Ms Dhakal is the co-founder and the Managing Director of Apara Innovations. She has strong quantitative and qualitative methodological experiences leading evaluations (baseline, midline and end line), surveys and research. Currently she is leading the research work of Apara including a RCT at tertiary hospital in Nepal. She is also working on research projects such as antimicrobial resistance as a public health threat study. She holds Masters of Public Health degree from University of New South Wales, Australia. She is an early career researcher who is also the grantee of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 2024 early career research grant.  Her research focus includes epidemiological research, clinical research, social and demographic research.

Dr. Sujata Sapkota is an Assistant Professor and a Post-doctoral Researcher at Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences, Kathmandu. A registered Pharmacist in Nepal, she holds a PhD (Pharmacy) from The University of Sydney, Australia. Sujata has been actively engaged in health research and academia since past decade. She is trained in Implementation Science Methodologies, and, is passionate about non-communicable diseases, medication safety and health system research. She has a strong interest/ expertise in qualitative/ participatory research methodologies.

Ms. Barsha Thapa a public health professional, with over a decade of experience in diverse public health programs across Nepal holds a graduate degree in public health from the Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University. Driven by a desire to broaden her perspective on health diversity and systems, she pursued Masters in Sociology/Anthropology. Over the course of her dynamic career, she has collaborated with various stakeholders, including government bodies, I/NGOs, and community-based organizations, making significant contributions in strengthening health systems of Nepal. Her prominent work is on providing technical support to the national tuberculosis program. Ms. Thapa is also actively engaged in several research projects and her commitment extends to translating research and evidence into systemic reforms at the policy level, prompting her involvement as a founding member and one of the board of directors of Apara Innovations.

Dr. Bhandari is a public health researcher specializing in mixed-methods studies, mHealth interventions, and implementation science. She is currently a Postdoctoral Scholar at the College of Nursing, Florida State University, and a Visiting Scientist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Previously, she served as an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at Tribhuvan University in Nepal. Dr. Bhandari earned her Ph.D. in Public Health and Community Medicine from the University of New South Wales, Australia. Her research focuses on managing co-morbid conditions, particularly cardiovascular diseases, in low-resource settings. She has led community-based studies, including randomized controlled trials like Text4BP for CVD management. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she contributed to research on disease burden, mental health, and stigma in Australia and Nepal. Her current work includes investigating long-term COVID-19 impacts, vaccine uptake barriers and effectiveness, and tuberculosis management in LMICs. Dr. Bhandari is committed to generating evidence to inform public health programs and policies in LMICs including Nepal.