Nasser Sharareh

Nasser Sharareh, PhD

Languages spoken: English, Persian

Academic Information

Departments Primary - Population Health Sciences

Research Interests

  • Food Insecurity
  • Geographical Access to Services
  • Community-Engaged Research
  • Health Services Research
  • Health Disparities
  • Social Determinants of Health

Dr. Sharareh is a Research Assistant Professor in the Division of Health System Innovation and Research (HSIR) within the Department of Population Health Sciences (PHS).

He was born and raised in Iran. With a B.Sc. in Industrial Engineering from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, in 2014, he immigrated to the U.S. as a graduate student. He received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering at Binghamton University, NY with a concentration on Health Systems. Following that, he completed his postdoctoral training in health services research in the PHS department, where now, he serves as a faculty member.

Research Statement

As a health services researcher, Dr. Sharareh leads interdisciplinary, community-engaged research focused on improving access to healthy food. His vision is that everyone has access to healthy food whenever and wherever they need it.

His work lies at the intersection of access to community services, health disparities, implementation science, immigration, interventional studies, nutrition science, social determinants of health, spatial science, and systems science. In his research, he employs a diverse set of methods, including quantitative approaches (e.g., GIS, machine learning, statistics, systems science), qualitative techniques (e.g., interviews, focus groups), and implementation science frameworks. Organizations such as United Way of Salt Lake, Utah Food Security Council, and refugee organizations support his research to improve access to food for all.

Education History

Postdoctoral Training University of Utah School of Medicine
 Postdoctoral Research Associate
Professional Medical State University of New York at Binghamton
 PhD
Graduate Training State University of New York at Binghamton
 MS
Undergraduate Ferdowsi University of Mashhad
 BS

