Areas of Interest

Azita Emami, PhD, MSN, RNT, RN, FAAN and Professor is the Dean of the College of Nursing at Seattle University. She has a wide range of experiences from research, teaching, organizational development and leadership within nursing and health-related faculties.

Previous to her current appointment she worked as Head of the Division of Nursing at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Chair for the Division’s research and research education program and Principal Investigator for Transcultural and Gerontological Care Research at Karolinska Institutet (KI). In addition to the leadership role, she also was a Senior Lecturer and Director of an International joint doctoral program between KI and Universities in Iran, and holds a Senior Research position at Stockholm's Sjukhem (Stockholm Nursing home). For more information about her work with KI, please visit http://130.237.98.166/ki/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=37296&l=en

Through her leadership positions as well as through her work on various committees, Dr. Emami has been keenly interested in addressing the quality of education and in developing programs, curriculum and organizational structures that integrate research, practice, theory and the community. Equally important for her, is to develop a stimulating and active learning environment that allows students to take responsibility for their own personal and professional development according to their unique background and specific skills.

Research Projects

Current & Recent Research Activities & Grants

Executive Endowment from AMF Insurance Company
Was awarded an endowment of 20 million SEK (approx. 3.2 mill USD) in 2001 in order to develop Elderly Care Research at KI. Funding is intended to cover my salary until retirement as well as one full-time research assistant for the same period.

National research

1. Primary Investigator for the project, “Cultural knowledge growth and cultural competence in elderly nursing care”
Start: January 2003- ongoing, including two doctoral dissertations
Collaborators: 2 senior researchers and 1 doctoral student (planned dissertation December 2008), and 1 research assistant
Funding organization: AMF endowment, see above

2. Primary Investigator for the project “Freedom or security factors that influence fall risk among nursing home residents”
Start: January 2002-ongoing including a doctoral dissertation
Collaborators: 3 senior researchers and 1 doctoral student (planned dissertation- January 2008)
Funding organization: Competence Center of Elderly Care (KC), Sweden; and Stockholm County Council, Pick-up funding for approx. 200 000 USD

3. Primary Investigator for the project “Experiences of life situations for relatives of dementia sufferers in rural areas and large cities”
Start: September 2003-2006
Collaborators: I senior researcher and 1 doctoral student
Funding organization: Competence Center of Elderly Care (KC), Sweden; and Stockholm County Council, Pick-up funding for approx. 200 000 USD

4. Primary Investigator for the project “Developing cultural competence and preventing discrimination in care”
Start: February 2005-ongoing Collaborators: 1 senior researcher and 2 research assistants
Funding organization: Stockholm County Council Pick-up funding, Stockholms Sjukhem and Solna City for approx. 360 000 USD

5. Primary investigator for the project “Cross-cultural elderly care in European settings”
Funding organization: Post doctoral funding was provided by Centre for Healthcare Science, KI (CVF), approx. 47 000 USD to fund one half-time research fellow from September 2003-2005
Collaborators: 2 senior researchers and 1 research assistant

6. Participant and co-advisor of the project “Nutritional problems in elderly care- the significance of survival and the effects of vitamin and mineral supplements”
Primary investigator: Professor Tommy Cederholm
Start: 2002-2006 including a completed doctoral dissertation

7. Participant and co-supervisor for the project “Implementation and evaluation of music therapeutic caregiving- Interventions in Dementia Care”
Primary investigator: Dr Eva Götell
Start: April 2007- ongoing including a doctoral thesis
Funding organization: Swedbank and Johanniter Orden in Sweden,approx. 311 000 USD

International research

1. Primary investigator for the project “Health and needs among elders in Iranian and Swedish communities”
Start: March 2003- ongoing including a doctoral thesis
Collaborators: 3 senior researchers and 1 doctoral student
Funding organizations: The Swedish Research Links/MENA (2003-2006) and Ministry of Health, Iran for a total of approximately 185 000 USD

