Sanjana Bhardwaj, Gates Foundation

Sanjana is a medical doctor and public health practitioner who has worked in clinical practice and as a primary health care physician in rural India. She was elected as a Fellow by Distinction of the Faculty of Public Health, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, in the UK.

Before joining the Foundation in 2022, Sanjana worked with the United Nations, leading efforts focused on child survival and development across Bangladesh, India, Papua New Guinea, Nigeria, and South Africa. She also worked in academia, teaching in and spearheading the development of a Master of Public Health degree course in health behavior at the University of the West Indies. Earlier, Sanjana supported the conceptualization and founding of a nonprofit focusing on public health management and innovative solutions and partnerships for public health in India.

Sanjana’s work has been published in peer-reviewed journals, and she is a recipient of service awards and certificates in recognition of her contributions. Sanjana earned her M.D. from Mumbai University in India and won a scholarship to earn her MPH from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.