November 1, 2024 | Erin Bluvas, bluvase@sc.edu
A developmental psychologist by training, Gitanjali Lall’s first encounter with the public health field was supposed to be temporary – a research role that would further her career in child development. Instead, it became her focus and launched her down a new path. Today, the Ph.D. in Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior (HPEB) student uses principles of developmental psychology to improve community health and fundamentals of public health intervention research to improve early childhood development.
“After working as a psychologist at a public health research organization, I came to the conclusion that in many low- and middle-income countries with a large population, high levels of poverty and limited awareness, interventions implemented ‘by’ and ‘in’ the community with government support have the highest chance of making a difference,” Lall says. “If I really wanted to affect child development, I needed to work on community-based interventions.”
Raised in a small town in Eastern India, Lall lived in big cities for the decade prior to her move to Columbia. She spent five years completing bachelor’s and master’s degrees in health psychology at the University of Hyderabad, a city of more than 11 million residents. Lall gained clinical experience there before returning to school to earn a second master’s degree – this time at University College London – in developmental psychology and clinical practice.
When she landed that career-altering position after graduation at Sangath in New Delhi, Lall discovered the power of combining child development with public health. Four years of autism and early childhood development projects later, she knew that a doctoral degree would be essential to achieving her goals in the field.
The opportunity to work with HPEB faculty Leila Larson and Edward Frongillo and a Presidential Fellowship offer put USC at the top of her list, and she matriculated in 2023. With interests that overlap closely with her mentors, Lall’s research focuses on the development of community-based interventions to promote healthy child development, mental health and early learning in low- and middle-income countries.
“Dr. Larson and Dr. Frongillo have taught me to believe in myself and have always appreciated my skill set,” Lall says. “Working with them has allowed me to develop independent thinking about research and express my ideas effectively and concisely. They have been inspirational, showing me how to balance the multiple roles we hold in our lives.”
More like the town she grew up in than the big cities she’s called home for the past 10 years, Columbia has been a positive experience for Lall as well. Between her doctoral program and Presidential Fellowship cohorts, as well as her involvement in the Dean’s Student Advisory Council, she has found a diverse community that has helped expand her worldview even further.