2. Primary Investigator for several projects carried out under the auspices of the “Joint Ph.D. Program” between Karolinska Institutet and Iranian Universities, within which 10 doctoral students from Iran are carrying out research towards their degrees. These include the following projects:

• “Perceptions on and experiences of Dementia among patients, families and professional caregivers in Iran and Sweden”
  Start: September 2005- ongoing including a doctoral thesis
  Collaborators: 4 senior researchers, and 1 doctoral student.
  Funding organization: Ministry of Health, Iran, Alzheimer Foundation, and National foundation of Dementia
• “Transcultural and gender aspects in experiencing Angina Pectoris symptoms: An International study”
  Start: September 2005- ongoing including a doctoral thesis
  Collaborators: 3 senior researchers, and 1 doctoral student
  Funding organization: Ministry of Health and Iran Medical University, Iran
• “Informal care- giving of dementia patients in Iran: health status, care burden, and expressed needs family care- givers”
  Start: November 2007- ongoing including a doctoral thesis
  Collaborators: 1 senior researcher, and 1 doctoral student
  Funding organization: Ministry of Health, Iran
• “Transcultural health-related social alienation among youths“
  Start: September 2005- ongoing
  Collaborators: 2 senior researchers, and 1 doctoral student
  Funding organization: Ministry of Health, Iran, including a completed doctoral dissertation

3. Co-investigator for several projects carried out under the “Joint Ph.D. Program” between Karolinska Institutet and Iranian Universities, including:

• “Developing a model for Diabetes care in Iran”
  Start: 2003-2006
  Collaborators: 3 senior researchers, and 1 doctoral student
  Funding organization: Ministry of Health, Iran, including a completed doctoral thesis
• “Drug Abuse Related Behaviors among Iranian Male High School Students”
  Start: 2003-2006 including a doctoral thesis
  Collaborators: 2 senior researchers, and 1 doctoral student
  Funding organization: Ministry of Heath, Iran
• Co-investigator and co-supervisor on the project “Nursing profession in Iran”
  Start: 2000-2007 including a completed doctoral thesis
  Collaborators: 2 senior researchers, and 1 doctoral student
  Funding organization: Ministry of Health, Iran

Recent Publications

Click here for a complete list of publications

Dissertation

Emami, A. (2000). “We are deaf, though we hear; we are dumb, though we talk; we are blind though we see”- Understanding Iranian Late-in-life Immigrants’ Perceptions and Experiences of Health, Illness and Culturally Appropriate Care. Doctoral Dissertation, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Occupational Therapy and elderly Care Research, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Center for Elderly Care Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

Publications in refereed international scholarly journals

1. Emami, A. & Ekman, S-L. (1998). Living in a Foreign Country in Old Age: Life in Sweden as experienced by elderly Iranian immigrants. Health Care in Later Life, (3) 3: 183-198.

2. Emami, A., Torres, S., Lipson, J. G. & Ekman, S-L. (2000). An Ethnographic Study of a Day-Care Center for Iranian Immigrant Seniors. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 22 (2): 169-188.

3. Emami, A., Lipson, J. G., Benner, P. & Ekman, S-L. (2000). Health as Continuity and Balance in Life. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 22 (7): 812-825.

4. Emami, A., Benner, P. & Ekman, S-L. (2000). A preliminary sociocultural health model for late-in-life immigrants. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 12 (1): 15-24.

5. Nikbakht Nasrabadi, A., Emami, A. Parsa Yekta, Z. (2003). Nursing experience in Iran. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 9 (2): 78-85.

6. Emami, A. & Tishelman, C. (2004). Reflections on Cancer in the Context of Women’s Health: Focus group discussions with Iranian immigrant women in Sweden. Women & Health, 39 (4): 75-96.

7. Nikbakht, A. Lipson, J. & Emami, A. (2004). Professional nursing in Iran: An overview of its historical and sociocultural framework. Journal of Professional Nursing, 20 (6): 396-402.

