Dr Gitanjali Batmanabane, former Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (Bhubaneswar), joined as Pro VC Medical Sciences in GITAM Deemed to be University in Visakhapatnam. Along with the GIMSR Medical College and Hospital, Dr. Gitanjali will also oversee the schools of Nursing, Paramedical Sciences, and Physiotherapy in the Visakhapatnam campus.
Dr Gitanjali retired recently after a long and illustrious career as a Professor of the Pharmacology department of Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry. She is a lifetime JIPMER product having done all her medical studies there including PhD and serving as a faculty member there since 1984. Dr Gitanjali held several crucial leadership positions at JIPMER in her tenure along with important deputations to WHO as Technical Officer – Essential Drugs and Other Medicines and most notably to AIIMS Bhubaneswar as its second director. During her successful stint as AIIMS Bhubaneswar director, she also held additional charges of AIIMS Patna, AIIMS Guwahati and AIIMS Kalyani as a director ranging from 1 to 3 years.
She has worked with the World Health Organization (WHO) and headed the WHO Collaborating Centre for Training and Research in Essential Medicines and Rational Use of Medicines. She has also formulated innovative academic programs in medical education and published around 78 high-impact research papers. She was the Convener, MCI Regional Centre for Faculty Development Programs.
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