Research Team

PHASE Nepal Research Team
PHASE Nepal research team is a team of experienced researchers from different backgrounds with in-depth experiences of conducting applied and implementation researches. Here is a short bio of our research team.

Dr. Jiban Karki
Dr. Jiban Karki is the Founder and Executive Director of PHASE Nepal, an organization he established in 2006 to deliver essential health, education, and livelihood services in Nepal’s remote and underserved regions. Under his leadership, PHASE Nepal has grown into a leading development organization, addressing critical challenges and improving the lives of marginalized communities.
With over 25 years of experience in development and project management in Nepal, Dr. Karki has also dedicated more than 10 years to academic research across the Global South, working in countries such as Bangladesh, India, Kenya, Malawi, Nepal, Pakistan, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe. He holds a PhD in Public Health from the University of Sheffield and a master’s degree in Rural Development from the University of East Anglia, along with bachelor’s degrees in civil engineering and business administration from Nepal.
Dr. Karki currently serves as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, where he leads the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) aspects of a multi-country research project. He is also actively involved in participatory research and supervises PhD students.
Throughout his career, Dr. Karki has served as Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-Investigator (CoI) on various studies focusing on health systems, disaster resilience, disability, assistive technology, and urban health. He is skilled in participatory methodologies and has trained professionals in participatory video-making and academic writing.
Dr. Karki’s extensive experience in both development and research underscores his commitment to addressing complex health and development challenges through evidence-based approaches and inclusive practices.

Mr. Rudra Neupane
Rudra Neupane is a dedicated development professional with over 27 years of experience in Nepal’s development sector. His career began with roles in organizations such as UNDP Nepal’s Disaster Risk Management Program, JICA-supported projects, NGOs, engineering consulting firms, and a construction company. In April 2015, he transitioned to become Program Manager at PHASE Nepal, where he oversees project management, communication with stakeholders, funding application development, and quality assurance. With a passion for serving vulnerable populations, Rudra currently leads the implementation of USAID’s Local Works: Mugu activity, focusing on empowering persons with disabilities, vulnerable single women, and elderly individuals. Rudra’s extensive experience, academic background in Civil Engineering, Rural Development, and Disaster Risk Management, coupled with his dedication, continues to drive significant contributions to Nepal’s development landscape.

Dr. Bhagawan Das Shrestha
Dr. Bhagawan Das Shrestha is a public health expert with over 21 years of experience in program management, research, monitoring and evaluation, and resource mobilization across Asia and Africa. He is currently the Fundraising Manager at PHASE Nepal, where he supports scaling impactful health interventions in remote communities.
Dr. Shrestha holds a PhD in Public Health, an MPH from the University of Dhaka, and a Bachelor’s in Medicine & Certificate in Medical Science from Tribhuvan University. His career includes leadership roles with global organizations such as UNICEF, WHO (EMRO), UNDP, Save the Children, and Plan International, focusing on maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH), reproductive health, and infectious diseases like influenza.
A notable achievement is the scale-up of the Pregnant Women’s Group Approach, a behavioral change communication (BCC) strategy using an illiterate-friendly mapping tool. This innovation significantly improved MNCH service utilization among disadvantaged communities in Nepal.
Dr. Shrestha has extensive experience in community mobilization, designing cost-effective interventions to reduce maternal and child mortality in low-resource settings. His operational research on integrating umbilical cord care with chlorhexidine into a community-based newborn care program led to its nationwide implementation in Nepal.
As a researcher, he has conducted and shared findings from four regional surveys on high-impact MNCH interventions and family planning best practices, later published in peer-reviewed journals, including the WHO Public Health Journal. His key publications include:
1. A Behaviour Mapping Mat Tool for Increasing Maternal and Newborn Health Care Services (JETIR, 2019)
2. Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework (Journal of Infection and Public Health, 2019)
3. A Review of Family Planning Policies and Services in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMHJ, 2019).
Dr. Shrestha is skilled in monitoring and evaluation, utilizing tools like Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) and Rapid Health Facility Assessment (RHFA). He has led 14 LQAS evaluations for USAID-funded projects and played a key role in developing Nepal’s Every Newborn Action Plan (ENAP).
Through evidence-based approaches and community-focused solutions, Dr. Shrestha continues to drive transformative change in public health systems.

