Usha Ramakrishnan

Usha Ramakrishnan, PhD, is the Chair & Distinguished Richard N. Hubert Professor of the Hubert Department of Global Health in The Rollins School of Public Health, and Graduate Faculty member of the Doctoral Programs in a) Nutrition and Health Sciences (NHS) and b) Global Health and Development, Laney Graduate School, at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA. She is a leading expert in global maternal and child nutrition and health and has authored over 230 research articles in peer-reviewed professional journals, 19 book chapters, and, edited 4 Books, Monographs and Proceedings. Dr. Ramakrishnan has designed and led large randomized controlled trials (RCT) that test nutrient interventions during pregnancy and early childhood, and also participated in prospective longitudinal studies that examine pregnancy outcomes such as low birth weight, preterm birth and subsequent child growth and development. She has examined the effects of multiple micronutrient (MM) malnutrition during pregnancy, lactation, and early childhood, and more recently completed a large RCT of the effects of weekly pre-conception multiple micronutrient (MM) supplements on maternal and child health outcome in Vietnam (PRECONCEPT). Her current research projects also include examining the effects of omega-3 fatty acids, especially docosahexanoic acid (DHA), during pregnancy on child health, growth and development. She was the PI of a large NIH-funded research project in collaboration with the National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Mexico, that examined the effects of prenatal DHA supplements on infant development (POSGRAD), and has followed up this cohort through 11 y of age. She has also led and participated in several collaborations with non-governmental organizations and research institutions based in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Europe, and also serves on several expert review panels and has provided technical support for various projects in her field of expertise over the years.