Dr Amudha Poobalan, MBBS, MSc, PhD
Dr Amudha is based within the Institute of Applied Health Sciences and is the programme co-ordinator for the MSc in Public Health Research. She has extensive experience in teaching and training healthcare professionals and post graduate research students in obesity epidemiology, evidence based health and qualitative research methods.
She lectures post graduate students in health indicators, public health challenges in obesity management, health policy and strategies, systematic reviewing, evidence based practice and mixed methods research design. She also coordinates the courses of 'Systematic Reviewing' and 'Public Health research projects'.
Amudha‘s field of research is behavioural modification and lifestyle interventions for disease prevention. Application of ‘Behavioural change theories’ and use of ‘Participatory action research’ have become my core competencies in developing lifestyle interventions.
Her research project funded by UGC – UK-India Education and Research Initiative partnership titled Vellore-Aberdeen Nutrition Exchange (VANE) Project looked at increase in obesity levels in rural India over a period of 30 years and assess the differences in prevalence of obesity and cardiovascular risk factors in rural, urban poor and urban affluent populations. The use of Systematic reviewing of the literature and the application of well-developed combination of quantitative and qualitative research methodology (mixed method studies), which is essential in addressing complex public health issues, is at the heart of her projects.
She has authored 32 publications including peer-reviewed scientific articles, commissioned reports and a book chapter.
Amudha graduated as a Medical Doctor (MBBS) from Christian Medical College, Vellore in South India in 1991 (www.cmch-vellore.edu). She obtained an MSc in Health Services and Public Health Research (2000) and PhD in Public Health (2011) from the University of Aberdeen (www.abdn.ac.uk), under the supervision of Professor Cairns Smith, Prof Amanda Clarke and Dr Lorna Aucott. In her PhD, she studied the lifestyle behaviours in young people (18 - 25 year olds), who are at a critical transition point from adolescence to adulthood, in the context of prevention of obesity.
Dr Srinivas Sriramula
Lecturer Safety and Reliability Engineering
Srinivas is currently an LRF Lecturer in Safety and Reliability Engineering at the University of Aberdeen. He has joined as a Lecturer at the School of Engineering at the University of Aberdeen in August 2009. Prior to that, he was a Postdoctoral Researcher (Oct 2006 - July 2009) at the University of Surrey working on CREDO (Composites Reliability from Engineering Design Optimisation) project.
Srinivas has received his PhD from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras focusing on Copula based Simulations for Engineering systems. He has a Masters degree in Structural Engineering from MNNIT and was awarded the Sir Arthur Cotton Gold Medal (2000) by Nagarjuna University, India for securing highest marks in B.Tech (Civil Engineering).
