Hema Khanchandani is the Director for the Cardiovascular Health program. With the cardiovascular health program focusing predominantly on food policies, Hema brings a combined 15 years of experience in research, research translation & dissemination, policy advocacy & implementation, culinary instruction and menu development for institutions (i.e., workplaces and universities). Prior to joining the Global Health Advocacy Incubator, Hema was a sous chef at Stanford University, and was charged with developing healthy, plant-forward recipes for its dining halls. Preceding her experience as a chef, Hema spent a good portion of her career translating evidence-based research into implementation toolkits; she was also previously at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids in a research capacity with the South-Asia teams, and spent a year in India supporting the India team with implementing India’s national tobacco control policy. Hema pursued a culinary path to complement her public health background, with the intent of advancing healthier food practices to promote population health and prevent disease. Hema is fluent in Hindi.
