Dr. Leni Chaudhuri

Executive Director, University of Chicago Centre in India

Leni Chaudhuri is the Executive Director, University of Chicago Center in India. She is based in Delhi and provides strategic, technical, and administrative oversight to the pan-India research, multi-sector policy, and program implementation engagements.

She works closely with the government, think tanks and policy influencers, private sector, academic institutions, civil society organisations, research institutions, and donors, to promote collaborations that harness evidence-based insights from rigorous economics research in decision-making and program design.
She has extensive research and policy engagement experience on a range of developmental issues including energy and environment, health, education, and governance. Her research includes gender and health, behaviour change, health, and human rights. She has led several successful initiatives in scaling up health programs, establishing centres of excellence, and co-creating public-private partners.
For the last two decades, Leni has engaged in several initiatives on enhancing people’s access to health and social justice with a special focus on vulnerable groups.
Leni holds a PhD in women’s studies from SNDT Women’s University and M.A. and M.Phil in Political Science and International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi.