Alumni and Friends
The Harvard Chan India Research Center
A celebration of Ten Years of Partnership and Impact
Advancing public health in India across a decade of collaboration
Hosted by IRC Council Member Dr. Anthony Dias, MPH ’04
Saturday, September 26, 2026
6:00 – 8:00 pm
David Rubenstein Treehouse
About the Evening
Please join us for an evening celebrating ten years of the Harvard Chan India Research Center—a platform built on trust, rigorous science, and deep collaboration between Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and institutions across India.
Over the past decade, the IRC has advanced large-scale research, strengthened institutional capacity, informed policy, and contributed meaningfully to improving public health outcomes across India. Research areas have included air pollution and health, maternal and child health, noncommunicable disease prevention, environmental and climate health, and large population-based cohort studies.
This evening is an opportunity to reflect on what has been accomplished—and to look ahead with excitement to what comes next.
Hearty hors-d’oeuvres and drinks will be served.
Program
Welcome Remarks
Opening reflections on the IRC’s journey and the power of partnership in advancing global public health.
Panel Discussion
A moderated conversation highlighting the IRC’s research and programs—and sharing the vision for the Center’s future, including exciting new initiatives on the horizon.
Reception
An opportunity to connect with fellow guests, meet IRC faculty and leadership, and celebrate a decade of impact—and the years ahead.
Featured Speakers
The Director of the Harvard Chan India Research Center, Dr. K. “Vish” Viswanath is also Lee Kum Kee Professor of Health Communication in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Director of the Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness at the School. He additionally holds a number of scientific and leadership positions at both Dana Farber Cancer Institute, including significant work in health communications.
Dr. Viswanath works to influence public health policy and practice through knowledge translation and equity-focused research. He engages community organizations and stakeholders in participatory studies, documenting how communication inequalities, poverty, and other social factors drive health disparities. His research has also informed public health initiatives in India, applying evidence-based strategies to improve health outcomes and promote equity.
Dr. Shruthi Mahalingaiah is the Mark and Catherine Winkler Associate Professor of Environmental Reproductive and Women’s Health at Harvard Chan School, and an attending physician in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Massachusetts General Hospital.
As a physician-epidemiologist, her work bridges clinical care, population science, and environmental epidemiology to understand how environmental and modifiable risk factors shape reproductive, cardiometabolic, and gynecologic health across the life course. Dr. Mahalingaiah received the 2025–26 IRC seed grant for her project, Strengthening Personal Air Pollution Monitoring and Environmental Exposure Assessment of Women in the HeLTI India Cohort of Mysuru, South India.
Dr. Rifat Atun is the Julio Frenk Professor of Public Health Leadership and Dean for Education and Innovation at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. As Dean for Education and Innovation, Dr. Atun provides strategic and operational leadership across the School’s degree and non-degree education portfolio, including the Advanced Learning Academy. He is developing a multi-year strategy that strengthens a solutions orientation in our teaching and fosters innovation in credentials, technology, and IA-enabled learning models.
Dr. Atun has deep expertise in education theory, methods, and administration. As Director of the Health Systems Innovation Lab, he also oversees an annual international hackathon and venture incubation program.
Dr. Guarab Basu is assistant professor of environmental health and faculty at the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment (Harvard Chan C-CHANGE) and the Harvard FXB Center for Health and Human Rights
Dr. Gaurab Basu’s research focuses on the intersection of climate change and public health in India, particularly in regions such as the Sundarbans and Kolkata. His work examines how flooding, cyclones, and environmental change impact vulnerable communities and shape health outcomes, contributing to the development of more equitable, climate-resilient health systems and policies.
Dr. Anthony Dias, MPH ’04 is a highly experienced physician executive with a progressive 28-year track record of leading innovation at the intersection of public health, healthcare management and policy, informatics and clinical medicine. He developed and implemented business strategies to improve patient safety, healthcare quality, access to care, and to reduce costs in the national healthcare markets.
Dr. Dias completed his medical training in Goa, India and is a member of the India Research Center Advisory Council. He has dedicated many years of service to Harvard Chan School including as President of the Harvard Chan Alumni Council and, currently, as co-chair of the Alumni Giving Committee.
With any questions, please contact Vimbai Chitakunye, Director of Development:
(603) 557-0019 | vchitakunye@hsph.harvard.edu