Manika Saha

Research Fellow

Manika Saha holds a PhD from the Department of Human-Centred Computing, Monash University, and is currently a Research Fellow at the same institution. She is a public health practitioner specializing in community-centered solutions for marginalized populations, with extensive experience in participatory research and co-design methodologies that focus on amplifying community voices in global health, nutrition, food security, and gender equity initiatives. Her professional background includes serving as National Nutrition Specialist at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (UNFAO), Bangladesh, where she liaised with government policymakers and international organizations, and as Nutrition Research Associate at WorldFish (CGIAR), leading research programs from development to real-world implementation. She has led USAID-funded research projects and worked extensively with marginalized and Indigenous communities in Bangladesh, bringing a unique combination of grassroots community engagement experience and UN-level policy expertise. She also holds an MSc in Global Health from Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh (Commonwealth Scholar), with her research published in top-tier venues including Nature Scientific Reports, ACM CHI, and BMJ, demonstrating her ability to bridge academic research with practical community impact for sustainable development solutions.