Health, Wellness & Society Research Network

Emerging Scholar Awards

Each year a small number of Emerging Scholar Awards are given to outstanding early-career scholars or graduate students. The Award offers complimentary registration and Network Membership. It provides a robust professional development opportunity for early career academics to meet experts in the field, interact with colleagues from other parts of the world, and create networks and lasting connections. In our model, we have two kinds of Emerging Scholars -- In-Person and Online Only. Across all formats, Emerging Scholars play a critical role in the conference by leading discussions and chairing parallel sessions and are offered a publication pathway for their research. This way, we can provide maximum exposure for this selected group of researchers.

To apply, follow the link below. You may also view further instructions by selecting our "Step-By-Step Guide."

Final Deadline: 21 May 2025
Apply Now Step-By-Step Guide

2025 In-Person Recipients

For each conference, a small number of Emerging Scholar Awards are given to outstanding graduate students and emerging scholars who have an active research interest in the conference themes. Emerging Scholars perform a critical role in the conference by chairing the parallel sessions, providing technical assistance in the sessions, and presenting their own research papers. The 2025 Emerging Scholar Award Recipients are as follows:

Polina Palash

Polina Palash

DEMO at the UCLouvain, Belgium

Polina Palash is an interdisciplinary postdoctoral researcher bridging human geography, sociology and anthropology. Her research interests focus on transnational migration studies, linked to the circulations of people, practices and resources across different countries in a globalised context, in particular to transnational forms of care.
She holds a PhD in Geography at Aix-Marseille University, a joint PhD with the title of Society Studies at Maastricht University, which was part of Marie Sklodowska Curie actions. She currently works at the laboratory DEMO at the UCLouvain in Belgium and is an associated member of the laboratories TELEMMe and MESOPOLHIS at Aix-Marseille University in France.

Ithzel Liliana Fernandez Montaño

Ithzel Liliana Fernandez Montaño

University of Guadalajara, Mexico

She is based in Morelia, Mexico. She is a psychologist with a Master's degree in Humanistic Psychotherapy. She is currently studying the fifth semester of a Doctorate in Psychology Research at the University of Guadalajara. She has diplomas in Positive Psychology, Human Development, Thanatology, Psychological First Aid and Laughter Yoga. Professor and researcher at the Faculty of Psychology of the Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo. Nicolás de Hidalgo. Her research interests are: Self-care, Psychological Well-being, Depression, Codependence, etc. She is a Gestalt psychotherapist. She has published book chapters and articles in indexed journals, She has also participated as a speaker at national and international conferences.

Barbara Hugonin Rao

Barbara Hugonin Rao

Harvard Medical School-Boston and Pisa University, USA and Italy

Barbara Hugonin Rao, Italian-French, Pediatrician-NICU Neonatologist, Clinical Geneticist and Researcher in Rare Diseases, and in “early origins of diseases from children to adult and aging life”, she specialized in maternal child care, and healthy aging . She is currently specializing in neuro-critical care and neonatal hemodynamics, she is investigating the effects of maternal exposures and malnutrition on the fetus and the effects on adult life (metabolic and chronic disorders). She carried on a prevention program about family care. She founded “Yuimaru”, project based on circle of people, on mutual support for an healthy family community from childhood to old age.

Giulia Alonzo

Giulia Alonzo

University of Sacro Cuore in Milan, Italy

Giulia Alonzo, PhD, is a research fellow at the University of Sacro Cuore in Milan, working on the project Family Caregivers and Alzheimer: Promoting Engagement and Community Care in the Post-Pandemic Society. Her research interests range from the Sociology of Culture to Social Sciences and Humanities. She is the author of several publications and books on theatre and festivals. Among her latest works: Ingiro per festival (Altreconomia, 2022-2024, with O. Ponte di Pino) and Teatro, Comunità e Innovazione (FrancoAngeli, 2024, with A. Pontremoli and A. Rossi Ghiglione). She is also the president of TrovaFestival Association, a platform that has been mapping Italian cultural festivals since 2017.

2025 Online Only Recipients

Xuemei Zhang

Xuemei Zhang

University of Melbourne, Australia

Xuemei is a PhD candidate and research assistant at the School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne. Her PhD research is to investigate the distribution of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in transitional economy like China using the national representative longitudinal survey. Xuemei is also supporting the projects related to the economic impacts of hearing loss in Australia as research assistant. With extensive experience in analysing large-scale longitudinal survey data, she excels in translating complex quantitative data into actionable insights. Xuemei loves oil painting, tennis, and fitness in her spare time.

Monika Srivastava

Monika Srivastava

Indian Institute of Technology Bhilai, India

Monika Srivastava is a Ph.D. scholar in Psychology at the Department of Liberal Arts, IIT Bhilai, India. She has received a Research Fellowship from the MHRD, Government of India, to support her doctoral studies. She has published in international and national journals on topics including positive psychology interventions, experimental studies, death anxiety, and reflective fieldwork and societal impacts papers. She is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA) and the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA). Her broader research interests include community well-being, research methodology, clinical psychology, and applied social psychology.

In Their Words

I am grateful to the Common Ground Research Network team for providing me the opportunity to present my research through this platform. I had a great experience in chairing and managing the two tracks (Pathways to Health) and (Health Promotion and Practice) assigned to me. Furthermore, interacting with the presenters and other distinguished delegates was a great learning experience. Thank you once again for motivating and appreciating my research related to Health and Wellness."

Zulfiqar Aslam, 2023 Awardee

As an Emerging Scholar, I was able to facilitate discussions among presenters and the audience and engage with the audience on the discussion boards. This was an enriching learning opportunity!"

Satveer Dhillon, 2023 Awardee

My experience as an emerging scholar was exciting, enlightening, and educational. I have been presenting at both national and international conferences, but I never took the role of a moderator and a chair for the session. The Emerging Scholar Award has put me in control of things to experience the conference in an exciting and inspiring way. I enjoyed moderating thematic discussions, networking with peers and scholars, and showcasing my featured research to a wider audience. I bonded with an amazing group of scholars who shared their own insights, tips, and scholarship. I gained experience as a moderator, created friendships, and expanded my professional contacts. All thanks to the Health, Wellness & Society Research Network team for this exposure and the experience of selecting me as an Emerging Scholar, and the financial assistance helped ease the cost of attending. The conference has inspired and encouraged me as an academic and my research in many ways."

Zintle Ntshongwana, 2022 Awardee

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