Daniel Deimel

Prof. Dr. Daniel Deimel is Professor of Health Promotion and Prevention at the Technische Hochschule Nürnberg Georg Simon Ohm. He is also a visiting scholar at the Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the Medical Faculty of the University of Duisburg-Essen.

Daniel Deimel is a certified social worker, holds a master’s degree in addiction prevention and addiction therapy (M.Sc.) and has a doctorate in rehabilitation sciences (Dr. phil). He is a trained supervisor and coach for the German Association for Supervision and Coaching (DGSv). His work focuses on social science research into HIV and addiction, project development and evaluation, particularly in the field of health promotion for vulnerable and marginalized groups, drug and HIV/Aids services, and evidence-based social work.

Daniel Deimel has published more than 80 scientific papers in journals, book chapters and monographs. Daniel Deimel is a member of the board of trustees of Aidshilfe North Rhine-Westphalia and the scientific advisory board of the State Prevention Council of North Rhine-Westphalia. He is part of the editorial board of the journal Suchttherapie (Thieme Verlag).

Ulla Pape

Dr Ulla Pape is a political scientist and research associate (postdoc) at the Technische Hochschule Nürnberg Georg Simon Ohm. She holds a Ph.D. in International Relations and International Organization from the University of Groningen, The Netherlands.

Before joining the SOLID project in 2022, Ulla was research associate (postdoc) at the Otto Suhr Institute of Political Science at the Freie Universität Berlin, lecturer in European Studies at the University of Bremen, research associate (postdoc) in the Third Sector Impact project at Radboud University Nijmegen, and senior researcher at the International Laboratory for Non-profit Sector Studies at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow.

Her research interests include international health and social policy, welfare state development and civil society in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Ulla has published a book The Politics of HIV/Aids in Russia (2014) and several articles in international journals such as Europe-Asia Studies, the Journal of Civil Society, the International Journal for Sociology and Social Policy, and Voluntas.

In the SOLID project, Ulla is responsible for the research on social work in the prisons and social work and infectious diseases (HIV, HCV and tuberculosis). Furthermore, she focuses on the participation with civil society actors in developing social work in Central Asia. Next to her project responsibilities, Ulla is member of the editorial board of Voluntas and associate lecturer at the Freie Universität Berlin.

Ingo Ilja Michels

Dr. Ingo Ilja Michels is international scientific coordinator of the SOLID project at the Technische Hochschule Nürnberg Georg Simon Ohm. He is a sociologist and consultant for the treatment of drug addiction, both in Germany and abroad. For a long period, he had been head of office for the Federal Drug Commissioner of the German Ministry of Health in Berlin (1999-2017). He retired in April 2017.

During his career, Ingo Ilja Michels was head of the drug and prison projects of the German AIDS Help in Berlin (1987-1994), as well as drug commissioner for the state of Bremen (1994-1998). From 2006 to 2008, he worked with the Shanghai Mental Health Center and the Beijing National Institute of Drug Dependence and was able to support the implementation of methadone treatment programs in the People’s Republic of China. He was visiting professor and lectured on social work for drug addicts at the East China University of Technology and Science in Shanghai.

From 2010 to 2013 he worked as a project manager in the 5th phase of the Central Asia Drug Action Program (CADAP) of the European Union in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, under the leadership of GIZ (German Society for International Cooperation). He worked with the health department of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna. Until 2019, he was the coordinator of the EU Drug Action Program in Central Asia (CADAP). Ingo Ilja Michels has published numerous articles in international journals on substance use and the treatment of drug use disorders and on HIV/Aids prevention and treatment.

Larissa Steimle

Larissa Steimle is a researcher at the Technische Hochschule Nürnberg Georg Simon Ohm. She has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Social Work. Currently, she is doing her doctoral thesis on the topic of professional, supportive relationships in the context of crisis interventions.

As a social worker she worked five years with people with mental illnesses. Her main areas of research include topics related to mental illnesses/drug use, professional social work and harm reduction.

Anna Sabelfeld

Anna holds a Master’s degree in European Ethnology and a Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics. She has extensive experience in cultural and event management, including roles at Nürnberg Messe, the Museum for Communication Nuremberg, and the Staatstheater Nürnberg, focusing on communication, organization, and audience engagement.

