PGI prof gets Fellowship of Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh

Sonu Goel, professor of health management at the Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health, PGI, was conferred the prestigious Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, one of the highest professional honours awarded by the Royal College to physicians, researchers and public health leaders for their exceptional contributions to medicine, healthcare, research, education and public service.

The fellowship is a recognition of Goel’s distinguished career spanning more than 25 years in public health, focussing on health system strengthening, health management and leadership, tobacco control and policy research, which has led to significant contributions in improving population health outcomes in India and globally.

Goel is also serving as Director of the WHO Awardee Resource Centre for Tobacco Control; lead of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Tobacco Control, convenor of the Scientific Support Group, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India; lead of the MPOWER Research Group of The Union and programme director of the International Public Health Management Development Programme. He also serves as adjunct clinical professor at the University of Limerick, Ireland.

Widely recognised for his expertise in public health, Goel has authored over 270 scientific publications, successfully led more than 50 national and international research projects and mentored numerous public health professionals, researchers and policymakers.

He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Medical Sciences (the highest academic medical body in India) as well as the Indian Public Health Association, the Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine and the International Medical Sciences Academy. His has published and edited 13 books and several landmark volumes on tobacco control and health policy.

Goel has been associated with nine patent filings in healthcare technologies and assistive devices, with three patents published and two granted. He has received numerous prestigious national and international honours in recognition of his outstanding contributions to research, education, healthcare leadership and public health practice.