Published in News
Deksha Kapoor is a Research Scientist at the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), India.
She has been involved with various multi-site research projects with key emphasis in the area of chronic diseases. AIIMS in collaboration with the George Institute of Global Health, was awarded the GACD grant to carry out a study on the “LIVING- Lifestyle InterVention IN Gestational Diabetes” specifically in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
What do you hope to achieve through your research?
We aim to understand that whether a resource and culturally-appropriate lifestyle intervention program in South Asian countries, provided to women with gestational diabetes after delivery, will reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes, in a manner that is affordable, acceptable and scalable.
Tell us a little more about the project you are working on.
LIVING is developed for the prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus among South Asian women with gestational diabetes mellitus. We have taken the learnings from various studies (Diabetes Prevention Program –DPP, Indian Diabetes Prevention Program- IDPP, PregDiabCare- a pilot study conducted in India, HeLP-her-RCT to prevent weight gain in women) to develop LIVING so that it has a high probability of being feasible, acceptable and cost-effective in the South Asian context. We will optimise this intervention using an iterative, systems-based and user-centred approach. The intervention will be delivered by auxiliary nurse midwives in each participating hospital, representing a strategy of within-system task-shifting to augment scalability and sustainability. We will then evaluate this in a RCT to determine whether it will reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes.
How has being part of GACD helped your research?
LIVING project was awarded last year under the GACD call for diabetes research proposals with a focus on implementation science research. Using this platform, we hope to enrich our program by seeking feedback from the network of experts and highly experienced researchers, share experiences and challenges with other GACD project teams and seek opportunities to collaborate and network globally.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I’m really excited about this project as this is an extension of the initial pilot study I was involved in. Although, we have a challenging target group of ‘new mothers’ but we are bringing together experts from a range of disciplines for smooth delivery, acceptability and scalability. I am being backed by a passionate team and great mentorship.
Apart from the project, what are your other passions in life?
I have a passion for reading, cooking, and engaging in animal welfare activities.
Can you name someone who has inspired you in your life and work?
My mentors, Dr Nikhil Tandon and Dr D Prabhakaran- not only have they made extra ordinary contribution to diabetes and cardiovascular research but they know how to lead by example.
On the personal front, my family for their constant support.