Dr Varalakshmi Chandra Sekaran
Associate Professor, MPH Programme
Coordinator - MPH Programme & IRC, PSPH
Department of Global Health Policy and Governance
CURRENT ACADEMIC ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES
- Teaching Masters of Public Health courses
- Lesson planning, syllabus revision, evaluation
- Mentoring postgraduate and undergraduate students in their research endeavours
- Supervisor/Co-supervisor to PhD students and member of Doctoral Advisory Committee
- Publishing scientific papers in international and national peer-reviewed journals
- PI/Co-PI on national and international research grants
- Committee Member of KMC KH IEC
- Resource person on national and international platforms
SUBJECTS CURRENTLY TEACHING
| Subject | Semester / Year |
|---|---|
| Applied Epidemiology | Year 1 - Block 2 |
| Research Methodology: Data Collection and Management | Year 1 - Block 3 |
| Clinical research and ethics | Year 1 - Block 6 |
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS
| Degree | Specialisation | Institute | Year of passing |
|---|---|---|---|
| PhD | Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal | 2020 | |
| MPH (Master of Public Health) | Epidemiology | Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam | 2005 |
| MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) | Mysore Medical College | 2000 |
Experience
| Institution / Organisation | Designation | Role | Tenure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dept of Health Policy, Prasanna School of Public Health, MAHE | Associate Professor | April 2023 - Current | |
| Dept of Community Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal | Assistant Professor | May 2020 to April 2023 | |
| Dept of Community Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal | Senior Lecturer | November 2018 to May 2020 | |
| Dept of Community Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal | Lecturer | October 2012 to October 2018 |
Name of the Project |
Role |
Funding Agency |
Year |
SPARC |
Co-Investigator |
MHRD, Government of India |
2023 |
Bridging education and adolescent mental health – An initiative on teachers’ mental health literacy |
Principal Investigator |
ICMR, Government of India |
2016 |
The world through the eyes of the adolescent: A photovoice exploration |
Principal Investigator |
TCQM, MAHE, Manipal |
2016-2017 |
Parenting and its influence on adolescent behaviors in Udupi taluk |
Principal Investigator |
|
2016-2020 |
AREAS OF INTEREST, EXPERTISE AND RESEARCH
Area of Interest
Adolescent Mental Health, School Mental Health, Implementation Research
Area of Research
Epidemiology of Mental Health/ Adolescent Mental Health, Program Evaluation, Operational and Implementation Research
Professional Affiliations & Contributions
Global health and Humanitarian Medicine, Manipal Academy of Higher Education in collaboration with Medecins Sans Frontieres |
MAHE Coordinator |
August 2023 - Current |
Committee Member, Institutional Ethics Committee, KMC KH-IEC |
|
August 2018 – Current |