Public Health Foundation of India

As a PhD Fellow currently engaged in my doctoral studies at Maastricht University, I am honoured to be a part of the esteemed Team Science Grant study – COINCIDE at IIPH-Bangalore. My academic journey began with a postgraduate degree in Microbiology from the University of Mumbai, and I further enhanced my expertise by pursuing studies in Public Health at the prestigious Manipal Academy of Higher Education.
Since joining IIPH-Bangalore in February 2019, I have contributed to various impactful projects supported by the Wellcome-DBT India Alliance, MRC-DBT India, World Health Organisation, and Asian Development Bank. These projects have allowed me to explore a wide range of topics, including Hyperglycemia in pregnant women, interventions for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in women, and the ever-relevant COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to my research commitments, I am actively involved in academia, thus teaching the Communicable Diseases module and providing guidance and mentorship to PGDPHM students at the institute.
My association with the Public Health Foundation of India dates back to September 2017 through IIPH-Bhubaneswar. During this tenure, I successfully conducted a large-scale, multi-state study on community-derived disability weights, encompassing rural and urban regions of Odisha and Telangana.
Before joining PHFI, I had the privilege of working at the Foundation for Medical Research in Mumbai, a premier institute in Tuberculosis research. During my three-year tenure, I served as a lead public health researcher, overseeing projects supported by prominent organizations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and PATH in Mumbai and Patna.
Additionally, I was actively involved in the Global Fund Round-9 (GFR-9) – Project Axshya while collaborating with the Catholic Health Foundation of India from July 2013. This experience allowed me to efficiently manage two districts in Maharashtra, making a valuable contribution to the project’s success.
I have had the opportunity to present my work at both national and international forums, which has been an enriching experience. Notably, I was honoured to receive the ‘Best Paper’ award at the ISHWMCON 2012 for my exceptional research on Biomedical waste management at Primary Health centres in Udupi, Karnataka.
In pursuit of excellence in research methodology, I have received training in systematic review protocol development, as well as quantitative and qualitative software.
My contributions to the field of public health research are reflected in my publications on Tuberculosis, Diabetes, qualitative research, and infectious diseases, all of which are indexed in PubMed.
I am deeply passionate about exploring diverse research interests, including early childhood development, life-course epidemiology, communicable and non-communicable diseases, and health system strengthening. These areas of focus fuel my commitment to making a meaningful impact on public health and contributing to the well-being of communities.