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. Berry J, Gander JC, Lu J, Aguilar FAA, Teunis L, Ryerson AB, de Ramirez S, Donohue SE, Mehta C, Han JE, Cribbs SK, Walker TA, Joseph Y, Pemu P, Marconi VC, Wiley Z, Verduzco-Gutierrez M, Bassett IV, Sharareh N, Ofotokun I, Edmiston M, Javia V, Elchommali J, Ifejika C, Brown-Smith K, Asencios W, Elsey I, Sader S, Hafner JW, Hendrickson M, Kelly SW, Parthasarathy S, Pogreba-Brown K, Nunes P, Castro L, Stein-Seroussi D, Nguyen K, Saldino R, Linton J, Riddick S, Briscoe J, Krishnan JA, Gerald LB (2026). Enrolling and retaining a representative population in the NIH Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER)-Adult Cohort. Res Sq.
  2. Kim RG, Ballantyne A, Lancaster E, Galyean P, Sharareh N, Wallace A, Inadomi JM, Zickmund S, Conroy MB, Price JC (2026). Social needs screening in hepatology clinic: a qualitative study of patient experience. BMC Gastroenterol, 26(1).
  3. Sharareh N, Castaneda G, Dalrymple R, Wambach C, Brintz B, Simonsen SE, Sanuade OA, Hedges H, Wilson FA, Hess R, Butler J, Wallace AS (2026). From calls to action: leveraging the 2-1-1 system to intervene on food insecurity. Health Aff Sch, 4(3), qxag063.
  4. Sharareh N, Simonsen S, Hess R, Elmore C, Wallace A, Wilson F (2025). A National Study of the SNAP Nonparticipation Rate Among Income-Eligible U.S. Refugee Households. J Immigr Minor Health, 27(6), 928-934.
  5. Mosalpuria K, Sharareh N, Sanuade OA, Onigbogi O, Asare AO (2025). Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on emergency department visits in adults with diabetes: findings from the national health interview survey. BMC Public Health, 25(1), 3406.
  6. Sharareh N, Simonsen S, Wallace AS, Kim J, Hill JL, Wilson FA (2025). Associations Between Length of US Residency and Participation in Child Nutrition Assistance Programs Among Immigrant Families. J Acad Nutr Diet, 125(10), 1509-1516.
  7. Feldman CH, Santacroce L, Bassett IV, Thaweethai T, Alicic R, Atchley-Challenner R, Chung A, Goldberg MP, Horowitz CR, Jacobson KB, Kelly JD, Knight S, Lutrick K, Mudumbi P, Parthasarathy S, Prendergast H, Quintana Y, Sharareh N, Shellito J, Sherif ZA, Taylor BD, Taylor E, Tsevat J, Wiley Z, Williams NJ, Yee L, Aponte-Soto L, Baissary J, Berry J, Charney AW, Costantine MM, Duven AM, Erdmann N, Ernst KC, Feuerriegel EM, Flaherman VJ, Go M, Hawkins K, Jacoby V, John J, Kelly S, Kindred E, Laiyemo A, Levitan EB, Levy BD, Logue JK, Marathe JG, Martin JN, McComsey GA, Metz TD, Minor T, Montgomery AP, Mullington JM, Ofotokun I, Okumura MJ, Peluso MJ, Pogreba-Brown K, Raissy H, Rosas JM, Singh U, VanWagoner T, Clark CR, Karlson EW (2025). Social Determinants of Health and Risk for Long COVID in the U.S. RECOVER-Adult Cohort. Ann Intern Med, 178(9), 1287-1297.
  8. Sharareh N, Dalrymple R, Kambouris KN, Govett S, Adams S, Kent-Marvick JM, Kim RG, Sanuade OA, Wilson FA, Wallace AS, Butler JM, Simonsen SE (2025). Addressing food insecurity among U.S. refugees, considering the temporal patterns of food insecurity after resettlement: Qualitative insights from Utah. PLoS One, 20(7), e0327645.
  9. Wickizer TM, Goldstein EV, Mason R, Sharareh N (2025). The American fentanyl epidemic: geographic variation in mortality and policy implications. Health Aff Sch, 3(7), qxaf124.
  10. Padek M, Butcher R, deLacerda Allen R, Surratt HL, Subramain M, Tigges B, Eggleston AG, Presley JH, Matheson T, Sharareh N (2025). Examining rural health equity and impact through the translational science benefits model: outcomes from the CTSA Consortium of Rural States (CORES). Front Public Health, 13, 1538494.
  11. Asare AO, Stagg BC, Sharareh N, Stipelman C, Del Fiol G, Smith JD (2024). Vision Loss in Children from Immigrant and Nonimmigrant Households: Evidence from the National Survey of Children's Health 2018-2020. J Immigr Minor Health, 26(5), 813-822.
  12. Zheutlin AR, Sharareh N, Guadamuz JS, Berchie RO, Derington CG, Jacobs JA, Mondesir FL, Alexander GC, Levitan EB, Safford M, Vos RO, Qato DM, Bress AP (2024). Association Between Pharmacy Proximity With Cardiovascular Medication Use and Risk Factor Control in the United States. J Am Heart Assoc, 13(5), e031717.
  13. Bybee SG, Sharareh N, Guo JW, Luther B, Grigorian E, Wang CY, Wong B, Wallace AS (2024). A Secondary Data Analysis of Technology Access as a Determinant of Health and Impediment in Social Needs Screening and Referral Processes. AJPM Focus, 3(2), 100189.
  14. Sharareh N, Adesoba TP, Wallace AS, Bybee S, Potter LN, Seligman H, Wilson FA (2023). Associations between food insecurity and other social risk factors among U.S. adults. J Gen Intern Med, 39(1), 52-60.
  15. Sharareh N, Bybee S, Goldstein E, Jones S, Hess R, Wallace A, Seligman H, Wilson FA (2023). Disparities in food insecurity between sexual minority and heterosexual adults - a higher burden on bisexual individuals. Front Public Health, 11, 1237091.
  16. Sharareh N, Seligman HK, Adesoba TP, Wallace AS, Hess R, Wilson FA (2023). Food Insecurity Disparities Among Immigrants in the U.S. AJPM Focus, 2(3), 100113.
  17. Sharareh N, Wang CY, S Wallace A, Butler J (2023). Indications of food insecurity in the content of telephone calls to a community referral system. PLoS One, 18(4), e0284624.
  18. Sharareh N, Wallace AS, Brintz BJ, Wan N, Guo JW, Wong B (2022). Associated factors with patient-reported unmet food needs among emergency department adult patients - A social need perspective. Prev Med Rep, 29, 101974.
  19. Sharareh N, Wallace AS (2022). Applying a Health Access Framework to Understand and Address Food Insecurity. Healthcare (Basel), 10(2).
  20. Behler RP, Sharareh N, Whetten JS, Sabounchi NS (2020). Analyzing the cost-effectiveness of Lyme disease risk reduction approaches. J Public Health Policy, 41(2), 155-169.
  21. Sharareh N, Hess R, Wan N, Zick CD, Wallace AS (2020). Incorporation of Information-Seeking Behavior Into Food Insecurity Research. Am J Prev Med, 58(6), 879-887.
  22. Sharareh N, Hess R, White S, Dunn A, Singer PM, Cochran J (2020). A vulnerability assessment for the HCV infections associated with injection drug use. Prev Med, 134, 106040.
  23. Sharareh N, Sabounchi SS, McFarland M, Hess R (2019). Evidence of Modeling Impact in Development of Policies for Controlling the Opioid Epidemic and Improving Public Health: A Scoping Review. Subst Abuse, 13, 1178221819866211.
  24. Sharareh N, Behler RP, Roome AB, Shepherd J, Garruto RM, Sabounchi NS (2019). Risk Factors of Lyme Disease: An Intersection of Environmental Ecology and Systems Science. Healthcare (Basel), 7(2).
  25. Sabounchi N, Sharareh N, Irshaidat F, Atav S (2018). Spatial dynamics of access to primary care for the medicaid population. Health Syst (Basingstoke), 9(1), 64-75.
  26. Sharareh N, Sabounchi NS, Roome A, Spathis R, Garruto RM (2017). Model-based risk assessment and public health analysis to prevent Lyme disease. R Soc Open Sci, 4(11), 170841.
  27. Sharareh N, S Sabounchi N, Sayama H, MacDonald R (2016). The Ebola Crisis and the Corresponding Public Behavior: A System Dynamics Approach. PLoS Curr, 8.

Conference Proceedings

  1. Rojas KM, Sharareh N, Cosier L, Santos DL (2019). Considering the Dynamics of FDA Human Factors Validation Requirement: Implications of Failure and Need to Ensure Project Success-A Conceptual Framework. International Symposium on Human Factors and Ergonomics in Health Care, Sage CA: Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications, 8(1), 234-47.
  2. Sharareh N, Sabounchi NS, Hess R (2019). Advancing Spatiotemporal Modeling of Access to Healthcare – A Methodological Perspective. 52nd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 1195-1204.

Letter

  1. Daines SA, Sharareh N (2026). Ending SNAP Eligibility for Refugees and Humanitarian Entrants: Food Access and Health Implications. [Letter to the editor]. J Immigr Minor Health, 28(5), 1054-1059.