8. Nikbakht A.N, Parsa Z & Emami, A. (2004). Smoking as a symbol of friendship: A qualitative study of smoking behavior and initiation of a group of male nurse students in Iran. Journal of Nursing and Health Sciences, 6:197-203.

9. Emami, A. & Torres, S. (2005). Making sense of illness: late-in-life migration as point of departure for elderly Iranian immigrants’ explanatory models of illness. Journal of Immigrant Health, 7 (3): 153-164.

10. Emami, A., Heikkilä, K & Lipson, G.J. (2005). An integrative review of nursing studies of culture based care. Journal of Nursing and Health. 12(1).

11. Ebbeskog, B. & Emami, A. (2005). Elderly patients’ experiences of dressing changes on venous leg ulcers: More than just a docile patient. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 14:1–9.

12. Nikbakht Nasrabadi A, ParsaYekta Z & Emami, A. (2005). Phenomenological analysis of nursing paradigm in Iran and Sweden. Hayat: Scientific Journal of Tehran School of Nursing and Midwifery, 22: 26-31.

13. Jirwe, M., Gerrish, K., & Emami, A. (2006). The theoretical framework of cultural competence. Journal of Multicultural Nursing and Health, 12 (3): 6-16.

14. Nikbakht Nasrabadi, A. & Emami, A. (2006). Perceptions of nursing practice in Iran. Nursing Outlook, 54(6): 320-327.

15. Allahverdipour.H. MacIntyre, R., Hidarnia.A. Shafii.F. Kazemnegad.A., Geleiha.A., & Emami, A. (2006). Assessing protective factors against drug abuse among high school students: Self-control and the extended parallel process model. Journal of Addictions Nursing, 18(2): 63-57.

16. Allahverdipour.H. Hidarnia.A., Shafii.F. Kazemnegad.A. AzadFallah.P. & Emami, A. (2007). The status of Self-control and its relation to drug abuse related behaviors among Iranian Male High School Students. Social Behavior and Personality, 34(6):413-424.

17. Emami, A., and Nikbakht Nasrabadi, (2007). Two approaches to nursing: a study of Iranian nurses. Journal of International Nursing Review. 54(2),137-43.

18. Alavi, N.M., Ghofranipour, F., Ahmadi, F, & Emami, A. (2007). Developing a culturally valid and reliable quality of life questionnaire for diabetes mellitus. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 13(1): 177-1851.

19. Fonad E., Emami, A., Robins Wahlin TB. & Sandmark H. (2008) Falls and fall risk among nursing home residents. Journal of Clinical Nursing .17(1):126-34.

20. Galvin, K., Emami, A., Dahlberg, K., Ekebergh, M. Rosser, E., Powell, J., Bach, S., Edlund, B., Bondas, T., and Uhrenfeldt, L. (2008). “Challenges for future caring science research: A response to providing evidence for health-care practice” International. Journal of Nursing Studies. (43) 923–927.

21. Fonad E., Burnard. P. & Emami, A. (2008) Shielding or caging? Professional caregivers´ opinions on influential factors for patient’s safety and security in nursing homes. International Journal of Older People’s Nursing. (3) 46-

22. Emami, A. & Mazaheri, M. (2007). Difficulties in recruiting participants for a research study on immigrant dementia caregivers: Challenges in conducting research with a culturally diverse population. Journal of Immigrant and Refugee Studies, 5(4), 103 - 108.

23. Allahverdipour H, Emami A. (2008). Perceptions of cervical cancer threat, benefits, and barriers of Papanicolaou smear screening programs for women in Iran. Women Health.47(3):23-37.

24. Momeni, P, Jirwe, M, & Emami, A. (2008) Enabling nursing students to become culturally competent- a documentary analysis of curricula in all Swedish nursing programs. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences. 22:499-506.

25. Najafi T., Nikravesh M.Y., Ekman I. & Emami A. (2009). Adaptation and validation of the Iranian version of Angina Pectoris characteristics questionnaire. International Journal of Nursing Practice 2008, 14: 470-476.

