Our Team

Dr. Rajaram S, a seasoned professional with a Ph.D. and M.Phil in Population Studies from the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, has over 28 years of research experience.

Holding an M.Sc. in Demography from the University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, Rajaram possesses a robust academic background. His roles as Research Associate at the Population Foundation of India and Research Officer at the Population Research Centre involved monitoring and evaluating projects, crafting proposals, and supervising field staff. As a Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-funded project, Rajaram ensured
coordinated efforts, provided technical guidance, and managed data analysis. His recent role as a Household Survey Consultant for UNICEF, EAPRO, involved overseeing surveys, collaborating with the
MICS coordinator, and contributing to regional planning. Additionally, Rajaram brings teaching experience and proficiency in statistical packages like SPSS, Stata, and SAS, making him adept at project management and collaborative problem-solving

Arin Kar holds post-graduate degrees in Economics and Population Studies. He has over 15 years of experience in the monitoring and evaluation of public health programs. At KHPT, he supports in the development and implementation of monitoring and evaluation systems for intervention projects. Prior to joining KHPT, he worked with the Technical Support Unit of Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society as Strategic Planning Team Leader and at the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, as a research officer.

Ambuja Kowlgi has a PhD in Anthropology with a Specialization in Medical Anthropology. As an anthropologist, she has been involved in research and analysis and assisted many qualitative studies as an anthropologist and qualitative research consultant, specializing in health, gender and education. She has worked with national and international research teams and organizations, including Sambodhi Research Communications, The Hunger Project, Jeeva- a research initiative,  over the past decade.

Teaching:

International Diploma in Reproductive Health Management, Karnatak University, Dharwad
Transdisciplinary Center for Qualitative Methods, MAHE, Manipal

Publications:

Searching in The backyard: Kunabi Child Care from an Ethnopediatric Perspective Ambuja Kowlgi and C. G. Hussain Khan, Manipal University Press, May 2017
Ethnopediatrics: an emerging field Karnatak University Journal Vol 1Dec 2009
Practices of evil eye in rural Karnataka Eastern Anthropologist 2004
Open courts: Child Labour: Report and a short documentary, UNICEF: 2006
Ethnographic Profile of Sex Workers of Dharwad (Prostitution and Beyond: Sage Publications) 2008

With an M.Phil degree in Biostatistics & Demography, Mani Deep has over five years of experience in implementing and analyzing large-scale surveys. He specializes in designing and implementing Monitoring and Evaluation plans for MNCH projects.

Prior to his current position, Mani Deep worked on the “National Family Health Survey round Five (NFHS-5)” project at the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS). He also served as a Data Analyst for the “National Research Study on Human Trafficking in India” project at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). Additionally, he worked as a Bio-Statistician at YAGNA, where he analyzed various health-related data sets, including HIV Sentinel Surveillance and National Integrated Biological & Behavioural Surveillance, NFHS(Round III & IV), and District Level Household Survey Round IV.

Mani Deep’s contributions have been recognized through publications, awards and presentations. He received the Dr. C. Chandrasekharan Young Scientist Award for his research on handling missing data in large-scale health surveys. He also received the PROF. S N SINGH Best Poster Award for his work on the prevalence of hypertension in the southern Indian population.

Outside of work, Mani Deep actively participates in co-curricular activities and sports. He has been a member of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) and has achieved high grades. He has also pursued karate and has reached an advanced level. In addition, he enjoys playing football, skating, and swimming.

Ashwini Pujar is a social scientist with eight years of experience in the research field. She holds a PhD in Anthropology, specializing in Biological Anthropology. As an anthropologist, Ashwini has been involved in qualitative studies conducted at KHPT. She has extensive knowledge of the field situation in northern Karnataka and expertise in managing large-scale qualitative studies. Her skills include preparing study tools, training field investigators in qualitative research techniques, data collection, coding, analysis, and scientific writing. In addition to her work at KHPT, Ashwini has collaborated with the Karnataka State Tribal Research Institute in Mysuru. She has numerous publications in international journals.