Data Scientist Public Health
Resume:
Chhavi Sodhi, PhD
PERSONAL STATEMENT
******.*********@*****.*** • 424-***-****
linkedin.com/in/chhavi-sodhi-226144299 • Valencia, CA Public health researcher and data scientist with 7+ years of experience applying advanced epidemiological methods, real-world data analytics, and M&E (SAS, STATA, R) to develop evidence-based solutions in RMNCH+AN, environmental health, surveillance, chronic diseases. Adept at transforming complex data into actionable insights using causal inference methods, observational research, statistical modeling, and interdisciplinary approaches, for programs serving millions. EDUCATION
University of California, LA (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA Master of Public Health – Epidemiology, Expected June 2025 Coursework: Multivariate statistics, diabetes and pharmacoepidemiology, causal inference, policy analysis. Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, Delhi PhD, Social Medicine and Community Health, July 2016 Thesis: Contextualising Environment and Health: A Study of the Boatmen of the Ganga in Varanasi Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, Delhi MPhil, Social Medicine and Community Health (equivalent to US MPH), July 2011
Dissertation: The Fabric of Health: A Study of the Factors Affecting the Health Status of Handloom Weavers of Varanasi University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi Master of Arts (MA) in Social Work, May 2009 University of Lucknow, Lucknow, UP Bachelor of Arts (BA) in History, Political Science, Economics, May 2007 TECHNICAL SKILLS
• Statistical modelling: Multi-variate and multilevel analysis, causal inference, survival analysis, Bayesian statistics, analysis of quasi-experimental studies, multiple imputations, predictive modeling.
• Software & programming: R, STATA, SAS, MS Excel, Python, QGIS/ArcGIS, Endnote, ATLAS.ti, Dedoose.
• Languages: Hindi (native), English (professional), Urdu and Punjabi (intermediate).
• Design research studies, tools (SurveyMonkey, Google forms), survey management, data collection, data quality control, data coding (ICD-10 coding standards), IRB protocol development.
• Evidence-based technical documents: study plans, project & technical briefs, systematic analyses, scientific literature. SIGNATURE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Optimized Iron & Folic Acid supply chain across 25 high-priority districts, Uttar Pradesh by analyzing distribution networks to identify critical gaps, reducing stock-outs and improving access to ~ 1 million pregnant women annually.
• Authored 5+ peer-reviewed papers, including three first-author publications.
• Awarded a competitive national-level Senior Research Fellowship by the University Grants Commission, India. EXPERIENCE
QUIT Mobile Project, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA Los Angeles, USA Graduate Student Researcher February 2024 – June 2024
• Conducted recruitment and screening of potential participants for the QUIT Mobile project.
• Organized and analyzed qualitative data using Dedoose to inform iterative intervention design and enhance outcomes. Swasti Bengaluru, India
Senior Research Associate/ Research Lead for Precision Health March 2021 – August 2023 Consultant – Monitoring & Evaluation Executive, L4I – USAID India H-CORE Mirror Team
• Led wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) research across 2+ Indian cities, created a comprehensive matrix for quality compliance, streamlined strategies (including relating to signal detection) towards program scalability; findings contributed to a peer-reviewed publication and informed state-level surveillance strategies. P a g e 2 2
• Provided mentorship to 5+ interns, new hires and junior research staff, offering guidance in publication, conference preparation and collaboration in developing project proposals for broader organizational research initiatives.
• Managed program monitoring data for USAID India Health Office, co-devised a MIS system and spearheaded the use of GIS (QGIS, ArcGIS) to support improved partner reporting. Coordinated project reviews of USG-funded initiatives. Center on Gender Health and Equity, UC San Diego Remote Research Consultant December 2021 – April 2022
● Developed standardized STATA pipelines to clean and analyze raw primary large-scale survey data for RMNCH program in Bihar and UP, enabling auditable statistical and predictive analysis of FP and gender indicators.
● Performed cross-validated qualitative data analysis (ATLAS.ti) to triangulate findings for publications.
● Executed a systematic review on the role of mothers-in-law in influencing the decision-making of daughters-in-law on FP globally. Authored a blog on contraceptive decision-making. India Health Action Trust – Uttar Pradesh Technical Support Unit Lucknow, India Technical Specialist, Monitoring & Evaluation April 2017 – February 2021
• Analyzed RMNCH+N data using STATA and MS Excel by cleaning and harmonizing large-scale survey (DHS, Census) and administrative data, applying biostatistical models to diagnose and remediate 15+ critical program gaps and drive the organizational agenda of strategic decision-making in UP’s 25 High Priority Districts.
• Developed reproducible STATA scripts for data cleaning, validation, and analysis, to process raw multi-source data
(including unstructured inputs) and ensure methodological rigor and transparent and scalable workflows.
• Leveraged research and coding expertise to develop robust data quality parameters for primary field survey data collection, using outlier analysis to detect and mitigate investigator bias and improve data integrity for 100+ field staff.
• Crafted numerous technical and project briefs, distilling key program insights and providing evidence-based recommendations to guide decision-making. Served as Joint Editor for the organizational newsletter, Pahal. Swabhimaan Project – International Institute of Population Sciences Mumbai, India Technical Writer October 2016 – March 2017
Reported on the baseline survey for the project, a multi-sectoral female nutrition program implemented in select blocks of Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Odisha and designed a framework for the final report and fact sheet. SEWA Bharat – SIMAVI Sexual and Reproductive Health Research Survey Munger, India Programme Coordinator January 2012 – February 2012 Directed a mixed-methods research study on socio-cultural drivers of SRH behavior, engaging 10+ community stakeholders. Generated actionable insights to influence program strategies for under-served women in Bihar. ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
• IT skills – MS Office and Canva.
• Soft skills – Cross-functional collaboration, critical thinking, written communication, adaptability, self-driven.
• Leadership – Managed cross-functional teams (10+ researcher/ field staff) across full research lifecycle.
• Volunteering – Energy healing, UCLA Campus Programs Committee, food distribution, disaster relief initiatives.
• Membership – National Association of Professional Social Workers in India (NAPSWI).
• Others – Pranic Healer trained under the teachings of my revered Guru, Grandmaster Choa Kok Sui. Through His teachings, I have learnt to remove stress from professional and personal life, enhance productivity and ethical decision- making in research environments, adopt innovative approaches in work, improve problem-solving skills. RECENT PUBLICATIONS (top three)
• Chaudhuri A, Pangaria A*, Sodhi C*, Kumar V N et al (2023): ‘Building health system resilience and pandemic preparedness using wastewater-based epidemiology from SARS-CoV-2 monitoring in Bengaluru, India,’ Frontiers in Public Health, Vol. 11.
• Gopinath S, Thomas BM, Sodhi C, Pandey AK (2023): ‘Socio-economic and demographic disparities in the health status of the elderly in India,’ Indian Journal of Gerontology, Vol. 37 (2).
• Kumar C*, Sodhi C* and CP Jaleel A (2020): ‘Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health Services in the Wake of COVID-19: Insights from India,’ Journal of Global Health Science, Vol. 2 (2).
(For a full list of publications, refer here at LinkedIn).
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