Apeksha Mewani

Faculty Profile

Dr. Apeksha Mewani is an Assistant Professor at Lehman College, City University of New York. Her research focuses on health equity, digital health communication, and data analytics, exploring how social determinants, digital platforms, and healthcare systems influence health behaviors and outcomes. She served as Program Director for Health Services Administration from 2023 to 2025.

Dr. Mewani’s research examines issues such as hate crimes and health equity, as well as reproductive and gender-based disparities in healthcare access, highlighting how structural inequalities shape population health. Another key area of her work focuses on digital health communication and the role of social media platforms in shaping health knowledge and behaviors. Her studies analyzing health-related content on platforms such as TikTok including themes such as herbalism, Reiki, and natural remedies, provide insights into how health information circulates online and how audiences engage with digital health messaging.

Her research also applies machine learning methods to examine predictors of COVID-19 seropositivity and pandemic preparedness, demonstrating how advanced analytical tools can strengthen epidemiologic research and public health surveillance. In addition, her work validating culturally appropriate mental health assessment tools for Hindi-speaking populations addresses important gaps in culturally responsive mental health measurement and expands the reach of mental health research to more diverse populations.

Her interdisciplinary approach combines public health, health services research, data science, and social determinants frameworks. In addition to her research, Dr. Mewani is committed to preparing students for careers in healthcare leadership. She integrates experiential learning through electronic health record simulations, digital health tools, and applied data analysis training to help students develop competencies in health informatics and healthcare management. Dr. Mewani also actively mentors students in collaborative research projects, guiding them through the research process and supporting student contributions to peer-reviewed publications. She teaches undergraduate courses in the Health Services Administration major, including The U.S. Healthcare System; Managed Care in the United States; Research Methods and Program Planning; and Computer Applications in Health Services Administration. 

Selected Publications

Mewani, A., Jones, V., Kim, S., Glickman, K., & Prigerson, H. (2025). Psychometric properties, stability, and predictive validity of the Hindi version of the Prolonged Grief Disorder Scale (PG-13-R-H) among Hindi-speaking adults in the United States. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine.

Mewani, A., Jones, V., Jacques, E., Cordero, C., & Basch, C. H. (2025). #Herbalism on TikTok: Engagement metrics, content themes, and influencer credibility in digital health communication. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine.

Mewani, A., Basch, C. H., Renne-Glover, K., Jones, V., Cordero, C., & Gutiqi, A. (2026). Engagement patterns of #naturalremedies on TikTok: A formative analysis. JMIR Formative Research.

Stewart, A., Rodriguez, C., Lopez, D., Jose, N., Encarnacion, M., Hankin, S., Harrison, E. A., Mewani, A., & Brown, C. M. (2025). Exploring food security, activities of daily living, chronic diseases, and quality of life among older adults 60 years and older in New York City. Journal of Aging Research. 

Basch, C., Datuowei, E., Mewani, A., & Hillyer, G. (2025). Analysis of Google News coverage during the 2025 U.S. measles outbreak. American Journal of Infection Control.

Chapa, G., Mewani, A., & Datuowei, E. (2025). Examining time to arrest for hate crime perpetrators: Data from the New York City hate crimes repository. Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal Justice.

Milano, N., Mewani, A., Gonzalez, R., & Basch, C. H. (2025). Reiki content on TikTok: An analysis of engagement metrics, content themes, and influencer credibility in digital health communication. Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medical Research.

Mewani, A., Datuowei, E., & Chapa, G. (2025). Coding, coverage, and care: The infrastructure of transgender health inequities. Journal of Quality in Health Care & Economics.

Mewani, A., Brown, C., & Harrison, E. (2025). Learning to lead: A shift from faculty to academic leadership. International Journal of Higher Education.

Mewani, A., Harrison, E., & Brown, C. (2025). Bridging the digital divide and soft skills: Professional development for underrepresented students at a minority-serving institution. International Journal of Higher Education.

Other Publications

Mewani, A., Jones, V., & Sanchez, A. (2025). Machine learning modeling to predict COVID-19 seropositivity: AI for pandemic preparedness. American Journal of Epidemiology and Infectious Disease.

Mewani, A., Jones, V., & Jacques, E. (2025). Key predictors of COVID-19 seropositivity among adults in the New York City Community Health Survey 2020. American Journal of Public Health Research.

Richards, M., Russo, Y., Duarte, S., Jempel, T., Harrison, E. A., Mewani, A., Hankin, S., Sepulveda-Pacsi, A., & Brown, C. M. (2025). Food security, mental health status and prostate cancer in US men: 2023 NHIS data. Journal of Food Security

Mewani, A., Jones, V. II, & Datuowei, E. (2025). Exploring social determinants of health and COVID-19 seropositivity: Evidence from the New York City Community Health Survey 2020. Giornale Italiano di Psicologia.

Mishra, C., & Mewani, A. (2025). Exploring gut microbiome, gut–brain axis and relationship with exercise: Exploring the impact of exercise on metabolic and mental well-being. International Journal of Horticulture, Agriculture and Food Science.

Mishra, C., & Mewani, A. (2025). Gustatory system: Taste perception and encoding, role of neurotransmitters and exploring the enteric nervous system from a taste perspective. Journal of Food and Nutrition Research.

Jacques, E., Mewani, A., & Jones, V. II. (2025). Advancing health literacy among students: The intersection between debate and health promotion. American Journal of Educational Research.

Mewani, A. (2025). Using tokenization and random forest models to predict pandemic trial outcomes. International Journal of Advanced Engineering, Management and Science.

Mewani, A., Brown, C., & Harrison, E. (2025). Climate change and bereavement: The mental health toll of Hurricane Maria on Puerto Rican communities. American Journal of Public Health Research.

Mewani, A., Harrison, E., Brown, C., & Datuowei, E. (2025). Invisible grief and digital hope: Technology, pregnancy loss, and reproductive health equity. BioSocial Health.

Joshi, A., Mewani, A., Arora, S., & Grover, A. (2021). India’s COVID-19 burdens, 2020. Frontiers in Public Health.

Jones, V. II, Kim, S., Mewani, A., & Basch, C. H. (2022). Immigration status as a determinant of health information-seeking behavior among undergraduates of color at an urban commuter college. Health Promotion Perspectives.

Vergara, M., Wallace, B., & Mewani, A. (2017). Conflict resolution and leadership: Mindfulness into action (MIA) for cultural humility and awareness. In Encyclopedia of Strategic Leadership and Management.

Current Research Projects

Dr. Mewani is currently leading several research projects that explore emerging challenges in public health and digital health communication. Her current work examines childbirth communication on social media platforms, alternative medicine approaches such as meditation coverage on TikTok, perinatal care experiences among transgender men, violence against women in India, and a primary data study on plant-based wellness practices and health perceptions among college students.