Global Heart Hub Team Spotlight: Manjusha Chatterjee, Head of Programs & Development
At Global Heart Hub, our work is driven by people committed to strengthening the voice of cardiovascular patients around the world. In this team spotlight, we meet Manjusha, who recently joined Global Heart Hub and brings valuable cross-sector experience in health policy, advocacy, alliance building and community engagement at the global, regional and national levels. She shares what inspired her to join Global Heart Hub, the perspectives that shape her work today and the impact she hopes to create for patient communities.
Manjusha Chatterjee was born and raised in India and moved to the United Kingdom over a decade ago, working in global health policy and advocacy. “I’ve had a squiggly academic journey spanning journalism, conflict studies and global politics, which has helped me develop a deep appreciation for multidisciplinarity. I believe that in a hyper-connected world, our training, exposure and interests all help to apply creativity and originality to our day-to-day jobs,” she says.
A common thread throughout Manjusha’s career has been highlighting the human narrative. From the news stories she told as a young reporter to the global health initiatives she worked on and led – they’ve all focused on centralising the needs and priorities of people and communities. This commitment is what drew her to Global Heart Hub. As she reflects: “Global Heart Hub puts the experiences of individuals and communities first and looks to drive a care ecosystem that is fit for purpose. Policies, systems and programmes must involve those they are meant to serve from the onset so its fantastic to work with an organisation that walks that talk everyday.”
Speaking on the most exciting opportunities in cardiovascular health advocacy right now, Manjusha says:
“I think it is the growing recognition of the patient voice as essential to shaping research, policy and care. There is real momentum behind integrating patient-reported outcomes and experiences into decision-making, alongside increasing global collaboration to address inequities in cardiovascular health, including sex and gender, race, geographic or socio-economic ones. There is a unique opportunity to amplify the voices of people living with cardiovascular diseases, its interconnected conditions and noncommunicable diseases on the whole, through a multistakeholder approach.”
A key focus of Global Heart Hub’s work is improving cardiovascular health for women. Speaking on this work, Manjusha notes: “A key challenge in strengthening women’s inclusion and representation in cardiovascular health is the persistence of systemic biases in research, diagnosis and care, where women remain underrepresented and their symptoms are often misunderstood or missed. Strengthening inclusion requires not only better representation in research, but also system-level change and global collaboration, alongside embedding the lived experience to ensure women’s voices shape solutions.”
As part of her work with the global cardiovascular patient community, Manjusha would like to see more consistent use of community insights in decision-making, alongside authentic cross-sector partnerships between patient organisations, researchers, clinicians, private sector and policymakers so that services and policies better reflect people’s actual experiences of living with cardiovascular conditions. “In practical terms, that means clearer evidence, more relevant outcomes and improvements in how care is designed and delivered. I also hope to see more sustainable resourcing for this work, so that meaningful improvements in cardiovascular care can permeate local, national and global levels,” she says.
Outside of work, Manjusha recharges by switching between quieter and more social activities, “I’ve been reading more fiction but also keeping up with international politics. I tend to follow what’s happening in South Asia quite closely, particularly with arts and culture.” She enjoys spending time with her family and friends over board games, travelling as well as trying out new places to eat.
Thank you Manjusha, we’re thrilled to have you as part of the Global Heart Hub team.
