This year, the UC Davis Threatened Scholars Program collaborated with UCD Health’s Departments of Dermatology and Public Health Sciences and the Institute of International Education’s Scholar Rescue Fund (IIE – SRF) to bring Dr. Ahmad Aalemi, an outstanding physician and academic from Afghanistan, to the UC Davis campus.

In Afghanistan, Dr. Ahmad Aalemi had a thriving career serving his community as a private physician and teaching the next generation of doctors as an associate professor at Kabul University of Medical Sciences. After pursuing higher education in Turkey and China, he returned home to share his expertise and contribute vital research in oral medicine and dermatology. “I had a good life. I had everything, and there was no issue with my life in Afghanistan before the Taliban,” he recalls. “I had opportunities to live in other countries, but I never tried to leave Afghanistan because I liked my country. For me, it was the best country.”

But his career, life, and safety were shattered when the Taliban seized control of Kabul in August 2021. “When they entered Kabul, I was giving a lecture,” Dr. Aalemi recalls. “I went home, and for a week I stayed inside my house. I thought maybe they wouldn’t try to bother me.” Dr. Aalemi knew his work with international organizations made him a target for the Taliban. “They think we are spies if we work with international organizations, and they will punish us.”

Dr. Aalemi and his family escaped to Pakistan, where they spent more than a year searching for stability. But life in exile brought new challenges. With strict visa restrictions, he could neither work nor continue his research, leaving him and his family in limbo. That changed when UC Davis extended an opportunity for stability and education through the Threatened Scholars Program.

Today, Dr. Aalemi actively contributes to research, teaching, and mentorship in the UC Davis Department of Dermatology as a visiting professor. 

“At UC Davis, I am helping medical students do their research projects,” he says. “Most of my students are referred to me when they need help writing a paper or conducting research. I am also completing my own projects and giving lectures in oral medicine.” 

One of his current major research projects focuses on the quality of life of psoriasis patients in the Sacramento region.

His long-term goal is to pass his medical licensing exams, complete a U.S. residency, and join the faculty in his specialization of oral medicine. Meanwhile, his immediate impact is already clear: supporting UC Davis students and advancing dermatology research. “I can say that all the staff and faculty are very supportive and helpful. When I ask to do a project or work together, they are open-minded, and they accept my request,” he says. “I’m very happy, and I like the environment. Everything is the best, and I hope I can contribute to their work as well.”

For Dr. Aalemi, UC Davis’s Threatened Scholars Program made this work possible. 

“I believe programs like this help so many scholars around the world. It’s a very, very good program,” he says. “It brings knowledge to the host country. People who have already finished their education can come to a new country and, after a few years, contribute to the development of that country. It’s good for the host country and it’s good for the scholar.”

He adds that without such support, he and others like him would be trapped in a state of flux. “If a scholar stays in a country where they cannot work, it is very bad for their children and for their family.”

Dr. Aalemi is grateful to the many individuals and departments that helped bring him to UC Davis, including the Department of Dermatology chair Dr. Samuel Hwang, the School of Medicine’s Department of Public Health Sciences chair Dr. Brad Pollock, and the UC Davis Threatened Scholars Committee, which includes Beth Greenwood, School of Law Associate Dean and Director of Global Legal Education; Joanna Regulska, Global Affairs Vice Provost and Dean; Michael Lazzara, Global Affairs Associate Vice Provost; and Kim Haky, Senior Immigration Advisor. “Because of them, I am now at UC Davis. I’ve started my career, and hopefully I will get a good position in the future as well.”

To support threatened scholars and other members of the UC Davis community facing urgent financial need due to natural disasters, humanitarian crises, or other circumstances beyond their control, the Threatened Scholars Committee created the Global Community Emergency Fund. Contributions help provide housing, transportation, utilities, and other essential support—giving scholars like Dr. Aalemi the chance to rebuild their lives and continue contributing to their fields.

Through the generosity of our donors, in 2025 the committee awarded $7,250 in support of 13 undergraduate/graduate students, helping to provide stability, resources and care to ensure they can continue their studies and move forward both personally and academically. Please consider making a gift in support of our students and scholars.

Donate to Crowdfund UC Davis: Global Community Emergency Fund.