Meet the Team

Dr. Deepak Kumar Vaishnav is an Assistant Professor in the Department of New Media at the Central University of Himachal Pradesh and serves as the Director of the Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) Lab. His work focuses on using communication as a strategic intervention tool in climate change and public health – the two central pillars of the Lab.

He holds a Ph.D. in Health Communication from the Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi. His research integrates behavioural science, media analysis, and intervention design to develop evidence-based communication strategies that influence health decision-making, climate risk perception, and sustainable behaviour.

Dr. Vaishnav has published on communication interventions shaping medicine purchase behaviour, climate change reporting in regional media, and media use among vulnerable communities. He currently leads a funded project analysing climate change coverage in Indian news media.

Nair’s policy work focuses on translating scientific data into actionable climate governance with a particular emphasis on the Climate-Health-Gender nexus. His research work bridges the gap between global frameworks and local implementation through several high-level advisory roles. His work on marginalized communities and his collaborations with European researchers aim to bridge the gap between high-level climate policy and the lived realities of vulnerable populations. He holds several senior roles within European scientific networks, focusing on socio-ecological impacts and equitable transitions. He co-leads the “Transformative Vision for Nitrogen” sub-group of the International Nitrogen Network (iN-Net) and contribute to the United Nations Regular Process for the Global Reporting and Assessment of the State of the Marine Environment, providing expertise on coastal sustainability and climate.

Nair is a Senior Research Fellow in Earth System Governance Project at Uppsala University, Sweden and is a Senior Fellow and Project Lead in Environmental Policy Lab at Indo Specific Studies Center, Sydney, Australia. He is an expert with UNFCCC, UNEP and UNESCO Policy Lab. He is an Associate Editor for the journals – International Health (RSTMH/Oxford), Frontiers in Medicine and Frontiers for Young Minds.

Akriti Bansal is a doctoral researcher in New Media working at the intersection of digital health, climate change communication, and science communication. As Lead Investigator of the Health Communication Lab, she specialises in systematic reviews, meta-analysis, and evidence synthesis to inform public health policy and practice.

Her research includes work on out-of-pocket expenditure on medicines in India and intervention-based climate education. With expertise in research design, data visualization, and strategic storytelling, she focuses on translating rigorous evidence into accessible, impact-oriented communication that supports behavioural change and health equity.

Krishna Kharwar is a PhD scholar in New Media whose research lies at the intersection of climate change, gender, and social equity. As Lead Investigator of the Climate Change Communication Lab, he focuses on qualitative and intersectional approaches to understanding vulnerability, marginalisation, and environmental justice.

His work includes participatory communication for environmental conservation and intervention-based climate education. With expertise in media writing, visual storytelling, and PRISMA-informed systematic reviews, he integrates research, culture, and communication to design inclusive, evidence-based climate communication strategies. He has published in journals including the Journal of Homosexuality, the International Journal of Environment and Climate Change, and IIMC Communicator.