In the SOLID project, she supports coordination, communication, and administrative processes, bringing intercultural skills and experience working with diverse audiences.

Nazrin Hatamova

Nazrin Hatamova is the financial manager of the SOLID project at the Technische Hochschule Nürnberg Georg Simon Ohm. She holds a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration from the Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt. She has several years of professional experience at the DAAD Information Center in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Jiang Du

Dr. Jiang Du M.D. is a psychiatrist of Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine. She has worked in the drug abuse field for almost 20 years with a research focus on drug abuse prevention and intervention.  She has also conducted research on drug abuse and HIV/HCV-related risk behaviors among intravenous drug users. She was a Principal Investigator of  study on the influence of drug-related cue exposure on heroin dependence relapsing (funded by Shanghai Mental Health Center), and she has participated as a co-Investigator in other drug abuse research projects funded by Shanghai Health Bureau and NIH. In 2007, she won a NIDA/INVEST fellowship award and went to UCLA to continue her training and research in the drug abuse field, and got the research projects“ Reducing HCV/HIV Risk Behaviors among Injection Drug Users in China.” (NIH/NIDA  R01-DA27195) and “MRI study on hippocampus structural and  White matter alteration of methamphetamine users”(funded by Shanghai Bureau of Sciences and Technology).

Dr. Du has published several articles in peer reviewed international journals on drug abuse prevention and intervention. As expert of this field, she also provide training and education program to social worker and staff of primary care hospital.

Hang Su

Since 2011, Hang Su has been engaged in the basic and clinical research of drug dependence and substance addiction, and has been expanding his knowledge about addiction medicine, psychology, epidemiology and sociology. He is now a postdoctor in Shanghai Mental Health Center, majoring in psychiatry and mental health. Most of the time, he communicates with substance users in drug rehabilitation institutions and rehabilitation communities to understand their physical, mental state and social needs. At present, he is doing research focusing on the treatment of amphetamine type stimulants and opioids addiction from several aspects: behaviour, electrophysiology, molecular biology, neuroimaging, etc.

Tianzhen Chen

Dr. Chen is a physician at the Shanghai Mental Health Center affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. His main research interests include the brain mechanisms of addiction and the development of novel intervention technologies (such as  digital health tools and neuromodulation). He has published more than 20 research articles as first or co-first author in journals such as Addiction and EBioMedicine. He has led and participated in multiple national-level scientific research projects, including the National Key R&D Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). He has also served as a reviewer for several academic journals, including the Journal of Medical Internet Research, STAR Protocols, and Psychiatry Research, and so on.

Aizhan Baidavletova

Aizhan Baidavletova is a PhD candidate in Psychology at Kyrgyz State University named after K. Karasaev, where she also completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Psychology. She currently serves as a lecturer at the university, contributing to both teaching and research activities.

In addition to her academic career, she has worked with international organizations on projects related to peacebuilding and community development. These professional experiences have enriched her expertise in applying psychological knowledge to real-world social challenges.

Her research interests include social work in the field of addiction treatment, interdisciplinary approaches to psychosocial support, and the role of community resources in mental health and social well-being. Within her doctoral research, she focuses on integrated approaches to addiction treatment, exploring innovative practices and challenges in interdisciplinary collaboration.

Asel Tentigenova

Asel Tentigenova is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Social Work and Practical Psychology at K. Karasaev Bishkek State University. She is a specialist in Social Work and holds a Master's degree in Psychology. At present, she is pursuing a PhD in Psychology at K. Karasaev Bishkek State University.

Her research interests focus on the psychology of social work and psychological counseling for individuals facing difficult life situations.

Asel Tentigenova is also engaged in professional practice as a psychologist at the Republican AIDS Center of the Kyrgyz Republic and as a social worker at the non-governmental organization Ishenim Nuru. As part of her work at the AIDS Center, she provides psychological support to people living with HIV.

At Ishenim Nuru, she works as a social worker. Her work focuses on comprehensive case management and support for people living with HIV, as well as on HIV prevention and the protection of the rights of this population.

She conducts individual and group counseling sessions with clients, helping them adapt to their HIV diagnosis, overcome fears, cope with emotional stress, and reduce stigma.

Asel Isaeva

Lecturer at the Department of Social Work and Practical Psychology, Bishkek State University named after Academician K. Karasaev. She graduated from BSU with honors in Social Work (2013) and received her Master’s degree in Psychology with honors in 2015.

