Manish founded and leads IIH’s India operations in Bihar. Prior to co-founding IIH, he was a co-founder and Chief Architect at Engim Inc., a private venture-backed wireless semiconductor startup. Manish is a Fellow of the Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values at MIT. He has a Ph.D. in electrical engineering and computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Manish is a recipient of MIT's Graduate Teaching Award.
Bill Thies
Bill is a Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research, where he is a member of the Technologies for Emerging Markets Group. His research focuses on inventing and applying technologies that promote socio-economic development, especially in the context of healthcare and education. He received all of his degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he completed his Ph.D. in computer science in February, 2009. Bill is a MacArthur Fellow.
Board
Manish Bhardwaj and Bill Thies
Jagdeep Gambhir (IIH India) Jagdeep is the CEO and co-founder of Karma Healthcare and manages the organization’s implementation, partnerships and finances. Prior to Karma Healthcare, Jagdeep was a Senior Program Manager at the Population Foundation of India where he led various high-value strategic initiatives in program and organizational development. Jagdeep was IIH’s founding program manager, and launched a TB treatment program in rural Bihar. Jagdeep is an alumnus of the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad and NITK, Surathkal.
Scott Kennedy Scott is the Executive Director of Energy Action Partners, a non-profit working to improve access to sustainable energy services. Prior to Energy Action Partners, Scott was an associate professor and Dean of Research at the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi, where he oversaw the Institute’s energy and sustainability research and founded multiple initiatives on renewable energy and community development. Scott received a PhD in Engineering Sciences from Harvard University and a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University.
Manish Kumar (IIH India) Manish has worked in healthcare for more than a decade, including a 3-year stint in Afghanistan, where he was part of research teams surveying and studying that country’s fledgling healthcare system. His interests lie in understanding the socio-economic dynamics of rural Bihar, and their impact on healthcare. He has a M.A. from Jamia Millia Islamia, and a Ph.D. in Sociology from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Patna.
Shailja Shah Shailja is a graduate in Dentistry and did a year long clinical practice. She has immense interest in public health and completed her post-graduation from IIPH, Gandhinagar. She is a recipient of the prestigious Infosys Fellowship that provided her an opportunity to work in Lok Swasthya SEWA Trust, Gujarat. She has significant experience in project management, research and is contributing to the TB Reach Wave 9 implementation across 3 districts at IIH.
Navnit Nisha Navnit is a postgraduate in Hospital and Health management from IIHMR Jaipur. Formerly, she was employed by SRLM Jharkhand and Deepak Foundation, focusing to bring healthcare facility among community of hard-to-reach areas of Jharkhand. She is passionate about program implementation and has deep interest in working for the community’s wellbeing.
Kajal Taluja Kajal is post graduate from AIIMS Jodhpur and is a public health enthusiast. She was actively involved in various national and international projects during her academic tenure. She holds a Bachelors degree in dental surgery and has 2 years of clinical experience post that. Kajal believes in evidence based public health practice along with research. She is passionate about evolving her leadership qualities.
Chandan M Chandan is a graduate of Dentistry from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Karnataka and a MPH graduate from Prasanna School Public Health, Manipal, Karnataka. He has worked as a Covid Medical Officer in Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike, Bengaluru, during the pandemic. He is immensely interested in knowing and working at the grassroots level and bringing about a change in the community.
Reena Marbate Reena is a public health postgraduate from IIPH Delhi. She has completed an internship from IDSP Bhandara, Maharashtra. She has a clinical research experience in addition to a Bachelor's degree in Ayurveda. She is a passionate public health professional committed to using evidence-based interventions and strategic planning to improve community well-being.