Dr Bindu Patel
Conjoint Senior Lecturer
- PhD Public Health (University of Sydney, Australia)
- Master of Public Health, Epidemiology (Columbia University, USA)
- Bachelor of Science in Biology (Honours) (University of Illinois, USA)
Medicine & Health
School of Population Health
Bindu has over 25 years of experience in applied, transdisciplinary public health, with a research focus on improving population and individual health outcomes through the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Her work integrates rigorous evidence synthesis, implementation science, and health system strengthening with strong government engagement and cost-effective strategies to identify and scale high-impact interventions. She is committed to advancing implementation science, policy, and practice to reduce death, illness, and disability from NCDs through multisectoral partnerships.
She brings senior-level technical, operational, and management experience, combining analytical rigor with practical insight into complex health system challenges and sociopolitical contexts. She is widely recognised as a trusted partner to governments, UN agencies, academic institutions, multilateral organisations, and public and private sector stakeholders.
Bindu’s career began over two decades ago as a volunteer in a remote village in India, working alongside community health care workers. This formative experience informs her strong commitment to community-participatory research approaches to addressing health inequities and to applying a decolonising lens in research, policy, and practice.
Bindu is a recipient of the NHMRC–Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases grant and serves as Principal Investigator on research adopting a life-course approach to the prevention and control of NCDs.
E-mail
Location
55 Botany Street, Randwick
UNSW, Sydney NSW 2031 Australia
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
- 2023: Evaluating the impact, investment case and scale up of 'Health Promoting Schools' in Fiji (#2022566 - NHMRC-GACD), $1,388,931.80
- 2023: Consultancy for Fiji's Ministry of Health and Medical Services 3rd NCD STEPS Survey, (DFAT), $364,050
- 2024: Resilient, people-centred health system for non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention and control in Pacific and Southeast Asian Countries (DFAT), Fiji WHO PEN implementation, $1,334,598
- 2013: Impact of implementing a computerised quality improvement intervention in primary healthcare (NHMRC postgraduate), $81,709
Bindu leads a sustained and strategically focused program of research addressing the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) through implementation science and system-level evaluation. Her research directly informs policy and programme design, with a strong emphasis on improving effectiveness, scalability, and equity through multisectoral action and government partnership.
Her work in Fiji has had demonstrable national impact across both the health and education systems. She provided critical leadership in the delivery of Fiji’s national NCD risk factors survey report, which now underpins NCD policy development and future programming across government. Through comprehensive system-level evaluation and the development of strategic implementation plans, her research has strengthened the national evidence base for addressing NCD risk factors and improving policy and programme performance.
More broadly, Bindu’s research on health system and programme evaluation has enabled governments to identify and strengthen core components required for effective implementation and adaptation across diverse contexts. Her funded research portfolio is substantial and competitive, including an NHMRC–Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases grant, where she serves as Principal Investigator on research applying a life-course approach to NCD prevention and control in school settings.
Within the University, Bindu makes a significant contribution to research performance and impact at both the centre and faculty levels. Her research program is underpinned by a clear strategic vision and is characterised by high-value collaboration with governments, UN agencies, academic institutions, multilateral organisations, and public and private sector partners, positioning her work for sustained national and international impact.
My Research Supervision
- Elvis Anyaehiechukwu Okolie, Cervical cancer prevention and control in Nigeria