Guest Speakers

S. No.

Name

Designation

BioSketch

1

Dr. Kinjal Ahir

Prof & Head, Department of Economic, Sardar Patel University

2

Dr. Pradeep Kumar

Retd. Professor , Community Medicine

Dr. Pradeep Kumar serves as a Distinguished Professor of Public Health at IIPH Gandhinagar, bringing over 44 years of senior leadership. His public health expertise is marked by high-level administrative roles, including serving as Additional Project Director at the Gujarat State AIDS Control Society (GSACS). He is a field-tested expert in crisis management, with firsthand experience handling major public health emergencies like plague, leptospirosis, and bird flu. A national-level trainer for numerous programs including HIV/AIDS, RNTCP, and IMNCI, Dr. Kumar is also a leading academic authority. He previously served as Editor-in-Chief of the Indian Journal of Community Medicine and has a research impact of over 100 publications and 1030 citations.

3

Mr.Baiju Verghese - Environment Health

Assistant Professor & Head, Industrial Hygiene and Safety, ISTAR, CVM University, Anand

Mr. Baiju G. Verghese is the Head & Assistant Professor for the Industrial Hygiene and Safety programme at ISTAR, CVM University. He is a distinguished expert in EHS, HAZOP, and ergonomic principles , with extensive field experience at organizations like Kohler and Adani Wilmar. Mr. Verghese is a DNV-certified auditor for ISO 14001 and OHSA 18001 and was honored with the American Industrial Hygiene Association's "President's Award" in 2015. He actively bridges the gap between academia and industry, conducting specialized training and ensuring graduates are placed in leading corporations, significantly contributing to workforce safety and health.

4

Dr. Leela Visaria

Honorary Professor and former GIDR Director, Gujarat Institute of Development Research

Dr. Leela Visaria, an Honorary Professor and former GIDR Director with a Ph.D. from Princeton, is a leading voice in Indian public health. Her career is defined by field-based research on critical issues like family planning, health, and demographic transition. Dr. Visaria excels at translating evidence into action; she coordinated the HealthWatch network, bringing together NGOs and researchers to influence gender-sensitive health policy. She has authored and edited seminal books on contraception, abortion, and maternal health. Her leadership is recognized nationally (ICSSR National Professor) and continentally (President, Asian Population Association).

5

Dr. Dhiren Modi

Director, Community Health Project, Trustee, SEWA Rural, Jhagadiya, Bharuch

Dr. Dhiren Modi is the Director of the Community Health Program and a Trustee at SEWA Rural. With an MD in Community Medicine , he is a leading expert in community-based operational research and public health implementation. Dr. Modi spearheads the acclaimed "ImTeCHO" mHealth initiative, a pioneering program that empowers ASHA workers using mobile technology to improve maternal and child health in tribal areas. He is a state-level trainer for programs like IMNCI and Anemia Mukt Bharat and has published extensively on the cost-effectiveness and impact of mHealth interventions, driving evidence-based health policy in rural India.

6

Dr. Rakesh Patel

Quality Assurance Medical Officer, Dist- Anand

Dr. Rakesh Patel is a public health specialist, holding an MD in Community Medicine and a Certificate in Industrial Health. He brings over nine years of experience in the public sector, currently serving as a Quality Assurance Medical Officer for the Government of Gujarat. This key role leverages his expertise in healthcare management, quality systems, and epidemiology. Dr. Patel's contributions are further supported by his field experience in handling medical emergencies and his research on topics including geriatric cognitive health and vaccine logistics management.

7

Dr. Sumit Unadkat

Associate Professor, Community Medicine,Shri M. P. Shah Medical College

Dr. Sumit V. Unadkat serves as an Associate Professor of Community Medicine at M. P. Shah Government Medical College. With 22 years of experience in training medical professionals, his primary contribution to public health lies in advanced epidemiological research. He is a specialist in biostatistics, systematic reviews, meta-analysis, and time-series analysis , utilizing data science tools like R and Q-GIS. This analytical expertise is grounded by formal training in Field Epidemiology from NICD, New Delhi. He has authored over 25 publications on critical areas like NCDs, nutrition, and MCH.

