Bio Sketch
I am an infectious disease researcher with over 18 years of experience in public health, immunology, and advocacy, co-authored 60 publications till date. Over the past decade, I worked towards strengthening health systems for TB through operational research and strategic advocacy pushing for a biosocial approach. My contributions span India and other countries where I supported national health ministries in improving tuberculosis programs and addressing antimicrobial resistance through capacity-building initiatives of WHO’s Tropical Disease Research program and The Global Fund. I am a Faculty and Mentor for the WHO/TDR’s Structured Operational Research Training Initiative (SORT IT) program. I have effectively managed and implemented research projects under The Global Fund and USAID grants and led collaborations (READ IT) with renowned institutions like Cochrane Collaboration, publishing several systematic reviews in TB, including qualitative evidence synthesis.
I have played a key role in promoting community engagement through ACSM initiatives funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to raise the profile of TB. Integrating monitoring indicators of ACSM into the Ni-kshay database, facilitating the development of a dedicated Knowledge Management platform for ACSM (https://tbacsmresources.org/), mobile storytelling initiative #MeriTBKiKahaani (https://www.meritbkikahaani.org), national workshops on ACSM for TB (https://theunion.org/NTSU-ACSM) are some of them. As a member of the Technical Working Group, I contributed to the development of a ‘Strategy to end stigma and discrimination associated with TB’ for India.
My research contributions towards TB operational research have been appreciated and my profile was showcased by The Union on International Women’s Day 2022 https://theunion.org/news/international-womens-day-2022-dr-karuna-d-sagili . I continue to serve The Union as the member of its Ethics Advisory Group.
I also had the opportunity to be an advocate against stigma towards HIV and TB-affected individuals and their families, child sexual exploitation, and promote girl child education through various platforms. I am a firm believer that education has the power to break the cycle of poverty and oppression, especially for girls. I am passionate about advocating for health and humanitarian issues and committed to strengthening health systems and research capacity, promoting evidence-based policymaking, and engaging deeply with communities to build resilience. I aim to accelerate sustainable, positive change in global health, ensuring impactful and lasting outcomes.
