Staff

Dr. Pargament is professor of clinical psychology at Bowling Green State University. He received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Maryland and interned in clinical psychology at Rutgers Medical School.  His research focuses on the roles of religion in coping with trauma. Since fall of 2011 he has served as the ISH Visiting Distinguished Scholar, giving lectures all across the city and collaborating on mulitple research projects with others in the Medical Center.

Pargament is author of two major textbooks:  Spirituality Integrated Psychotherapy: Understanding and Addressing the Sacred (New York: Guilford Press, 2007) and The Psychology of Religion and Coping.  (New York:  Guildford Press, 1997).  The latter text is a highly cited

Jerri Doctor has spent her professional career working in medical and religious non-profit organizations. She is Manager of Operations at the Institute for Religion and Health. Jerri organizes conferences, retreats, and board meetings and handles all decision making operations at the Institute. She joined the staff in July 2003.

The Rev. Dr. Afzaal Firdous, Ph.D. was born in Pakistan and raised in a Christian family with Muslim and Hindu grandparents.  He came to the United States 17 years ago.   In 2002, he received a Master of Divinity degree from SMU in Dallas and in 2008 received a Ph.D. in World Religions from Louisiana Baptist University.   He was ordained in the United Methodist Church and has served as a pastor in several East Texas towns.   He moved to Houston in 2010 and, in 2012, completed an eighteen month Chaplaincy Training program at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in Houston.