8

Dr. Kapil Gandha

Dr. Kapil M. Gandha, an Assistant Professor of Community Medicine at M. P. Shah Govt. Medical College , is a leading expert in healthcare quality assurance. [cite_start]His primary contribution is his role as a National External Assessor for NQAS (National Quality Assurance Standards), for which he has completed over 50+ assessments.This practical, high-level experience is complemented by his work as a key trainer for programs like LaQshya, Health Care Leadership (HELP), and Advanced Vaccinology. Dr. Gandha is also a vital resource for Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), having personally conducted 120 training sessions.[cite_start]As a published author, he is instrumental in both shaping and implementing quality standards in public health.

9

Dr. Abdul Hamid

10

Dr. Bhawani Singh Kushwaha

Deputy Commissioner (TB Officer) with the Central TB Division, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

Dr. Bhawani Singh Kushwaha is a senior Public Health Specialist serving as a Deputy Commissioner (TB Officer) with the Central TB Division, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. His expertise is in managing large-scale national health programs, developed over significant tenures at NACO as a Deputy Director and nearly a decade with the WHO as a Surveillance Medical Officer. He holds both an MD in Preventive & Social Medicine and an Executive MBA in Project Management. This unique combination positions him as an expert in health budgeting , social contracting , and managing large global grants , driving national strategies for TB, HIV, and immunization

11

Dr. Keyur Ravat

District Child Survival Officer (DCSO) for UNICEF-Gujarat

Dr. Keyur Ravat is a public health professional (MPH) with over nine years of experience in health systems strengthening. He currently serves as the District Child Survival Officer (DCSO) for UNICEF-Gujarat, leading the RMNCAH, immunization, and quality assurance (LaQshya, NQAS) agenda in the aspirational district of Dahod. His expertise is built on high-impact roles, including managing CPHC and NCD programs for the World Bank-funded SRESTHA-G project and serving as the State Project Officer for Family Planning at NHM Gujarat. Dr. Ravat excels at policy implementation, data-driven monitoring, and multi-stakeholder collaboration.

12

Dr. Bhavesh Modi

Director, ICMR–National Institute of Occupational Health (ICMR-NIOH),

Dr. Bhavesh Modi serves as the Director of the ICMR–National Institute of Occupational Health (ICMR-NIOH), bringing over two decades of leadership in health systems strengthening. He is a distinguished expert in public health policy, holding an MD (PSM) and dual advanced degrees (MPH in Health Policy, MBA in Healthcare) from Johns Hopkins University. His career has been pivotal in shaping health programs for the Government of Gujarat, where he served as Nodal Officer for Health Policy, Tobacco Control, and TB/HIV. Formerly Professor & Head at AIIMS Rajkot, Dr. Modi is a prolific researcher with over 100 publications and a WHO SEARO citation for excellence in tobacco control

13

Dr. Urvish Joshi

Associate Professor, Narendra Modi Medical College (LG Hospital) & Smt NHL Municipal Medical College (VS Hospital), Ahmedabad

Dr. Urvish Joshi, an Associate Professor of Community Medicine with over 20 years of experience, is a specialist at the intersection of public health and data science. He is a leading expert in the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in healthcare, serving as a resource person for numerous workshops. His international training includes a Johns Hopkins University Fellowship in Global Tobacco Control and Healthcare Communication. He also specializes in advanced research methodology, particularly systematic reviews and meta-analysis. This academic expertise is complemented by his field experience as a State Consultant for HIV/AIDS (PMTCT) at GSACS.

14

Dr. Kishor Sochaliya

Professor & Head, Dept of. Community Medicine, C. U. Shah Medical College

Dr. Kishor Sochaliya serves as the Professor and Head of Community Medicine and is a former Additional Dean at C. U. Shah Medical College. He brings extensive, hands-on field experience from managing National Health Programmes and disaster (flood) relief operations. His public health expertise is leveraged for high-level technical guidance, including serving as a government-appointed expert for maternal death audits. Dr. Sochaliya is a key resource person for biostatistics and research methodology , contributing at the national level to UGC NET paper setting. As a 10-year PG guide with 21 publications, he is also a leader in medical education (ACME) and research ethics (GCP, IEC).

15

Dr. Krupal Joshi

Associate Professor, AIIMS Rajkot