About Dr Bharat Pankhania
Dr Pankhania has more than 20 years’ experience in infectious disease control and outbreak management. He has worked as a Consultant in Communicable Disease Control for health authorities, the Health Protection Agency, and Public Health England.
Dr Pankhania is currently a senior clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter Medical School where he teaches public health medicine.
He has been a prominent figure in the media, giving updates, analysis and commentary during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He is advising and leading on the coronavirus pandemic response by local authorities, bringing his expertise, skills, and knowledge of managing local outbreaks and incidents.
He brings experience in supporting local industry, multinational companies, schools, and colleges as well as nursing and residential homes.
Dr Pankhania’s specialty is in being able to understand the role of human and microbe behaviours in the transmission of infectious diseases and outbreaks.
Dr Pankhania has extensive experience in advising on national communicable disease control action plans both nationally and internationally. He has engaged with and advised senior peers in the House of Lords and Members of Parliament.
Dr Pankhania’s experience:
Includes planning for different types of outbreak exercises, pandemics, and bio terrorism to nuclear accidents and severe weather events.
As the local lead for pandemic influenza planning at Public Health England, he became the reference point for outbreak planning, testing systems, and control strategies.
Dr Pankhania is an expert in investigating clusters of tuberculosis (TB). Using tools such as interferon blood tests for TB and variable number tandem repeats (VNTR).
Other areas of expertise:
Outbreak and major incidents, leading on control measures and investigations.
Refugee work as a public health doctor in India after the Gujarat earthquake.
Teaching, training, mentoring:
Imperial University, Bristol University, Plymouth University, the University of West of England, and Public Health England.
Dr Pankhania is passionate about education and passing on knowledge. He is enthusiastic about the primary prevention of illness, for better public health, for all.
He has held honorary teaching positions for more than 20 years, with superb feedback at the University of Bristol, Imperial University, the University of St Mark and St John, and the University of West of England.
The University of Exeter Medical School awarded Dr. Pankhania the accolade of best inspirational lecturer
Innovation:
Dr Pankhania is creative and looks for solutions to common problems. He has developed several useful operational tools.
