Prof. Judd L. Walson to Deliver Sh. Sat Paul Mittal Memorial Lecture at Panjab University on September 9, 2025

Chandigarh, September 8, 2025: Prof. Judd L. Walson, MD, MPH, Chair of the Department of International Health and the inaugural Robert E. Black Chair at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA, will deliver the Sh. Sat Paul Mittal Memorial Lecture on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at 10:00 AM at the Law Auditorium, Panjab University, Chandigarh. 

The lecture is being organised by the University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET), Panjab University, in collaboration with the Indian Association of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (IAPPD). This year’s theme is "Public Health in a Changing World: The role of implementation science in translating evidence into action."

Prof. Walson is an infectious disease physician and epidemiologist whose work focuses on improving child survival, growth, and development in low- and middle-income countries. He co-leads the Childhood Acute Illness and Nutrition (CHAIN) Network and leads the DeWorm3 study, a large community trial aimed at eliminating soil-transmitted helminths across India, Benin, and Malawi.

Shri Sat Paul Mittal, in whose memory the lecture is held, was a visionary parliamentarian who brought population, development, and health to the forefront of political discourse. He began his public life as a student leader and represented India as Deputy Leader of a youth delegation to a meeting with Soviet leaders, including Prime Minister Nikita Khrushchev. He served in the Punjab Legislative Council, as Deputy Minister for Home Affairs in Punjab, and was elected to the Rajya Sabha for three consecutive terms from 1976 to 1994, the third as a Presidential nominee. He passed away in 1992 before completing his final term.

In 1978, Shri Mittal founded the Indian Association of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (IAPPD), a non-partisan platform advancing population stabilization, reproductive health, gender equality, and sustainable development. He held key international roles, including Founder Secretary-General and Vice Chairman of the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD) and Secretary-General Emeritus of the Global Committee of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (GCPD). He also established the Sat Paul Mittal Centre, a unique research and training hub in Asia, conducting studies, orientation courses, and seminars for parliamentarians across parties. In recognition of his contributions, Shri Mittal was awarded the United Nations Peace Medal in 1987.

Venue: Law Auditorium, Panjab University, Chandigarh
Date and Time: Tuesday, September 9, 2025 at 10:00 AM