Our Team

Zaid Al-Shoha

As Founder & Executive Director of The Global Child Health Project, Zaid Al-Shoha leads a student-led, international humanitarian initiative that unifies and mobilizes students across borders to expand opportunity, education, and healthcare for children affected by conflict in the Middle East. He is responsible for the organization's strategic direction, building trusted humanitarian partnerships, and driving measurable, ethical impact through coordinated campaigns across campuses. Zaid is a recipient of the Arab America Foundation's 30 Under 30.

Zaid is an undergraduate at Cornell University studying Biological Sciences on the premedical track, with aspirations in academic medicine. At Cornell, he leads a health equity research team investigating frameworks for undergraduate-led community health work. He also conducts cardiac surgery outcomes research at Yale School of Medicine, neuroregeneration research in the Lin Lab, and translational cancer research at the National Institutes of Health. He is interested in advancing public health through academic medicine by developing innovative, scalable approaches to improving health outcomes in underserved communities.

Laila Salih

At The Global Child Health Project, Laila Salih serves as Head of Partnerships, leading outreach to nonprofit organizations that support children and families affected by conflict. She builds relationships between partner organizations and university communities, helping translate shared priorities into meaningful advocacy and fundraising initiatives. Her work is grounded in transparency and respect for the expertise of organizations already embedded within the communities they serve.

Laila earned her bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences from Cornell University, with a concentration in Computational Biology, and is currently pursuing a master's degree in Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the University of Washington. During her time at Cornell, she held leadership roles across several cultural and service-oriented organizations. Her research background includes cancer biology, immunotherapy, and the tumor microenvironment. Beyond GCHP, she is a co-founder of Humanity Nexus, a humanitarian technology initiative connecting communities with grassroots organizations and crisis-response resources in Sudan. She hopes to build a career that integrates biomedical research with community-driven approaches to expanding healthcare access.

Hasan Jaklan

Hasan Jaklan is a Cornell University student pursuing a pre-medical path with interests in global health and community-centered service. Originally from Syria, he brings a strong interest in supporting underserved communities through medicine, student advocacy, and public health work. As Director of Student Mobilization, Hasan focuses on building relationships with student organizations and supporting student-led fundraising efforts for global child health initiatives. He is also involved in clinical work, research, and educational equity efforts with local organizations in Syracuse. In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer, spending time with friends, and playing video games.

Lin Kuang

Lin Kuang is an undergraduate student at Cornell University majoring in Environment and Sustainability on the pre-med track. She is interested in the connections between environmental and public health, with a focus on improving health outcomes for children and underserved communities. At Cornell, she is involved in research, community outreach, and student organizations that support health, sustainability, and education. Outside of academics, Lin enjoys hiking, graphic design, photography, and spending time outdoors.

Karim Jawhari

As Head of Operations at The Global Child Health Project, Karim Jawhari is responsible for the systems that enable the organization to run campaigns at scale. He designs, develops, and maintains GCHP's operational infrastructure, streamlining internal processes and implementing technology that improves efficiency, coordination, and long-term scalability.

Karim is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Leeds, where his studies have focused on engineering design, thermofluids, manufacturing, and control systems. His projects include an ESP32-based control system for a hybrid rocket thruster and a gyroid bio-filter design for the PITCCH CAD Modeling Competition.