Dr. Situ KC
Dr. KC is an experienced public health professional and academic with a career spanning over a decade. She holds a master’s degree in public health and doctoral degree in Health Science/Epidemiology from Tampere University, Finland. Currently, Dr. KC is engaged at PHASE Nepal as a Research Lead, managing research project on climate change and women’s involvement in policy process for effective climate action for health in collaboration with Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK. She also served as a part-time lecturer at Kantipur Academy of Health Science, with teaching responsibilities and also supervising dissertations. With five publications as the first author in high-quality international peer-reviewed journals, Situ’s expertise lies in both quantitative and qualitative data analysis, proficient in statistical software such as SPSS, STATA,Microsoft Office and Nvivo. She has also presented her research findings at prestigious national and international conferences. She has been also awarded grant from Finnish Cultural Foundation during her PhD. Situ’s areas of interest include maternal and child health, perinatal health, access to health services, and working with vulnerable populations. Her diverse experiences and contributions highlight her dedication to improving public health outcomes and addressing health disparities.

Ms. Barsha Rijal
Barsha Rijal is a dedicated public health researcher, holding a Post Graduate Diploma in Research from Glasgow Caledonian University, a Master’s degree in Global Health from Queen Margaret University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health from Asian College for Advanced Studies. Currently, as a Research Associate at PHASE Nepal, she leads applied research projects, collaborating with national and international academia, government stakeholders, and development agencies. Her work includes assessing living conditions in informal settlements and studying non-communicable diseases and adolescent sexual health in rural Nepal. Previously, she worked with EcoHimal Nepal, focusing on community-based projects. Barsha also serves as Vice-Chairperson on the Board of Directors of EcoHimal Nepal, an organization contributing towards climate change and environmental adaptation initiatives. She has co-authored numerous publications in the international peer reviewed journals on various public health topics and was awarded the Provincial Research Grant by the Nepal Health Research Council in 2022, showcasing her commitment to advancing public and global health research.

Ms. Jyoti Lamichhane
Jyoti Lamichhane is a diligent public health professional with a Master of Public Health degree from Tribhuvan University, Nepal, supplemented by additional credits earned from Bournemouth University, UK, as a recipient of the Erasmus+ scholarship. With nearly three years devoted as a public health academics, Jyoti has amassed a wealth of experience through internships, fieldwork, and research projects.As a co-author, Jyoti has made significant contributions to peer-reviewed journals, focusing particularly on topics such as sexual harassment and patient and public involvement. Her research findings have been disseminated through oral and poster presentations at prestigious national-level conferences.Currently serving as a Research Associate at PHASE Nepal, Jyoti is actively enhancing and expanding her research capabilities and practical exposure. Proficient in research methodologies, data analysis, and community engagement, Jyoti is driven by a strong motivation to contribute towards positive public health impacts.

Ms. Samikshya Nepal
Samikshya Nepal is a dedicated public health professional with a Master’s degree in Public Health from Tribhuvan University and a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health from Purbanchal University. She has worked as a Public Health Officer under the Government of Nepal, where she developed a strong interest in addressing health inequalities and played an active role in responding to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently a Research Associate at PHASE Nepal, she focuses on research and gaining practical experience with various methodologies. Skilled in tools like SPSS, Nvivo and Kobo, Samikshya is deeply committed to promoting gender equity, social inclusion, and improving public health in Nepal.

Ms. Pratistha Acharya
Pratistha Acharya is a passionate public health professional with a Master’s in Public Health, specializing in Health Service Management, from Pokhara University, where she earned Dean’s List honors and a Research Grant Award from Itahari Sub Metropolitan. She also holds a Bachelor’s in Public Health from Purbanchal University. Pratistha worked as an intern in Rural Health and Service Trust (RHEST), where she contributed to promoting adolescent health through workshops, nutrition education, and advocacy. Her growing interest in research led her to work as a Research Assistant at Idea Breed Technology in Kathmandu, where she supported projects focused on public health innovations, including studies on maternal health, community- based nutrition interventions, and health system strengthening. Currently, Pratistha is advancing her research skills as a Research Associate at PHASE Nepal. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring new places and learning about diverse cultures.

Ms. Sujata Adhikari
Sujata Adhikari began her career as an emergency health nurse in the central heart hospital of Nepal. With nearly 4 years of clinical experience, she gained invaluable insights into healthcare delivery and cardiovascular health improvement. She also worked as a frontline nurse during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is the recipient of Asian Development Bank-Joint Japan Scholarship program through which she studied her master’s degree at The University of Tokyo. After graduation, she worked as a Research and Training coordinator at Health Action and Research where she contributed for a longitudinal study on School Based Nutrition Intervention conducted in Sarlahi district, funded by UNICEF. Passionate about community health research, she currently works as a Research Associate in PHASE Nepal. Skilled in research methodologies and statistical analysis, Sujata is driven by a strong motivation to bridge the clinical and community health research and, hence improve global health.