Afsan Bhadelia

Afsan Bhadelia, PhD, MS is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health at Purdue University, where she teaches PUBH 240 – Global Health. Her nearly two decades of global-health scholarship focus on health-systems analysis, equity-oriented priority-setting, and the integration of palliative care for chronic diseases, notably cancer.

Education:

• PhD – Johns Hopkins University
• MS – Tufts University
• BS – Tufts University

Research Interests: Dr. Bhadelia’s transdisciplinary programme sits at the intersection of public health, complexity science, ethics, economics, and policy. She develops novel methodologies and metrics to illuminate social and structural determinants of health—using cancer and palliative care as tracer conditions—and embeds a gender-justice lens throughout. Her overarching goal is citizen-driven priority-setting that aligns health-system investments with societal values.

Awards & Recognition:

• Fulbright U.S. Scholar (2021)
• Gordis Teaching Fellowship, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (2015)
• Young Cancer Leader, Union for International Cancer Control (2015)
• Presidential Award for Citizenship and Public Service, Tufts University (2006)

Research Trajectory & Impact: Bhadelia’s prolific publication record (46+ papers) charts a clear arc from quantifying the global burden of serious health-related suffering to crafting ethically-grounded, policy-ready solutions. Recurring themes include opioid-access equity, racism and casteism in pain relief, and integration of palliative care into universal health coverage. Her 2025 updates to the Lancet Commission, alongside multiple WHO-aligned metrics papers, position her work at the forefront of global palliative-care science.

Community-Engaged Scholarship & Teaching: Emphasising community-partnered research, she mentors students in community-engaged methods and co-develops curricula that blend complexity thinking with real-world policy challenges. Through Purdue’s signature research areas—Developmental Health & Wellness, Healthy Lifestyles & Vital Longevity, Sustainable Organizations & Thriving Communities—her lab collaborates across disciplines to ensure research uptake by policymakers and practitioners.