Deepa Pandit Agrawal
Rochester,USA
Summary
A Biometry and Nutrition (Health Sciences/Public Health) doctorate holder with over 10 years of experience in health research. Expertise in epidemiology, public health, and psychology. Experienced in mixed methods approaches, particularly in psychosocial outcomes, program effectiveness, implementation science, and scale development and validation. Proficient in quantitative analysis using SPSS and STATA, and qualitative analysis using Nvivo. Skilled in developing and executing advanced analytic plans and statistical models. Strong interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills. Thrives both independently and collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams. Passionate about community-based research and implementation.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Program Manager and Research Fellow (Lead Research Methodologist)
Centre for Mental Health Law and Policy, Indian Law Society
02.2017 - 08.2024
- I was engaged in several implementation science projects focused on suicide prevention and addressing common mental disorders
- My role included planning and implementing research activities, designing studies, managing data, conducting statistical analyses, and contributing to peer-reviewed manuscripts
- I have worked on projects funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) NIH, Grand Challenges Canada (GCC), the Azim Premji Foundation, and the Mariwala Health Initiative India
- I was pro-actively involved in writing NIH grant proposals
- As a lead research methodologist for the 'Atmiyata' (Empathy) research program, a community champion-led psychosocial intervention for common mental disorders funded by Grand Challenges Canada, I supervised a large-scale, longitudinal RCT covering a population of 800,000 individuals
- This work led to the World Health Organization recognizing 'Atmiyata' as one of 25 best practices for community outreach mental health services globally
- Currently I am supporting the translation of this research into practice (remotely) by collaborating with District and State Governments in India to integrate Atmiyata into the public health system across seven districts and five states in India covering a total population of 2.6 million
- Managed and supervised administrative and daily program operations, complying with policies and regulations.
- Established strong relationships with key stakeholders, ensuring support for program initiatives.
- Developed strategic plans, setting clear objectives and achievable milestones for the team.
Teaching Consultant
Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics
07.2022 - 11.2022
- I was involved in in-person teaching subject, 'Research Methods' to master’s students of Health Economics
Research Scientist
Jehangir Hospital
12.2013 - 12.2016
- As the Principal Investigator (PI) in a study on cardiometabolic risk (CM) in young adults, I led a research project aimed at identifying and addressing the risk factors associated with cardiometabolic conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity, in this population
- A key component of this project was the development of a pragmatic, cost-effective screening tool designed to identify individuals at risk for cardiometabolic conditions
- This tool was tailored to be easily implemented in various settings, making it accessible and practical for widespread use
- In addition to developing the screening tool, I assessed young adults' nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and practices
- This involved evaluating their understanding of healthy eating, their perceptions and beliefs about nutrition, and their actual dietary behaviors
- The insights gained from this assessment informed the design and implementation of targeted interventions
- Additionally, I have conducted community nutrition awareness programs (workshops, seminars, and outreach activities) aimed at educating young adults and the broader community about the importance of proper nutrition and its role in preventing cardiometabolic conditions
- The project was funded by the National Department of Science and Technology, Delhi, India
Research Officer
Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics
12.2012 - 12.2013
- I participated in a multi-state qualitative research project funded by UNFPA, where I supervised data collection and qualitative data analyses
- I was also actively involved in writing reports and policy briefs
Ph. D Scholar
Agharkar Research Institute
03.2008 - 08.2012
- PhD thesis was undertaken to provide data on metabolic markers for risk of sub-clinical atherosclerosis in children and adults and to examine the effect of micronutrient supplementation on cardio-metabolic profile of overweight/obese children
- This research provided valuable insights into early cardiovascular risk detection across age groups and evaluated the potential of micronutrient supplementation as a preventive strategy in at-risk pediatric populations
Research Assistant
Department of Health Sciences, Pune University
12.2005 - 01.2008
- I have been involved in project monitoring and evaluation, data collection, compilation, analysis of results, and report writing for several cross-sectional health surveys (cost of health care in elderly, maternal mortality etc.)
Education
Ph.D - Biometry and Nutrition (Health Sciences/Public Health)
Agharkar Research Institute
08.2012
Pune University
01.2008
Skills
- Project management
- Research execution
- Research design
- Analytic planning
- Statistical analysis
- Report production
- Presentation skills
- Protocol development
- Clinical trial drafting
- Grant proposal writing
- Budget management
- Progress tracking
- Scientific manuscript writing
- Data dissemination
- Advisory committee engagement
- Resource management
Certification
- Statistical Techniques for Data Analysis
- Advanced Statistics in Public Health
- Good Clinical Practice
- WHO Quality Rights training
Mentoring - Description
Mentored research fellows and interns, conducted workshops for PhD students.
Interestareas
- Healthcare needs of youth with comorbidities
- Evidence-based interventions
- Resource management
Achievementsandawards
22, 6, 4, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7513-4327
Currentmembership
- Life member of the Nutrition Society of India
- Reviewer’s board for Indian Journal of Medical Ethics Journal
References
- Dr Soumitra Pathare, Director, Centre for Mental Health Law and Policy, Pune, Maharashtra, 411004, India, spathare@cmhlp.org
- Prof Laura Shields-Zeeman, Head of Department, Trimbos Institute, Netherlands, lshields-zeeman@trimbos.nl
- Dr Shashi A. Chiplonkar, Former Senior Scientist, Agharkar Research Institute, Pune, Maharashtra, 411007, India, drsjc_1@yahoo.com
- Dr. Anuradha Khadilkar, Deputy Director and Consultant Pediatrician, Hirabai Cowasji Jehangir Medical Research Institute, Pune, Maharashtra, 411001, India, dr.anuradha.khadilkar@hcjmri.org.in
- Prof Shyam Nyati, Associate Scientist/Professor, Henry Ford Health Systems, snyati1@hfhs.org
Research
- Program Manager and Research Fellow (Lead Research Methodologist), Centre for Mental Health Law and Policy, Indian Law Society, Pune, Maharashtra, India, 02/01/17, 08/31/24, Engaged in implementation science projects focused on suicide prevention and addressing common mental disorders.
- Teaching Consultant, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune, Maharashtra, India, 07/01/22, 11/30/22, Involved in in-person teaching of 'Research Methods' to master’s students.
- Research Scientist, Jehangir Hospital, Pune, Maharashtra, India, 12/01/13, 12/31/16, Led a research project on cardiometabolic risk in young adults.
- Research Officer, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune, Maharashtra, India, 12/01/12, 12/31/13, Participated in a multi-state qualitative research project funded by UNFPA.
- Ph. D Scholar, Agharkar Research Institute, Pune, Maharashtra, India, 03/01/08, 08/31/12, Conducted research on metabolic markers for risk of sub-clinical atherosclerosis.
- Research Assistant, Department of Health Sciences, Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra, India, 12/01/05, 01/31/08, Involved in project monitoring and evaluation, data collection, and report writing.
Timeline
Teaching Consultant
Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics
07.2022 - 11.2022
Program Manager and Research Fellow (Lead Research Methodologist)
Centre for Mental Health Law and Policy, Indian Law Society
02.2017 - 08.2024
Research Scientist
Jehangir Hospital
12.2013 - 12.2016
Research Officer
Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics
12.2012 - 12.2013
Ph. D Scholar
Agharkar Research Institute
03.2008 - 08.2012
Research Assistant
Department of Health Sciences, Pune University
12.2005 - 01.2008
Pune University
- Statistical Techniques for Data Analysis
- Advanced Statistics in Public Health
- Good Clinical Practice
- WHO Quality Rights training
Ph.D - Biometry and Nutrition (Health Sciences/Public Health)
Agharkar Research Institute
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