Harikeerthan (he/him) is a public health researcher committed to advancing equity and justice in health systems. Trained as a family physician from Christian Medical College Vellore, he began his career in rural India, where he witnessed first-hand the deep inequities in access to care. These experiences motivated him to pursue a Master’s in Health and International Development at the London School of Economics (LSE), equipping him to work at the intersection of research, advocacy, and systems reform.

He currently serves as Associate Director (Health Equity) at Sangath, Bhopal, where he co-leads the Initiative for Health Equity, Advocacy and Research (iHEAR). His work focuses on participatory approaches that center marginalized communities, including LGBTQIA+ people, persons with disabilities, and young people with mental health problems, to reimagine more inclusive and accountable health systems. He was a Wellcome Trust Master’s Scholar, an ESSENCE Fellow in Implementation Research in Mental Health, and is currently a India Health Policy and Systems Research Fellow.