26. Najafi T., Tessama M.K., Nikravesh M.Y., Ekman I. & Emami A. (2009). The Iranian version of Angina Pectoris characteristics questionnaire: Reliability assessment. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 18:694-699.

27. Olt, H., Jirwe, M., Gustavsson, P., & Emami, A. (2009) Psychometric Evaluation of the Swedish Adaptation of the Inventory for Assessing the Process of Cultural Competence Among Healthcare Professionals–Revised (IAPCC-R) Journal of Transcultural Nursing, published on October 12, 2009 as doi:10.1177/1043659609349064

28. Jirwe, M., Gerrish, K., & Emami, A. (2009). Student nurses’ experiences of communication in cross-cultural care encounter. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences.

29. Jirwe, M., Keeney, S., Gerrish, K., & Emami, A. (2009). Identifying the core components of cultural competence: findings from a Delphi study. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 18(18): 2622-2634

30. Fonad E., Emami, A., Robins Wahlin TB. & Sandmark H. (2009) Falls in somatic and dementia wards at Community Care Units. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences. 23(1): 2-10.

31. Najafi, T. & Emami, A. (2009). Grounded theory: Methodology and philosophical perspective. Nurse Researcher. 17(1): 15-23.

32. Safipour, J., Tessma, M. K., Higginbottom, G. & Emami, A. (2010). Measuring social alienation in adolescence: Translation and validation of the Jessor and Jessor Social Alienation Scale. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology.DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9450.2010.00810.

33. Emami, A. Momeni, P., Foroughan, M., and Maddah, S. (2010) Developing a questionnaire for conducting cross national studies- Self-reported health and needs among elderly Iranians and Swedes. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences. DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-6712.2009.00706.

34. Palesh, M., Tishelman, C., Fredrikson, S., Jamshidi, H., Tomson, G., Emami, A. (2010). “We noticed that suddenly the country has become full of MRI”. Policy makers’ views on diffusion and use of health technologies in Iran. Health Research Policy and Systems 2010 8:9 Dol: 10, 1186/1478-4505-8-9 http://www.health-policy-systems.com/content/8/1/9 published 6 April 2010.

35. Sonde, L., Emami, A., Kiljunen, H., Nordenram, G. (2010). Care providers’ perceptions of the importance of oral care and its performance within everyday caregiving for nursing home residents with dementia. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences doi: 10.1111/j.1471-6712.2010.00795.x

Editorials and Commentaries published in international refereed journals

1. Emami, A. (2006), Coping with breast cancer in newly diagnosed women: a qualitative study. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 54 (3).

2. Ekman, S-L. & Emami, A. (2007) Cultural diversity in health care. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 21(4):417-8.

Original articles published in refereed Swedish journals

1. Ekman, S-L., Emami, A. & Heikkilä, K. (1998). Äldre invandrare i vård och omsorg. Vård, (2): 36-42.

2. Emami, A. (2001). Att möta patienten där hon är och börja just där- om sen-invandrade, Äldre iranier och deras upplevelser av kulturellt anpassad vård och omsorg. Vård, (1): 57-66.

3. Emami, A. (2001). Kulturellt anpassad äldrevård i Husby- ett segregerande försök som tycks fungera. Medikament, 1: 60-66.

4. Emami, A., Jirwe, M., & Olt, H (2004). Att vårda en mångkulturell befolkning. Invandrare och minoriteter, 5 (6): 40.

5. Conte.H, Emami, A. (2004). Familjen i vården. Invandrare och minoriteter, 5 (6): 80-82.

Published reviews/reports and book chapters

1. Emami, A. (2004). ”Att vara äldre och invandrare” in A-K Edberg & K. Blomqvist (Eds) Att vara äldre- man har ju sina krämpor (2004). Studentlitteratur, Lund.

2. Emami, A. (2004). ”Kulturella aspekter på närståendes behov inom vård och omsorg” in Östlinder, G. (Ed.) "Närståendes behov"- Omvårdnad som akademiskt ämne II, Svenska sjuksköterska förening.

