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poornima prabhakaran

Also known as: Poornima Prabhakaran

Ashoka University, Centre for Chronic Disease Control, Public Health Foundation of India

ORCID iD 0000-0003-3134-7026
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About

A trained physician and epidemiologist, I have two decades of experience in public health, working with the Centre for Chronic Disease Control and the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI). My clinical training helps bring a unique perspective to the epidemiological research that I have been involved in over the years. With a special interest in child health, my early career focussed on a life-course approach to intergenerational risk transmission for non-communicable diseases. Given the role of environmental risk factors attributable to the growing burden of disease worldwide, I transitioned to work in the environmental health space since 2015. I was responsible for establishing and growing the team at the Centre for Environmental Health at PHFI bringing together a very multi-disciplinary team of epidemiologists, biostatisticians, nutritionists, climate scientists, environmental engineers and social scientists to work together. We have grown an important and rich work portfolio working with both national and international collaborators, UN agencies (WHO-India, SEARO and Geneva, UNEP, UNDP, UNICEF) and national and sub-national governments. Under my leadership, our centre was recognised as a Centre of Excellence under the National Program for Climate Change and Health in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, feeding into the framework for green and climate resilient health systems for the public healthcare system across States. I lead a similar effort with a network of private health care providers across India. During my tenure, the Centre was also included as a health partner in the Climate Centre for Cities (C-Cubed) program, led by the National Institute of Urban Affairs under the aegis of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Apart from research and technical inputs to programs and policies at national and sub—national levels, I have also established a capacity-building portfolio with teaching and training modules for different audiences including public health students and nodal officers for climate change in the states. I consider my organisational, leadership and communication skills as important assets to the role and portfolio of work that I oversee. The Centre for Environmental Health is today recognised as a strong research, technical and advocacy partner, both nationally and globally. I have transitioned to a new role as Director, Centre for Health Analytics Research and Trends (CHART), Trivedi School of Biosciences, Ashoka University where I will be closely working with the Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability to bring a health lens to their work.

Employment

  • Ashoka University Director, Centre for Health Analytics Research and Trends (CHART)
    2023 - Present
  • Public Health Foundation of India Director, Centre for Environmental Health
    2022 - 2023
  • Centre for Chronic Disease Control Senior Research Scientist
    2018 - Present
  • Public Health Foundation of India Deputy Director, Centre for Environmental Health
    2018 - 2022
  • Public Health Foundation of India Senior Research Scientist and Associate Professor
    2015 - 2018
  • Public Health Foundation of India Research Scientist
    2013 - 2015
  • University of Bristol PhD Research Fellow
    2009 - 2013
  • Sunderlal Jain Hospital Research Consultant
    2008 - 2009
  • Centre for Chronic Disease Control Research Fellow
    2005 - 2007
  • McMaster University Research Assistant
    2004 - 2004
  • McMaster University Research Assistant
    2003 - 2003
  • Sunderlal Jain Hospital Research Officer
    2002 - 2002
  • AIIMS Delhi Research Officer
    1997 - 1999
  • Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital Junior Medical Officer
    1996 - 1997
  • Mysore Medical College Resident
    1994 - 1994
  • St. John’s medical College Hospital Senior House Officer
    1994 - 1994
  • Chinmaya Mission Hospital Duty Medical Officer
    1993 - 1993

Education

Education history is unavailable.

Projects & Funding

Projects & funding information is unavailable.

Publications (69)