To inspire students across disciplines to engage in global health efforts in their future professional pathways, we are presenting a series of interviews with Global Health Practitioners from multiple disciplines around the world. We invited friends of the Center throughout the university, global health program alumni, and our international partners to share their professional pathways and experiences in global health.

Karthik Natarajan is an assistant professor of Supply Chain and Operations at the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota. His research interests are in socially-responsible operations and specifically, managing global health supply chains and increasing access to and availability of essential health commodities in developing countries. Within this context, his works have explored several key issues including understanding the impact of uncertainty and delays in donor funding, designing incentives to patients and healthcare providers to maximize the number of people benefitting from a humanitarian healthcare program, and identifying supply chain strategies to lower the likelihood of health commodities (e.g., reproductive health supplies) at last-mile facilities in developing countries. He has consulted for global health agencies including USAID and also actively works with Minneapolis-based non-profits. Natarajan’s research has been published in several leading journals including Manufacturing and Service Operations Management and Production and Operations Management. His comments on global health issues, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, have been featured in several media outlets including the New York Times, Star Tribune, PBS, Kare 11 and Fox9.

Interviewer: Ian Passe