19 February, 2018

Member of the IMS Board

The IMS Board works tirelessly to support the aims of the Society and to ensure that the best educational resources and updates on research are available to all the membership. However, do you really know who they are? This new occasional profile series gives you the opportunity to learn more about each Board member, providing a personal perspective and insight into the people who represent the leadership of the Society.

Professor Sunila Khandelwal

Is the Director of Midlife Women Health Care & Menopause Centre, working as Senior Consultant in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Fortis Escorts Hospital, Jaipur, India. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of the International Menopause Society.

I’ve been reading

Literature on 'Art of Living', the spiritual and scientific benefit of yoga. I love reading the books of famous authors like Dale Carnegie, Shobha De and Robin Sharma to satisfy my interest, other than updating myself through scientific academic journals.

I’ve been researching

On psychosomatic health and lifestyle recommendations to reduce non-communicable diseases to improve the quality of life specifically in the Indian scenario. My recent interest is to have a new insight into female sexuality, management of menopause with endometriosis – a challenging situation but poorly researched. Further studies are required in the area of reproductive factors affecting the longevity and how to empower women with early age of menopause in my own country.

My team

I am privileged to be a leader in my journey with a strong dedicated team, especially the members of the young enthusiastic group who have the same passion as me to work for the health care of mature women, both in the government and private sectors and also the non-profit organizations who contribute to the social cause at all levels.

An anecdote

The documentary film that I prepared during my Presidential year in the Indian Menopause Society gave me a great sense of satisfaction as it is acted as a wonderful vehicle for changing the lives of women. The up-to-date and accessible medical information together with other lifestyle measures provided a unique, commonsense guide for this ‘rite of passage’. Also I am thankful to the International Menopause Society for providing the annual theme-based public education leaflets for World Menopause Month, which I have enjoyed translating into Hindi; globally non-resident Indians are benefitting through the IMS website!

I’m worried about

The early age of menopause (premature ovarian failure/induced menopause) in the Indian population, and specifically the rising number of cases of early surgical menopause, ignorance, and the non-availability of expertise, especially in rural India.

I’ve been thinking

About improving the dedicated multi-specialty health-care model with respect to the health care of mature women. Non-government organizations and role models should take the lead in spreading public awareness.

In my spare time

I love to socialise and enjoy my hobbies of gardening and designing my own clothes. However, I always try new healthy recipes and doing group exercises.

A thorn in my side

My country has given a wonderful health practice to this world – 'yoga' – to keep fit 'the body, mind and soul'. Unfortunately, although yoga is becoming popular across the world but, in India, people are still not practising yoga regularly.

What challenges me

Keeping the balance between my academic hunger and my other responsibilities!