Akhila Nekkanti, Ph.D.

Dr. Akhila Nekkanti has a PhD in Prevention Science, with interdisciplinary expertise in quantitative data analysis, implementation science, and translational neuroscience. In her doctoral research at the University of Oregon, Akhila evaluated the implementation of and intensive therapeutic intervention program for families exposed to poverty, violence, and child maltreatment, and examined the dynamics of parent-child interactions via longitudinal psychophysiological methods (i.e., respiratory sinus arrhythmia, electroencephalogram). In this work and her dissertation, she employed longitudinal hierarchical data analyses that accounted for missing data at various levels and timepoints to assess how the extent of participation in the intervention can impact variability in children’s neural development.

Akhila also holds a certificate in Translational Science from the Oregon Health & Science University and earned a doctoral specialization in Data Science. In previous work, she used R to program interactive data dashboards that translate large-scale child abuse prevalence data into accessible, web-based data visuals and recommendations that policymakers can use for key decision-making. Akhila’s primary career goal is to conduct and translate systems research with the specific aim of restructuring child and family policies to support and preserve rather than criminalize historically marginalized families. Her ultimate goal is to empower communities and families via anti-racist policy reform and community building.