3. Kiljunen, H., Nordenram, G., Emami, A., Sonde, E. (2007). ”Munhygien som en del av omvårdnad vid demenssjukdom”. KC-Kompetenscentrum inom äldreomsorg & äldrevård, Rapport 49, ISSN: 1650-884x, November 2007.

4. Emami, A., Hammarström, G, Dahlin, A, & Olt, H, (2008). Transkulturellt förhållningssätt och lika rättigheter, inom Solna stads äldreomsorg Rapport om verksamheter inom Solna stads omvårdnadsförvaltning.

Original work accepted for publication in international refereed journals

1. Fonad E., Emami, A., Robins Wahlin TB. & Sandmark H. Falls at community care units: A comparison between somatic and dementia wards. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences.

2. Najafi, T. & Emami, A. Using instruments across cultures: Translation, validity and reliability. Nurse Researcher.

3. Olt, H., Jirwe, M., Gustavsson, P., & Emami, A. Psychometric Evaluation of the Swedish Adaptation of the Inventory for Assessing the Process of Cultural Competence among Healthcare Professionals- Revised (IAPCC-R). Journal of Transcultural Nursing.

4. Emami, A. & Momeni, P., Developing the questionnaire “Self-reported health and needs in elderly Iranians and Swedes”. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences.

5. Najafi, T., Ekman, I., Yadavar Nikravesh, M., & Emami, A. Adaptation and validation of the Angina Pectoris characteristics questionnaire.

6. Najafi, T., Ekman, I., Nikra Yadavar Nikravesh, M., vesh, F. & Emami, A. Reliability of the Angina Pectoris characteristics questionnaire.

7. Najafi, T. & Emami, A. Grounded theory: Methodology and philosophical perspective-Introduction.

8. Jirwe, M., Keeney, S., Gerrish, K., & Emami, A. Identifying the core components of cultural competence: findings from a Delphi study. Journal of clinical Nursing.

Original work submitted for publication in international refereed journals

1. Ehrlich, K., Heikkillä, K., Mazaheri, M. & Emami, A. Family members´ assessments of caring for a demented relative in urban and rural areas in Sweden.

2. Sunvisson, H, Götel, E, Hansebo, G, Nygård, L, Palo-Bengtsson, L & Emami, A. Making differences in dementia care.

3. Momeni, P., Conte, H., & Emami, A. Identifying challenges in the process of developing a cross-national questionnaire about self-reported health and needs among Swedish and Iranian elderly.

4. Mohammadi, F., Dabbaghi, F, Yadavar Nikravesh, M., & Emami, A. Searching for a balance point: a culturally sensitive grounded theory of family care giving for Iranian frail elderly.

5. Emami, A & Dahlin, A. Endeavour of constructing a questionnaire- Assessment of cultural sensitive care environment (ACSCE)

6. Mazaheri, M. Sunvisson, H., Nasrabadi Nikbakht, A., Maddah, M-S., and Emami, A. Bearing witness to life narratives: Iranian immigrant experiences of having a family member with dementia.

7. Jirwe, M., Gerrish, K., & Emami, A. Student nurses’ experiences of communication in cross-cultural care encounter.

8. Safipour, J., Mesfin, T., Higginbottom, G., Emami, A. Translation and Validation of the Jessor and Jessor Social Alienation Scale: Findings from a Swedish Study.

Scholarly activities

Participation and paper presentations in international scholarly conferences as invited lecturer or with accepted manuscript

03.03.1998 Conference on Elderly Immigrant Research, Copenhagen, Denmark

02.05.1998 Conference “Revealing meaning for Nursing and Health- A Conference on Phenomenology and Hermeneutics” in Minnesota, USA

