MEET THE TEAM
Governing Council
Pavan Mamidi, Director CSBC, Ashoka University:
Pavan is an empirically informed senior advisor in the policy space and a social scientist. Substantively, he pursues two streams of professional work and scholarship – law/policy and applied behaviour science.
He currently serves as the Director of the Centre for Social and Behaviour Change at Ashoka University and works closely with the NITI Aayog.
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavan-mamidi-28081a133/
Subramanyam, Founder Trustee, Sparsh:
Dr. M Subrahmanyam is the Founding Director of ‘Axon Anaesthesia Associates Pvt. Ltd.”, which is now the largest group practice in Anaesthesia in India. He has been instrumental in founding Sparsh Hospice, the first of its kind in Hyderabad, along with other members of Rotary Banjara and is the President of its governing board.
Dr. M Subrahmanyam’s medical interests are Paediatric Anaesthesia and Obstetric Anaesthesia and he is a HoD Anaesthesiologist at Rainbow Hospital, Hyderabad. He has written chapters in medical text books and has been published in many journals.
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/subrahmanyam-maddirala-11922664/
Radhika Kancherla, Operations Head:
Radhika Kancherla spent a decade as a Senior Research Associate at the University of California, Irvine, before relocating to India in 2004. Upon her return, she worked as a healthcare management professional at Sunshine Hospital from 2009 to 2021. In 2021, she joined Sparsh Hospice, where she has taken on various roles. Currently, she serves as the Centre Head, overseeing key projects for the institute.
Reema Gupta, Research Advisor:
Reema has a stellar academic record and industry recognition, having worked for EMC Corporation as a senior director and being named one of the “Top 10 women to watch” in Massachusetts. After moving to India, she worked with the Indian School of Business (ISB) and GITAM University to lead research collaborations and pedagogical innovation. During her tenure at ISB, she created and launched many marquee programs like the CIO Academy, the Goldman-Sachs Women10K Ambassadors program, and the Executive Eminence program for senior leaders.
Reema has published a children’s book, The Dot that went for a walk, featuring 51 inspirational stories of women from India. She is passionate about making a positive impact on the lives of individuals and empowering them to achieve their full potential.
Advisory Council:
Jagadish Ramadugu:
Mr Jagadish Babu Ramadugu is the managing director & chief executive officer of Pragati Finserv, a leading microfinance company. He holds a B.Tech from Nagarjuna University (Faculty of Engineering) and completed PGDM the IIIM Ahmedabad. Prior to joining Pragati, he was the MD & CEO of Vaya Finserv Private Limited from 2015 to 2020. He has also worked in management and executive roles with Satyam Infoway Limited, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Private Limited, Spencer’s Retail Limited and Asian Paints (India) Limited. Jagadish has been part of founding trust board and currently serves as Secretary & founder Trustee for Sparsh Hospice.
Suresh Reddy:
Mr. Suresh Reddy, comes from an agricultural family from Miryalguda, Nalgonda District, Telangana. He had his education from St. George’s Grammer School, AV College, Commerce graduation from IIMC (Vasavi), College, Hyderabad.
He currently runs automobile dealerships in the name of “Pride Motors“. He started his career in 1987 with tractor dealerships of “Massey Ferguson“ in Miryalaguda and today the group deals with the brands Hero Motorcycles, Honda, Jaguar & Land Rover, Fiat & Jeep cars. Suresh is the Founder Trustee, for ‘SPARSH HOSPICE’, and also runs a school in Miryalguda for underpriviledged children providing quality education.
Prof. Sharon Barnhardt, Director, Research:
Dr Sharon Barnhardt is the Director – Research at the Centre for Social and Behaviour Change at Ashoka University. She is an applied development economist and behavioural scientist who uses experiments to study policy-relevant topics in India. Her behavioural research focuses on sanitation and malnutrition.
Sharon’s academic record comprises a PhD from Harvard University, an M.P.A. from Princeton University, and a Bachelor’s from NYU.
Prof. Saurabh Todariya:
Dr. Saurabh Todariya, Assistant Professor at IIIT-H, specializes in phenomenology, Kantian philosophy, and philosophy of mind. His research bridges embodied cognition, AI, and health humanities. A JNU alumnus, he has held positions at NIAS, SRM-AP, and Bennett University, and leads projects on hospice care and Kashmiri Shaivism. He’s currently editing volumes for Springer and Routledge.