Resource Persons

• Dr. Santu Ghosh - Associate Professor, Dept. of Biostatistics, SJMC
• Dr. Santu Ghosh is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biostatistics with over 20 years of experience in teaching and research. He has a strong foundation in mathematical statistics and applies his expertise across various fields, including environmental health science, longitudinal analysis, spatial data, nutrition, growth modeling, and time series analysis. He has served, or is currently serving, as a consultant or resource person for organizations such as UNICEF, WHO, ICMR, and the World Bank. He is also the recipient of a research grant from HEI, Boston, USA. Dr. Ghosh has published more than 100 research papers in both national and international journals.
• Dr. Anura V Kurpad - Professor, Dept. of Physiology, St. John’s Medical College (SJMC)
• Dr. Anura V Kurpad, MBBS, MD, DNB, PhD, FAMS, Professor of Physiology at St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore. He is the founding dean of St. John’s Research Institute and a Wellcome-DBT India Alliance Margadarshi Fellow. His research focuses on nutrient metabolism and requirements, including energy, protein, amino acids, iron, and vitamin A, with a special interest in undernutrition, obesity, and the human nutrition-agriculture interface. Dr. Kurpad has authored over 600 scientific papers, and has co-authored multiple books, including Guyton’s Textbook of Physiology (Asian edition). He has chaired several prominent national scientific committees, including the Scientific Advisory Group of ICMR Nutrition Division, and has served as a consultant for the IAEA. He has been recognized with numerous awards, such as the Sir CV Raman Young Scientist Award and the Asia-Pacific Clinical Nutrition Society Award. Additionally, Dr. Kurpad is a Fellow of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences and the National Academy of Medical Sciences, India. His significant contributions to both academia and public health nutrition makes him a leading figure in the field of human physiology and nutrition.
• Dr. Tinku Thomas - Professor & Head, Dept. of Biostatistics, SJMC
• Dr. Tinku Thomas is the Professor and Head of the Department of Biostatistics at St. John's Medical College, with over 25 years of experience in teaching and research, particularly in child growth and development. She has taught Biostatistics in various courses and workshops at St. John's and other institutions, including those organized by universities and UN agencies. Dr. Thomas has mentored students both domestically and internationally. She has received research funding from organizations such as SERB (Department of Science & Technology), BIRAC (Department of Biotechnology), WHO, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Her extensive experience in collaborative research, involving a wide range of study designs and data analysis, is reflected in her teaching. Dr. Thomas is also a member of the statistical review board for the journals of the American Society for Nutrition.
• Dr. Sumithra Selvam - Assistant Professor, Dept. of Biostatistics, St. John's Research Institute (SJRI)
• Dr. Sumithra Selvam is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics with over 20 years of teaching and research experience. She has been a core faculty member in workshops on the Theory and Practice of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, as well as on database management and development, since 2004. Dr. Selvam has authored over 125 publications in national and international journals. She has been awarded a research grant from DBT-IRMI, served as a consultant for ICMR, and worked as a co-investigator on various funded research projects. Her areas of expertise include longitudinal data analysis, trajectory and growth mixture modeling, public health, clinical research, demographic studies, and survival analysis.