She teaches courses in History and Theory of Social Work, Conflictology in Social Work, and Socio-Psychological Training.

Author of scientific articles and researcher in the fields of psychology and social work. Her academic interests focus on issues of socio-psychological assistance to convicts within the penitentiary system of Kyrgyzstan, as well as psychosomatic approaches in practice.

A practicing psychologist, consultant, and specialist in psychosomatics, psychological counseling, and mental techniques. She combines academic and practical activities, paying equal attention to training students and providing professional psychological support to people.

Kudratjon Inakov

Kudratjon Inakov is Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the National University of Uzbekistan and Associate Professor at the Department of Social Work. He holds a PhD in Pedagogical Sciences and has over twenty years of experience in education, including leadership roles in national institutions and ministries. Currently, he focuses on research, innovative teaching, and projects promoting inclusive education and substance use prevention, supported by more than 200 student volunteers.

Nodira Latipova

Professor Nodira Latipova is Head of the Department of Social Work at the National University of Uzbekistan and one of the founders of academic social work education in the country. With over 17 years of experience in social protection and long-term cooperation with UNICEF, she has developed key training programs, curricula, and retraining courses in the field. She has led more than 15 projects, published over 200 scientific works including textbooks and monographs, and supervises PhD students while serving on several editorial boards.

Viktoriya Alekseeva

Alekseeva Viktoria is an Associate Professor at the National University of Uzbekistan. She holds a Doctor of Sciences degree in Sociology from the Academy of Politics and Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Her research interests include the history of social work, social work with vulnerable population groups, and social work with youth.

Shakhnoza Ganieva

Shakhnoza Ganieva holds a Master’s degree in Economy from the Tashkent State Institute of Oriental Studies. She works with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Regional Office for Afghanistan, Central Asia, Iran and Pakistan focusing on drug demand reduction, with particular emphasis on prevention, treatment, and youth engagement. In this role, she contributes to evidence-based research, programme development, and capacity-building activities in collaboration with governmental and civil society partners across the region.

Her research interests include youth participation in drug prevention, innovative and evidence-based approaches in public health, and strengthening community resilience. Within the SOLID Project, she is planning research on strengthening youth-oriented social work in drug use prevention and treatment pathways in Central Asia.

Charos Abdugofurova

Charos Abdugafurova is a graduate of Kazan Federal University, faculty of Psychology. She is currently a second-year student pursuing a master's degree in Social Work at the National University of Uzbekistan. She is a member of the UNODC Regional Youth Network in Central Asia. Her master's thesis focuses on "Processes for Improving Preventive Measures Among Young People Using Drugs." She also has experience working with clients with drug and gambling addictions.

Feruz Majidov

Feruz Majidov is a leading social worker at the Uzbekistan SOS Children’s Village Association in Tashkent. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the National University of Uzbekistan and a master’s degree in Social Psychology from Moscow State University, Tashkent branch. His professional focus is on supporting children and youth, and my doctoral research explores the role of social services in penitentiary institutions and their impact on social adaptation and personal development.

Ayazhan Kuatova

Ayazhan Kuatova is a senior lecturer in the Department of Sociology at L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University. She holds a PhD in Sociology and a bachelor's and master's degree in Psychology. Her doctoral dissertation focused on the study of family social services and case management. She also has practical experience working at the Child and Family Support Center at the SOS Children's Village in Astana.

Dinara Yessimova

Dr. Dinara Yessimova is a social work scholar and project leader from Kazakhstan. She earned her PhD in Social Work (2010) from Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in a joint program with Washington University in St. Louis and also holds degrees in Sociology (MA) and World History (BA). Since 2011, she has been Associate Professor at Eurasian National University in Astana. She also serves as Executive Director of the National Alliance of Professional Social Workers of Kazakhstan (since 2019) and President of the National Association of Schools of Social Work (since 2022). Dr. Yessimova is a member of national expert councils and has received numerous awards, including the title Honored Worker of Higher Education of Kazakhstan (2022).

Dalida Mukasheva

Dalida Mukasheva is a PhD from L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University (Astana) specializing in social work and health in the penitentiary system. Her work focuses on gender-responsive, rights-based support for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women, including those living with HIV, and on evidence-based rehabilitation models.