10.06.1998 Conference “Communication in Health Care”, Amsterdam, Holland

05.07.1998 Conference “WENR” (Work group of European Nurses Researchers), Helsinki, Finland

07.04.1999 Conference “5th International Qualitative Health Research”, New Castle, Australia

08.06.1999 Conference “6th Asia/Oceania Regional Congress of Gerontology”, Seoul, South Korea

28.06.1999 “ICN” (International Council of Nursing), London, UK

15.10.1999 “Iran’s First International conference on Aging”, Tehran, Iran

18.10.1999 “Iran’s First International conference on Aging” In Tehran, Iran, (keynote address)

26.01.2000 “International Women’s health Conference”, San Francisco, USA

15.10.2000 “Mental Health in the Elderly- Transcultural Perspective”, International Psycho Geriatric Association, Porto-Alegre, Brazil

20.11.2000 “The Gerontological Society of America’s 53rd annual Scientific Meeting program”, Washington DC, USA

09.06.2001 “ICN” (International Council of Nursing), Copenhagen, Denmark

26.06.2001 The Seventh Annual Qualitative Health Research Conference 2001, Seoul, South Korea

04.07.2001 International Association of Gerontology 17th World Congress, Vancouver, Canada

07.07.2001 Nursing Conference, Luton, UK

11.09.2002 Conference “Qualitative Research Methods”, Bournemouth, England

11.09.2002 Conference “Culture, Health & Diversity”, Sheffield, England

16.10.2002 Conference “Culture Care Paradigms in Life Transitions: An Interdisciplinary Approach”, Toronto, Canada

22.11.2002 Paper presented in Conference “Nursing Research Conference” Madrid, Spain

28.06.2005 Paper presented in VII International Congress of Gerontological Association, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

28.05.2006 Moving to and living in a retirement home – Focusing on elderly people’s sense of safety and security. 18th Nordic Congress of Gerontology, Jyväskylä, Finland.

02.04.2006 Moving to and living in a retirement home – Focusing on elderly people’s sense of safety and security. International Congress of Elderly Health. Istanbul, Turkey.

03.05.2007 RCN annual international nursing research conference, Dundee, Scotland. “The Delphi technique: methodological and practical considerations”

08.11.2007 Marmstål, L., Emami, A., Engström, G, and Götell, E.'Implementation and evaluation of music therapeutic caregiving', Poster och muntlig presentation, 7th Conference on Advances in Health Care Science Research, Stockholm.

16.11.2007 Emami, A. and Momeni, P; Invandrad till Sverige hälsa, ohälsa och tillgång till hälso- och sjukvård, Lund

10.04.2008 Jirwe, M., Gerrish, K., Keeney, S., & Emami, A. Identifying the core components of cultural competence using the Delphi technique. Royal College of Nursing, Liverpool, England

10.04.2008 Marmstål, L., Emami, A., Engström, G, and Götell, E. 'Caregivers´experience of music thrapeutic careiving in dementia care' , Muntlig presentation, NCCS conference, Borås.

15.05.2008 Marmstål, L., Emami, A., Engström, G, and Götell, E. 'Vårdarsång som en intervention i demensvåd', Muntig presentation, Doktorandkonferens, Mälardalens Högskola.

22.05.2008 Marmstål, L., Emami, A., Engström, G, and Götell, E. 'Vårdares efrenheter av vårdarsång i demensvård', Muntlig presentation, 18th Alzheimers Conference Europe, Oslo (Svensk presentation)

25.05.2008 Marmstål, L., Emami, A., Engström, G, and Götell, E. 'Caregivers´experience of music thrapeutic careiving in dementia care' Muntlig presentation, 18th Alzheimers Conference Europe, Oslo (Engelsk presentation)

28.05.2008 Momeni, A., Emami., A. Symposium: Den 19th Nordiska Kongress i Gerontologi Oslo

10.01.2009 Safipour, J., Higginbottom, G, and Emami, A. Social alienation and health status among Swedish youths (15-19 years old), "2nd Midterm Conference of RN30 Youth and Generation of ESA- Youth and Youth Sociology in Europe", Roosta-Estonia presented

09.02.2009 09th Conference of the European Sociological Association (ESA), 2 - 5 September 2009 (Health status of Swedish youth)