Biosketch
Dr. Lavanya Garady is a seasoned public health professional with over two decades of experience spanning HIV/AIDS, mental health, and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). She currently serves as Programme Controller and Group Head – Longitudinal Studies at SKAN Research Trust, where she leads multidisciplinary research initiatives focused on aging, chronic disease prevention, and early detection.
At SKAN, Dr. Garady plays a central role in advancing large-scale cohort studies, including efforts to develop predictive models for cardiovascular and neurological conditions. Her work increasingly leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to enable earlier diagnosis, improve intervention strategies, and enhance long-term care delivery. She is particularly interested in designing kinder, non-pharmacological approaches to managing chronic diseases in aging populations.
Dr. Garady holds a Master of Public Health (MPH), securing first rank from National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS). Over her career, she has collaborated with leading global health organizations, including World Health Organization (WHO), UNAIDS, UNICEF, Boston University, and Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM).
Previously, Dr. Garady served as Senior Programmes Executive at the Ramaiah International Center for Public Health Innovations, where she contributed to grant writing, MPH curriculum development for Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, and mentoring medical students in research. She also led community-based initiatives such as the ACE-ME (Access Care through Empathy, Motivation and Edutainment) project, facilitating peer-support systems across rural communities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she supported the Government of Karnataka’s health response and collaborated with SELCO Foundation on strengthening health systems through sustainable energy solutions across multiple states.
From 2014 to 2019, Dr. Garady was the State Programme Coordinator for the Yuva Spandana initiative at NIMHANS, a flagship mental health promotion program under the Karnataka Youth Policy. In this role, she led a workforce of over 300 frontline staff and helped scale the program to reach more than 1.5 crore youth across Karnataka, significantly advancing youth mental health awareness and services.
Earlier in her career, she worked as a Research Associate at Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), where she managed cohort studies on maternal and child health, and as a Documentation Specialist with India Health Action Trust(IHAT), contributing to large-scale HIV program monitoring and reporting. She also served as a Technical Specialist on a WHO-supported initiative to integrate chronic disease care into pre-service medical education in Karnataka, working closely with academic and government stakeholders to design and implement training frameworks.
Dr. Garady’s expertise lies in program design, implementation, and scale-up, with a strong focus on integrating technology into public health systems. Her work has contributed to shaping public health programs and policies, with lasting impact on community health outcomes in India.
Research Focus
Publications
- Garady L, Soota A, Shouche Y, Chandrachari KP, K V S, Shankar P, et al. A narrative review of the role of blood biomarkers in the risk prediction of cardiovascular diseases. Cureus. 2024 Dec 1;16(12):e74899.
- Banandur PS, Sukumar GM, Arvind BA, P R S, V S B, Loganathan S, et al. Population-based cohort across stroke life course in India-The NIMHANS-NH-SKAN stroke project: A study protocol. PLoS ONE. 2024 Oct 2;19(10):e0310309.
- Vaz M, Kalliath PCM, Nagaraja D, Kiran PR, Garady L, Kasthuri A, et al. Social and Cultural Insights into Healthy Aging: A Qualitative Study from the South Indian City of Bengaluru, India. Indian J Public Health. 2024 Jan 1;68(1):31–7.
- Banandur P, Gopalan K, Pai SG, Arelingaiah M, Velu RS, Garady L, et al. Factors affecting relationship issues among clients attending youth mental health promotion services in India. J Educ Health Promot. 2022 Apr 28;11:123.
- Pradeep BS, Shenoy AB, Shahane S, Srividya RN, Arelingaiah M, D’Souza R, et al. Age, gender, peers, life skills and quality of life influence risk of cell phone addiction among college teachers in Karnataka, India: a state level epidemiological analysis. BMC Public Health. 2022 Jan 26;22(1):180.
- Banandur P, Hasiruvalli Gangappa V, Koujageri JM, Garady L, Arelingaiah M, Ramamurthy SV, et al. Youth and suicidality: Correlates among clients attending youth mental health promotion clinics in India. Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2023 Feb;69(1):146–55.
- Banandur PS, Gururaj G, Garady L, Arelingaiah M, Jyoti MK, Research team. Yuva spandana – A youth mental health promotion model in India – Design, methods and progress. Indian J Public Health. 2021;65(4):380–3.
- Banandur SP, Sukumar GM, Arelingaiah M, Garady L, Koujageri JM, Sajjanar SL, et al. Effectiveness of a Structured Training Module on Different Learning Domains among Yuva Parivarthakas under Yuva Spandana Program. Indian J Psychol Med. 2020 Mar 9;42(2):182–8.
- Pradeep BS, Arvind BA, Ramaiah S, Shahane S, Garady L, Arelingaiah M, et al. Quality of a life skills training program in Karnataka, India – a quasi experimental study. BMC Public Health. 2019 May 2;19(1):489.