Purnima S. Mudnal

Purnima S. Mudnal (she/her/hers) is a PhD candidate in the Department of Health Policy and Management at UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health. Her research focuses on improving healthcare access, utilization, and quality of care for patients, particularly for children and children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). She is keenly interested in reducing hidden disparities and improving health outcomes among Asian children and families, employing an interdisciplinary approach. Purnima’s research is informed by practical and theoretical considerations applied through a diverse lens of health equity-focused policy and population health, clinical and health services research methods. She is deeply committed to better understanding the role of a culturally sensitive provider in improving healthcare access and care quality for children and examining patterns in socioeconomic disparities. In her spare time, Purnima is an enthusiast of Indian classical music and dance, hiking, and spending time in museums.