Dr. Tapati Dutta

Dr. Tapati Dutta
Assistant Professor of Health Sciences

Areas of expertise

  • Global health disparities
  • Health policies and prevention behavior (vaccines and other prevention methods)
  • Community engagement and intersectionalities in public health among marginalized populations
  • HIV and cervical cancer prevention 
  • Qualitative and mixed-methods in socio-behavioral research

Education

  • Ph.D., Public Health, Indiana University, 2019
  • Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES), National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, 2018
  • Masters in Population Studies, International Institute for Population Sciences, India, 2014
  • Diploma in Participatory Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation, Wageningen University, the Netherlands, 2014
  • M.A. Social Work, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India, 1998
  • B.S.W., Visva-Bharati University, India, 1996

Contact:

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Media Contact

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About Dr. Tapati Dutta

My prolific practice, teaching, scholarship, and service roles (including a widely viewed TEDx talk), advance the intersecting areas of global health disparities, health systems and policies, community health, social epidemiology, community-based participatory research, and implementation research in public health. Currently, alongside teaching public health courses at the Fort Lewis College, I mentor students on their internships. A passionate social scientist in community health, my doctoral thesis examined community engagement as a policy imperative for vaccinations in India. I hold two Masters Degrees in Social Work and Population Studies, and certifications in Participatory Research, and Health Education. Earlier, in my professional experience of 20 years, I’ve been instrumental in grant development, health policy advocacy, and program management to make efficacious biomedical prevention tools effective among populations who need them the most. To this, I’ve spearheaded state-of-the-art HIV Rural Research Center in India and bilateral-exchange programs addressing HIV, cervical cancer, and sexual and reproductive health (Female Condom and Nischay Pregnancy Test Card) among Indian, African and US-based academic, research, and advocacy organizations (IAVI, PATH, GHS, HLFPPT, KEMRI, TASO). I am keen to build academic-practice partnerships fostering sub-population based, equity-focused, community engagement models for improved health outcomes, and empowered relationships between communities and health systems.


Selected publications

Dutta T., Agley J., & Xiao, Y. (2022). College Student COVID-19 Vaccination Prevalence and Context: A ‘Pulse’ Survey Conducted Before and After Formal Statewide Rollout, School Health and Wellness area, Session: COVID and School Health, American Public Health Association’s 2022 Conference, Nov 3-6, 2022, Boston (Abstract#: 912109)

Dutta, T., Agley J. (2022). “Making Sure Students are At the Center”: Case Study of a Native American-Serving Non-Tribal Institution’s Collegiate Leadership During COVID-19, 2022 Scientific Meeting of the American Academy of Health Behavior, March 13-16, 2022 St. Louis.

Gassman, R., Dutta, T., Agley, J.D., Jayawardene W., Mikyoung. (2019). Social Media Outrage in Response to a School-Based Substance Use Survey: A Qualitative Analysis. Journal of Medical Internet Research (In press).

Dutta, T., Haderxhanaj, L., Agley, J.D., Jayawardene, W. and Meyerson, B.E. (2018). The Association of Individual and Intimate-Partner Level Factors with Cervical Cancer Screening among Women in Kenya. Preventing Chronic Disease, 15.

Dutta, T., Meyerson, B.E., Agley, J.D. (2018). African cervical cancer prevention and control plans: A scoping review. Journal of Cancer Policy, Vol 16, pp 73-81.

Magala, I., Dutta, T., Nalubega, R. (2018). Factors affecting utilization of HIV Care Services among Men in TASO Masaka, Uganda: An Exploratory Study. J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 1(1):9-11.

Dutta, T., Singh, S., Mondal, S., and Paul, L. (2017). Individual and Contextual Factors Associated with Married Women's HIV Status in India, National Family Health Survey- 3. IRA International Journal of Education and Multidisciplinary Studies (ISSN 2455- 2526), 6(1), 31-55.

Bhatnagar, T., Dutta, T., Stover, J., Godbole, S., Sahu, D., Boopathi, K., Singh, J.S., Goyal, R., Pandey, A., Mehendale, S.M., (2016). Fitting HIV Prevalence 1981 Onwards for Three Indian States Using the Goals Model and the Estimation and Projection Package. PLoS One 11(10): e0164001.

Sahu, D., Dutta, T., Kumar, S., Mishra, N.R., Neogi, S., Mondal, S., Dadhwal-Singh, A., and Levitt-Dayal, M., (2016). Effects of Women's Autonomy and Male Involvement on Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) Service Utilization in Uttar Pradesh. Open Journal of Preventive Medicine, 6, 260-271.9.

Dutta, T. (2013). HIV Governance Modifications and Sustained HIV Response in India, Chapter 13, Social Work Journal (Bi-annual), Department of Social Work, Assam University, Vol.4, No. 1 June 2013, pp 147-153 ISSN 0976-5484.


Presentations and conferences

Dr. Tapati Dutta presenting at the American Public Health Association 2019 National Conference
Top left and clockwise: 1. At APHA 2019 with the Executive Director of APHA Dr. Georges Bengamin, 2. Presenting poster to a participant from Save the Children, 3. Explaining the poster to a student participant, and 4. Posing with my former professor and co-author Dr. Jon Agley, Associate Professor, Indiana University.

Dutta, T. Perception and Fostering of Community Engagement by Decision-makers for Vaccination Uptake in India, and Experiences of a Social Media Outrage Following a Health Survey, two presentations stressing that meaningful, tailored and respectful engagement with communities is necessary for effective interventions, American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Expo, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, November 2 - 6, 2019.

Dutta, T., Lin, H.C. Impact of Gender Focus in 'National Policy Guidelines for Immunization' on Tetanus Toxoid Vaccine Utilization among Kenyan Women of Childbearing Ages, for session entitled 'Community Health Planning and Policy Development Program', American Public Health Association 2017 Annual Meeting & Expo, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, November 4 - 8, 2017.

