Sather Tower, the campanile at UC Berkeley, rising above Memorial Glade on a clear day

Public health leader · Doctoral researcher · Poet

Pritika
Khatri

Public health, with people at the center.

I work across public health leadership, research, and community partnerships to improve access to care. My doctoral work at UC Berkeley explores chatbots, adolescent health, and the trust that makes sensitive conversations possible.

Explore my work Get in touch

01About

A life shaped by service and curiosity.

I’m a public health leader from Dolakha, Nepal, with 16 years of experience across government, nonprofit, healthcare, and private-sector settings.

My work has taken me across Nepal, Nigeria, India, and the United States, spanning adolescent and maternal health, mental health, health systems, and clinical research.

Alongside this work, I write and recite poetry, compose music, and make time for travel and adventure.

Education

Doctor of Public Health

University of California, Berkeley

Ongoing

Master of Public Health

Institute of Medicine, Nepal

Bachelor of Public Health

Institute of Medicine, Nepal

Diploma in Nursing

Institute of Medicine, Nepal

Languages

NepaliEnglishHindiUrdu

02Selected work

Leadership grounded in communities.

Health Foundation Nepal

Director of Development and Executive Board Member

September 2024–Present

Provides strategic leadership across maternal health, community mental health, partnerships, and disaster response in underserved regions of Nepal.

4,077 women reached through maternal health programs
5,039 follow-ups facilitated by those programs
School-based psychosocial programs in 20+ schools

Health Care Clinic, Ogane-uge, Nigeria

Executive Director

December 2016–Present

Leads health programs serving 12 communities across malaria, HIV, family planning, maternal and child health, and safe motherhood.

12 communities served
60,000+ patients: reported reach of services under her management

World Health Organization — South-East Asia Research Fellowship

Research Fellow

October 2019–December 2021

Past fellowship focused on adolescent-friendly health services, social determinants, and intersectionality. Implemented by the Public Health Foundation of India and United Nations University Malaysia.

Gender and intersectionality training resources developed and evaluated
500+ researchers reached by those resources

Earlier roles and additional experience

May 2023–August 2024

Clinical Trial Director

Sarfez Pharmaceutical Inc.

Operational planning for a multisite Phase 3 cardiovascular trial; managed a database of 340 clinical sites and reduced projected costs by 20%.

January–July 2019

Liaison and Quality Assurance Officer

Save the Children International / Global Fund

Supported Nepal’s National Tuberculosis Prevalence Survey; supervised a 50-member team and achieved 85%+ participation in supervised clusters.

July 2015–April 2016

Program Officer

Centre for Public Health Development

Led UNICEF-funded post-earthquake maternal support for 300 women across eight temporary shelters.

April 2010–May 2015

Program Coordinator

Partnership for Transformation, Nepal

Coordinated adolescent reproductive health education.

03Doctoral research · UC Berkeley

Can a conversation open the door to better health?

Ongoing research

Chatbots, trust, and adolescent sexual and reproductive health

My doctoral research explores the use of chatbots to improve adolescents’ access to sexual and reproductive health information in low- and middle-income countries. It also examines the trust adolescents feel when discussing sensitive SRH topics with a chatbot.

Try the Chatbot

04Selected writing

Research and perspectives.

Submitted to BMC Public Health

Adolescent Friendly Health Services in Nepal and Intersectionality: A Scoping Review

Pritika Khatri and Srinidhi V.

Submitted to PLOS Global Public Health

Prevalence of Depressive Symptoms and its associated factors among medical students of Kathmandu Valley

Pritika Khatri and coauthors

Op-ed

Covid-19 Induced Gender Gaps: Past Lesson, Current State and Future Plans

Pritika Khatri

More research

Mental stress and the effect of mindful breathing package on perception and practice intention among school adolescents of Budhanilkantha municipality — Submitted to American Journal of Public Health
A Study on the dietary intake pattern of nurses working in COVID and non-COVID hospitals in Nepal — Submitted to Nepal Health Research Council
Housing Conditions, Self-Reported health status and Nutritional Status of 6–59 months Children in Bharatpur Metropolitan City, Nepal — Submitted to PLOS Global Public Health

05Beyond work