Dec 14 2025 to Dec 14 2025 6 p.m.

Where

Bangalore International Centre

7 4th Main Rd, Stage 2, Domlur 560071

Event Description

We inherit more than genes at birth; we inherit environments.

This panel turns the spotlight on the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD), a growing body of science showing how conditions in the womb and early childhood shape lifelong risk for diabetes, heart disease, and other noncommunicable diseases. As India confronts a deepening NCD crisis, the deeper question this conversation raises is unsettling and urgent: if risk begins before birth, how do we protect a future we cannot yet see? 

The session will examine why early nutrition, air pollution, toxic exposures, and social environments matter as much as adult lifestyle. Dr Kalpana Balakrishnan will discuss how air and toxic exposures affect health beyond the lungs, while Dr Naveen Ramesh will address how nutrition, social systems, and public health responses come into play. The discussion will be moderated by Dr Ashok Vellodi.

This panel discussion invites a rethinking of public health itself, from treatment to prevention, from adulthood to the very start of life. A Q&A with the audience will close the session.

Speakers

Kalpana Balakrishnan
Professor, Environmental Health Engineering at SRIHER, Chennai & Director, WHO Collaborating Center
Dr Kalpana Balakrishnan is Dean (Research) and Professor of Environmental Health Engineering at SRIHER, Chennai, and Director of its WHO Collaborating Center. One of India’s leading voices in environmental and occupational health, she has produced pioneering exposure assessments that provided early quantitative evidence linking household air pollution to adverse health outcomes, especially for women and children. Professor Balakrishnan’s work has shaped WHO guidelines, informed national policy, and contributed to global burden of disease estimates. Widely recognised for bridging exposure science, epidemiology, and policy, she brings deep insight into how environmental conditions influence health across the life course.

Naveen Ramesh
Professor, Department of Community Health, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore
Dr Naveen Ramesh, Professor of Community Health at St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore, is a physician and public health specialist with extensive experience in preventive medicine, occupational health, and community-based interventions. His work highlights how social determinants, workplace exposures, and living environments shape long-term health risks. He has led programmes on adolescent health, occupational safety, and early detection strategies for chronic disease, while mentoring future clinicians and public health professionals. A frequent speaker at medical and public health forums, Dr. Ramesh brings a grounded, practice-oriented perspective on integrating preventive care and community engagement into the health system.

Ashok Vellodi
Pediatrician
Dr Ashok Vellodi, a pediatrician trained in India, moved to the UK in 1979 where he served in the NHS until retirement in 2016. For more than three decades, he has collaborated with colleagues, support groups, and families across India, conducting clinics and CMEs to strengthen pediatric care. In recent years, he has taken an active interest in India’s healthcare landscape, participating in webinars and panel discussions on the health of tribal communities and universal health coverage. His long clinical experience and deep engagement with diverse patient populations inform his perspective on improving health across generations.