Other Programs 25 (open)
Presidential Interview: Paramjit T. Joshi, MD Interviews Savita Malhotra, MD, PhD
Dr. Savita Malhotra is Dean of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research Chandigarh (PGIMER) and Professor of Psychiatry. She heads the Department of Psychiatry and De-addiction and Treatment Centre of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the PGIMER. Her qualifications include a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from H.P. Medical College Simla; Doctor of Psychiatry and a Doctorate from the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research Chandigarh. She had training in child psychiatry through a British Council Fellowship at the Institute of Child Health London (1987), WHO Fellowship in Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic Pittsburgh (1991), and British Council Fellowship atGuy’s Hospital London (1991-1992).
Dr. Malhotra has been on the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh since 1979 and has over 35 years of experience in working and heading the child psychiatry services and training. She has been actively involved with several national and international societies and organizations; been Past President and now Life President of the Indian Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health. She is currently President of the Asian Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions.
Dr. Malhotra made pioneering efforts towards organization and establishment of the discipline of child psychiatry in India through resource mobilization and advocacy at the national level. She has served on many national committees and bodies involved in planning and policy making in the country. She initiated and worked relentlessly towards starting super specialty training in child and adolescent psychiatry in the country and succeeded in her efforts recently when a full time three year Doctor of Medicine course in child and adolescent psychiatry was started in India, which will provide locally trained child psychiatrists in the country.
Dr. Malhotra is a recognized leader and resource person in mental health and child mental health at the national and international level. Her main areas of research include epidemiology of childhood psychiatric disorders, neurobiology of childhood onset schizophrenia and pervasive developmental disorders, temperament, and psychopathology in children. Her most recent research involves development and implementation of a knowledge-based expert system for diagnosis and management of child psychiatric disorders in the form of a model telepsychiatry application to deliver mental health care in remote areas through non specialists. The system has been extensively tested for its validity, reliability, and accuracy, and can be used as a model of service delivery in the resource deficient countries, and is slated to be taken up at the national level in India. This project was awarded the highest order of merit and excellence as an e-governance project in the country in a national level competition in 2014.