Anura Kurpad, M.D., Ph.D. is Dean of the SJRI and the Head of its Nutrition Unit. Dr. Kurpad holds an M.D. in Physiology from St. John’s Medical College and a Ph.D. in Nutrition from Bangalore University. His research interests are in the area of nutrient requirements, notably energy and protein. He works extensively with stable isotopic tools to measure the kinetics of different nutrients in the body. He is interested in adaptation, regulation of metabolism, micronutrient bioavailability and clinical nutrition. His current work includes research on the role of lysine intake and muscle function and anxiety in humans, and research on microbial contributions to leucine homeostasis.

Rebecca Raj, M.Sc., M.Phil, Ph.D. is the Head of Clinical Nutrition Unit at SJRI. Her interests include the measurement of energy expenditure of normal individuals, elderly and patients with various health problems; the assessment of physical activity level of children and its relation to their body weight and eating habits; and risk assessment of individuals with various health problems using non -invasive methods of anthropometric, body compositional, dietary and physical activity assessment. She also is interested in generating evidence on the effect of supplementation of herbal extracts, based on reports in folklore, on life style related diseases such as obesity, diabetes and hyperlipidemia.

Mario Vaz, M.D. is Professor of Physiology at the St. John’s Medical College (SJMC) and heads the Epidemiology and Statistics Unit at the SJRI. Dr. Vaz holds an M.D. degree in Physiology/Nutrition and an M.B.B.S. in Medicine, Surgery from SJMC. He also runs the autonomic function laboratory at the Institute. His research interests include chronic energy deficiency, the epidemiology of chronic 15 diseases of aging and the epidemiology of TB. His recent work includes papers on diet and its role in coronary heart disease in India and how to tackle the challenge of cardiovascular disease burden in developing countries. He has won the award for the best research work by faculty at SJJMC three times in the last decade. Dr, Vaz is well known not only as a researcher but also as a teacher, having won recognition as the best teacher at several forums multiple times.

Tinku Thomas, M.Sc., Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Epidemiology and Statistics Unit at the SJRI. Dr. Thomas holds a M.Sc. from Madras University and a Ph.D from National Institute of Mental health and Neuro Sciences, Bangalore, India. She has been involved in research studies in the field of psychiatry and psychiatric social work. She has vast experience in handling large data sets from longitudinal studies and clinical trials, visual data quality checking, linear and non-linear regression analysis, structural equation modeling and latent structure analysis and application of disability assessment instruments. She has successfully conducted courses in Research methodology and Biostatistics for post graduate students and faculty of the institution.