Gurjinder Kaur Brar

I am an Anthropologist and Public Health Professional with five years of postdoctoral experience in planning, administering, and evaluating community-based health programs. My doctoral research, “Cognitive Impairment and Depression in relation to Nutrition and Physique: An Anthropogenetic Study of Palwal District of Haryana”, was recognized with the Beatrice Medicine Award by the Society for Applied Anthropology (2020). My research interests span mental health, nutrition, maternal and child health, syndemics, and the cultural dimensions of health and illness. I am also engaged in understanding health disparities among vulnerable populations, including the LGBTQ+ community.

At PGIMER, I am actively involved in large-scale community nutrition studies focusing on food fortification and micronutrient deficiencies. Key projects include wheat flour and rice fortification programs in Haryana and Punjab, and studies on multiply-fortified salt in collaboration with organizations such as PGIMER, BMGF, and WFP. Additionally, I contribute to the DBT-UMMID initiative for genetic screening of disorders in Punjab. Alongside these quantitative studies, I pursue qualitative research on HIV interventions among men who have sex with men and the social impacts of the India-Pakistan border conflict on rural communities in Punjab.

My work is deeply embedded in the CHaI themes of culture, health, and illness. I view health outcomes as shaped not only by biomedical factors but also by cultural practices, social contexts, and lived experiences. By integrating anthropological insights into public health interventions, I aim to highlight the importance of cultural sensitivity in addressing health challenges.
Through CHaI, I look forward to engaging with a global community of scholars and practitioners, contributing my expertise on nutrition, mental health, and cultural perspectives in public health, while learning from cross-cultural experiences and approaches.
Outside of research, I enjoy traveling and immersing myself in diverse cultural settings, experiences that often enrich my fieldwork and community engagement.

Email: brargurjinder1991@gmail.com

Affiliation: Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India