Institute: Global Healthcare Consulting, India; University of Washington, Seattle; Erasmus University Medical Center, The Netherlands
Biography
Dr Sonali Kochhar holds the following positions:
- M.D., Medical Director, Global Healthcare Consulting
- Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle
- Scientific Researcher, Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
She has twenty years of experience in a Leadership position for Global Phase I-IV Clinical Research, Epidemiology and Safety Studies for Vaccines and Drugs conducted in the USA, Europe, Asia, Africa and India in Adult and Pediatric populations, Infectious Diseases (HIV/AIDS, Diarrheal Diseases, Malaria, TB, Influenza, Group B Strep, Neglected diseases), Research Ethics for Vaccines, Epidemics, and New Technologies, Vaccines for Pregnant Women, Introduction of New Vaccines and Technology, Translating research into programs by Healthcare Systems Strengthening (including Governance, Capacity Building, Logistics and Supply Chains) for Immunization and Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health programs, Pandemic Preparedness, HIV/AIDs Prevention, Care and Treatment, Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health, and working with vulnerable and at-risk populations (including women, adolescents, children, MSMs, IDUs and Sex Workers).
She has been responsible for leading complex international projects and teams in thirteen Asian and five African countries, Europe and the USA.
She has got a strong track record of setting up global multi-million dollar International Strategic Partnerships, Policy, Ethics and Regulatory Development, Institutional Strengthening, Strategy and Advocacy with Government Partners (across Asia-Pacific, Africa, and South America), International Aid Agencies (Gates Foundation, USAID, Basque Government etc.), Public Health Authorities, International and Bilateral Organizations (e.g. WHO, NIH, CDC), Regulatory Bodies (including the FDA, EMEA, African and Asian National Regulatory Authorities), Ethical Committees, Scientific Organizations, International Pharmaceutical Companies, Local Communities and the Media.
She has co-authored multiple internationally accepted Vaccine Safety Research Standards, Case definitions of Adverse Events for Vaccines Research, Guidelines for Vaccine Safety Research and Template Research Protocols. She is the Lead for the development of Maternal and Neonatal Case Definitions for Maternal Immunisation (MI) and has co-authored guidelines for vaccines in pregnant women clinical trials. The definitions are being utilized in clinical research, observational studies and AEFI surveillance for Vaccines and Maternal and Child Health Research globally. She is helping to develop Research Ethics for Vaccines, Epidemics, and New Technologies.
She is a member of various International Steering Committees, including the Wellcome Trust’s Independent Review Committee for Clinical Study Data Requests, International Alliance for Biological Standardization Human Vaccine Committee, the Global Alignment of Immunization Safety Assessment in Pregnancy, Immunizing Pregnant Women and Infants network etc. She is an Expert Working Group member of the PREVENT (Pregnancy Research Ethics for Vaccines, Epidemics, and New Technologies) Wellcome Trust Project, Medical Advisory Panel member of Group B Strep Support etc. She was on the International Steering Committee of the WHO Consultation on Safety of Immunization in Pregnancy in Mothers and Newborn Children and served as the Session Chair for the WHO Pediatric Deliberative Session on neonatal events in maternal immunization. She was a member of the Gates Foundation’s Global Health Clinical Consortium Leadership Group, Harvard University’s Multi-Regional Clinical Trial Group etc.
Kochhar serves on International Scientific Advisory Boards, as Guest Faculty for International Public Health and Vaccinology Programs, as a reviewer for journals like Vaccine, Lancet, Cochrane Review etc. and has published numerous peer-reviewed publications and book chapters in the areas of Maternal Immunization, Vaccine and Drug Research and Safety.
As the Medical Director for the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative earlier, she provided leadership for the first AIDS vaccine research in India and as the Clinical Research and Drug Development Specialist has provided leadership for clinical research for PATH.
As the Country Director for the USAID | DELIVER PROJECT for John Snow India Pvt. Ltd., an International Health Consultancy Organization, she led efforts to translate research into programs by Healthcare Systems Strengthening (including Capacity Building, Logistics and Supply Chains) for Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health and Immunization programs, and enhance the use of technology for health systems planning and monitoring.
Key Publications
A list of key publications can be found here.
Web Links of Interest