Ukhrul, Jan 27: Dr. Janeline Lunghar, a Junior Scientist at the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF), has achieved an extraordinary milestone, defending her Ph.D. thesis with distinction on January 27, 2025, at Gandhigram Rural Institute (Deemed to be University), Tamil Nadu. Her research, titled “Prevalence of Diabetes and Impact of Diabetes Education Among Tangkhul Tribal Women of Manipur,” has been lauded as “Highly Commended” by all examiners, basis its academic rigor and societal relevance.
Dr. Lunghar hails from Teinem Village in Manipur and is the daughter of the late Chihanpam Lunghar and Mary Lunghar. As the second youngest of seven siblings, her journey is one of perseverance, hard work, and resilience.
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Her academic credentials are equally remarkable. Dr. Lunghar earned her M.Phil. and Master’s degrees from Women’s Christian College, Chennai, and has focused her research on Type 2 Diabetes, Gestational Diabetes, Gut Health, and Community Nutrition. In addition to her doctoral work, she has over 10 publications in Scopus and Web of Science-indexed international journals and has co-authored three book chapters published by Elsevier.
Her innovative contributions extend to creating a specialized book module on lifestyle management for diabetes tailored to her Tangkhul tribal community. This work exemplifies her commitment to using research to address real-world challenges in health and nutrition.
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Dr. Lunghar has also gained valuable experience in academia, serving as an Assistant Professor (Temporary) and Guest Faculty at Marudhar Kesari Jain College, Vellore, and Gandhigram Rural Institute. She has supervised eight master’s dissertations and five undergraduate projects and contributed as a Research Assistant on an ICSSR-funded project.
Her work has earned her several accolades, including the second prize for an oral presentation at the International Conference on Food for Gut Health in February 2024 and another second prize at the Startup Ideation Competition – North East in December 2021.
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Beyond her academic and research achievements, Dr. Lunghar’s efforts have had a meaningful impact on the Tangkhul tribal community, in terms of the importance of diabetes education and community nutrition.
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