Meyerson, B.E., Dutta T., Zimet, G.D. Approaches for Responding to and Minimizing Negative Public Health Policy Changes Related to HPV Vaccination, for session entitled 'Identifying and overcoming HPV Communication Challenges', Eurogin 2017 Congress on HPV induced cancers. Amsterdam, Netherlands, October 8-11, 2017.

Dutta, T. The Impact of Punitive Public Health Laws on HIV and AIDS in Uganda, School of Global and International Studies, Indiana University, Bloomington, USA, February 24-25, 2016.

Dutta, T., Paranjape, R., Goyal, R., Jadhav, A., Khandelwale, A., Sahay, S. Tailored Public-Private-Partnership Strategies to Address HIV in Rural Areas of India - NARRIM Project, 11th International Congress on AIDS in Asia & Pacific (ICAAP), Bangkok, Thailand, November 17-22, 2013.

Dutta, T. HIV Prevention Methods, from efficacy to being effective - Bridging Research and Practice Gap, Indian Social Work Congress, Delhi, India, February 23-25, 2013.

Dutta, T., Gassman, R., Agley, J.D., Jun, M.C., King, R., Jayawardene, W. Examining Public Concerns of a School-Based Health Behavior Survey: A Qualitative Analysis of Facebook Comments a. Poster session at APHA's 2019 Annual Meeting and Expo, Philadelphia, Nov 2 - Nov 6, 2019. (Abstract number, 445425).

Dutta, T.,  Meyerson, B.E., Barnes, P., Agley, J.D., Sherwood-Laughlin, C., Nicholson-Crotty, J. Decision makers' Conceptualization and Fostering of Community Engagement for Improved Adoption and Uptake of Existing and Emerging Vaccines in India. Poster session at APHA's 2019 Annual Meeting and Expo, Philadelphia, Nov 2 - Nov 6, 2019. (Abstract number, 445812)

Dutta, T., Meyerson, B.E. African Country-Level Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control Plans: A Review Analysis, 31st International Papillomavirus Conference, HPV 2017, Cape Town, South Africa, February 28- March 5, 2017.

Dutta, T., Meyerson, B.E., Agley, J. Individual And Family Factors Affecting Utilization Of Cervical Cancer Screening In The Kenya Demographic And Health Survey, 2014, 31st International Papillomavirus Conference, HPV 2017, Cape Town, South Africa, February 28- March 5, 2017.

Dutta, T., Mondal, S, Chowdhury, B. Understanding Behavioral and Contextual Correlates of HIV among Married Women in India, 20th International AIDS Conference, International AIDS Society, Melbourne, Australia, July 20-25, 2014.

Kalpatapu, R., Dutta, T. A Review & Meta-Analysis of Social Marketing Interventions in Public Health Programs of Andhra Pradesh, 10th Conference Indian Association for Social Sciences and Health, Delhi, India, November 21-23, 2012.

Dutta, T., Goyal, R. Promoting Research of Female Initiated Biomedical Tools for HIV Prevention, 6th Social Aspects of HIV and AIDS Research Alliance Conference, Port Elizabeth, South Africa, November 28 - December 2, 2011.

Dutta, T. Female Initiated Biomedical Tools for HIV Prevention - Inclusive Innovation, 9th Conference Indian Association for Social Sciences and Health, Mumbai, India, November 24-26, 2011.

Dutta, T., Mondal, S.  Analyzing Women's Reproductive Health Outcomes through a Rights Perspective - The Indian Scenario Conference of the Asian Population Association, Delhi, India, November 16-20, 2010.


In the news


Grants and awards

  • Mohammad R. Torabi Scholarship, Indiana University.
  • Dhar Research Fellowship, Indiana University.
  • Katie Evans Memorial Scholarship for Advancing Community, Collaboration, and Training and fellowship from Foundation for Sustainable Development, California to accomplish an 11-week service-learning program in Uganda.
  • Stanley Laney Dean's Council Scholarship, School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University.
  • Graduate Research Fellowship, Indiana University.
  • The Dutch Government's NUFFIC Grant for Participatory Program Management and Evaluation course in The Netherlands.
  • Claremont Evaluation Center & EvalPartners Scholarship by Rockefeller Foundation for online professional development workshops.
  • Merit Scholarship at Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India Society Bloomington, Indiana.
  • Post-Graduate merit scholarship for University Rank Holders, Department of Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India.
  • Merit Scholarship at Visva-Bharati University, India.

Boards and committees

Member

  • Council on Social Work Education
  • American Public Health Association
  • Indian Association of Professional Social Workers

Lifetime member

  • International Papillomavirus Society

Peer Reviewer

  • Preventing Chronic Disease journal
  • Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice
  • Advances in Social Work
  • Abstracts submitted for the APHA's 2017, 2018, and 2019 Annual Meetings

Community outreach

  • TEDx Indianapolis Women speaker
  • Member, Working Group on Ethics of International Health Program, Center for Service and Learning, IUPUI.
  • Member, HIV Modernization Movement, Indiana.
  • Member, Giving Back to Africa, Indiana.
  • Global Ambassador, Student Immersion and Global Health Experiences, School of Public Health, Indiana University.
  • Contributor, Africa edition of EHospice, a web-based resource on hospice and end of life care.
  • Voluntary writer, WILpower, the newsletter of Walchandnagar Industries Ltd, India.
  • Coordinator, e-discussion at UNAIDS' Solution Exchange on Strengthening biomedical HIV prevention research for women and girls, India.
  • Moderator, e-group, Gender Competence and, Community Life Competence.
  • Volunteer, Delhites' National Initiative in Palliative Care, India.