recognition of her scholarly contributions, she received the 2024–2025 Usha Kundu, MD, College of Health Faculty Scholarship and Creative Activities Award.

As Director of the IMPACT Lab, Dr. Chhabria Unrue actively mentors undergraduate and graduate students in all aspects of the research process, including study design, data management, statistical analysis, scientific writing, grant development, and dissemination. Students in the lab regularly contribute to conference presentations and scholarly publications, gaining valuable experience that prepares them for careers in public health, healthcare, and research.

Dr. Chhabria Unrue received her Master of Public Health in Biostatistics and Ph.D. in Public Health (Social and Behavioral Sciences) from the University of Florida. She completed postdoctoral training in Epidemiology and Population Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine. Her long-term research goal is to leverage population science and predictive analytics to advance early identification, prevention, and intervention strategies that improve mental and physical health outcomes across the lifespan.

Learn more about the IMPACT Lab here - https://sites.google.com/students.uwf.edu/uwfimpactlab/home