Dr. Rusty Souleymanov is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Manitoba, with interdisciplinary training in social work, public health, and psychology.

His interdisciplinary program of study lies at the intersection of social work, public and population health, and the social sciences. His research centers on the impact of oppression and injustice on the health and well-being of socially and economically marginalized communities, with the aim of informing culturally sensitive models of healthcare and community-based services. His primary focal points include the social science exploration of the relationship between socioeconomic injustice and health inequities.

Over the past three years, Dr. Souleymanov's remarkable efforts have secured over $1.7 million in grants from prestigious institutions such as the Federal Government of Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the Public Health Agency of Canada. In 2021, Dr. Souleymanov established the Village Lab, an interdisciplinary, community-based research group at the Faculty of Social Work, University of Manitoba.

Dr. Souleymanov is currently training, supervising, and building capacity among emerging scholars and students who are entering the fields of HIV/AIDS, harm reduction, mental health, sexual health, Indigenous health, migrant health, and 2SLGBTQIA+ research and community practice.

Dr. Souleymanov is serving on the Board of Directors of Nine Circles Community Health Centre, Realize Canada, and on the stewardship team of the Manitoba HIV/STBBI Collective Impact Network. He is also a member of the University of Manitoba Senate Executive Committee.