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🌱  CV

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I’m a PhD Candidate at Drexel University.

I study lived experiences of people who use substances to move the needle towards a world where there is less harm and more compassion.

Working alongside Dr. Shadi Rezapour in the Social NLP Lab & DONUTS Colab., I'm exploring the potential of public substance use narratives to drive change. By analyzing lived experiences shared on social media, I’m uncovering how people who use drugs talk about stigma, seek support, and make sense of their experiences in digital spaces.

My goal? To move the needle towards a world with less harm and more understanding. I believe that by listening to those who have walked the path of substance use/abuse, we can find new ways to support, heal, and empower.

When I’m not PhD-ing, I like to explore all the nooks and crannies around the city of Philadelphia. Whether it's savoring a delicious meal or sipping on a craft cocktail, I'm all about experiencing all that Philly has to offer. Need recommendations? Just ask!

Select Publications:

1. Phenotypes of Stigma Expressed by People Who Use Drugs on Reddit Layla Bouzoubaa, Elham Aghakhani, Shadi Rezapour. Social Science & Medicine, 2025
2. Words Matter: Reducing Stigma in Online Conversations about Substance Use with Large Language Models Layla Bouzoubaa, Elham Aghakhani, Shadi Rezapour. EMNLP, 2024
3. Decoding the Narratives: Analyzing Personal Drug Experiences Shared on Reddit Layla Bouzoubaa, Elham Aghakhani, Max Song, Minh Trinh, Shadi Rezapour. ACL Findings, 2024
4. Exploring the landscape of drug communities on reddit: A network study. Layla Bouzoubaa, Jordyn Young, Shadi Rezapour ASONAM, 2023

News

Feb 07, 2026

My work on substance use content on TikTok was featured in an interview with Deutsche Welle (DW)!

Jan 14, 2026

I wrote a piece for The Conversation that summarizes my doctoral work for the past few years.

Dec 07, 2025

Our paper on the exploration of substance use content on TikTok through hashtags was featured on UNBUBBLE!

Nov 15, 2025

I’ll be presenting a poster at AMIA 2025 in Atlanta! I’ll be presenting a poster on my recent work analyzing stigma narratives shared by people who use drugs on Reddit. Looking forward to connecting with colleagues at the intersection of health and AI.

Jul 23, 2025

I successfully defended my dissertation proposal! 🥳

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