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Ashoka University, India's leading interdisciplinary and research university, has set up the Dr Ajit Varma Centre for Planetary Health, a first-of-its-kind transdisciplinary centre for planetary health in India, on the campus in the presence of University's leadership and members of the Varma family.
The Centre will advance work across five strategic pillars, including research and discovery; academics and capacity building; innovation hub and venture studio; industry and ecosystem partnerships; and policy engagement. It will focus on addressing complex and interconnected challenges that extend beyond environmental change, spanning climate and health systems, pollution and exposure science and agroecology, marine ecosystems, and emerging infectious risks.
Dr Amit Varma, co-founder and managing partner of Quadria Capital and co-founder of HealthQuad, said, "The establishment of the Dr Ajit Varma Centre for Planetary Health is deeply meaningful. Named in memory of my father, the Centre brings to life a shared vision of advancing science to address some of the most pressing and interconnected challenges of the recent times. We are proud to partner with Ashoka University, whose multidisciplinary approach, academic excellence, and research ecosystem make it uniquely positioned to lead this initiative. We hope it will serve as a catalyst for scientific discovery, nurture the next generation of researchers and leaders, and contribute meaningfully to building healthier, more resilient communities in India and globally."
As part of the Trivedi School of Biosciences at Ashoka University, the Centre will closely engage with the University’s existing research ecosystem, including the Centre for Health Analytics Research Trends (CHART), Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability (3CS), and Koita Centre for Digital Health (KCDH-A). In addition, it will leverage Ashoka’s expertise in Computer Science for AI-driven health modelling and big data analytics, Economics to evaluate the financial cost of climate inaction and the viability of sustainable solutions, and psychology and cognitive sciences to study the human impact of environmental stressors and design interventions to drive community adaptation.
Anurag Agrawal, Dean, BioSciences and Health Research, Trivedi School of Biosciences Head, Koita Center for Digital Health, Ashoka University said, "Climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss and changing ecosystems are reshaping disease patterns and demanding new ways of studying health. By integrating expertise across biology, medicine, engineering, data science, economics and behavioural sciences, this Centre will enable research that not only deepens scientific understanding but also creates pathways to build innovative, practical solutions to enable healthier communities and ecosystems."
Dr Ajit Varma Centre for Planetary Health will establish long- and short-format courses, certifications and symposiums, creating a pipeline of skilled researchers and practitioners equipped to address the interdependence and implications of human and environmental health. It will also support the development of science-led innovations by providing seed grants, mentorship and pathways to translate research into prototypes, products and ventures in collaboration with industry partners.
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