• Dr M.V. Kulkarni prize for the paper entitled “Stress level among mothers and their effect on child rearing practices” at the 36^th National conference of IAPSM on 23/01/2009.
• Received ICMR-Short Term Scholarships in 2002 and 2003

Work experience:

Trainings attended

1. Induction training for newly joined Scientists which was an initiative by ICMR was held at ICMR- National Institute of Epidemiology , Chennai  from  10-14^th July 2017. Got oriented to writing of research proposals.
2. Attended a training programme on Ethical Research Initiative, Pune. On 23^rd August 2017 at NARI Auditorium training was  conducted by Dr. Ravindra Ghooi and Dr. D. N. Bhalerao,
3. Gave a lecture on “Study designs” in “Clinical and Laboratory Medicine Research” workshop  on 28^th August 2017 which was organized by ICMR –NARI and Moving Academy of Medicine and Biomedicine. The participants were medical students, post graduate students and faculty from multidisciplinary areas.
4. Attended expert consultation on finalizing strategic priorities for evidence generation towards achieving 90:90:90 . on 12^th December 2017 where the priorities were discussed and implementation of these priorities .
5. Workshop attended on Systematic Review & Meta-analysis , ICMR –National Institute of Cholera And Enteric Diseases, Kolkatta 7-9^th March 2017 . We learnt the techniques and methods and hands on experience on software “Revman”
6. Coordinator for the workshop on ‘Infectious Disease Epidemiology –Laboratory and Public Health’  ICMR NARI in collaboration with Moving Academy of Medicine and Biomedicine
7. Attended 2 days workshop ‘Evaluation of Impact of Antiretroviral Therapy under National AIDS Control Programme in India”[The ART Impact Evaluation- India Study (ARTIE-India)]’ 3-4^th April 2018 which involved finalization of primary and secondary data collection tools
8. Coordinator for the workshop on ‘Infectious Disease Epidemiology –Laboratory and Public Health’ ICMR NARI in collaboration with Moving Academy of Medicine and Biomedicine from 16^th to 20^th April 2018.
9. As a Resource person for the workshop on ‘Assessment of EID Program in India’ on 15^th May 2018 and 8^th October 2018 at ICMR-NARI. Capacity building for Research Assistants.
10. Attended the Workshop on Good Participatory Practices at Chennai from 26^th to 27^th June 2018. Organized by International AIDS Vaccine Initiative
11. Gave a lecture on on Global trends and epidemiology of HIV ‘ for M.Sc (Virology) students on 16^th July 2018.
12. Panel discussion for (India International Science Festival) IISF students on 24^th Sept 2018 as a part of National Science Day
13. Attended training on ‘Safe work Method: risk assessment, permit to work and Lock out and Tag out’ held at ICMR-NARI on 3^rd January 2018 which was conducted by Learners and Winners Training and Consultancy Pvt Ltd.
14. Attended‘Ethical Guidance for Biomedical Research’ at ICMR-NARI to be held during 17^th-18^thJanuary, 2019 in collaboration with National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research (NCDIR), Bengaluru.
15. Attended Online International Symposium on Novel Ideas in Science and Ethics of Vaccine against COVID-19 pandemicon 30 July 2020.
16. 'Curtain Raiser Event' (Digital)  for The IISC - Health Research Conclave. ICMR-NARI organised a webinaron 'Communicable Diseases & Innovative Public Health Interventions' on 12^th December 2020. Participated in organization and attended the webinar
17. “Publishing Webinar- Tips from the Editors” on Tuesday, March 30, 2021

Capacity Building

Selected as a mentee for capacity building for disease burden and estimation  and focal area identified as Sexually Transmitted Infection. Funded by ICMR Headquarters

Publications

Publications:

1. Kamble T, Dandekar A, Velhal GD. Study of practices related to home deliveries in rural area. Study of practices related to home deliveries in rural area. PRESM Journal of Community Medicine. 2008Dec;10(1-2):16–21.
2. Rao AP, Chavan MK. The effect of health education on knowledge about anemia and on compliance to oral iron therapy among anemic pregnant women in an urban slum of Mumbai. Bombay Hospital Journal . 2012Jul;54(3):396–400.
3. Solat S, Velhal GD, Mahajan H, Rao A, Sharma B. Assessment of Awareness about HIV/AIDS and operationalisation of interventions in rural population of Raigad district ,India. International Journal of Scientific Research &Publication. 2012Nov;2(11):1–14.
4. Velhal GD, Sawant S, Mahajan H, Rao A. Work related perceptions among nursing staff about roles and responsibilities in a tertiary level health care institute. Journal of Nursing and Health Science . 2013;1(4):48–55.
5. Velhal GD, Sawant S, Rao A, Mahajan H. Awareness among nursing staff about roles and responsibilities in a tertiary level health care institute, india” . International journal of general medicine and pharmacy . 2013May;2(2):75–80.
6. Rao Amrita, Chavan MK. Does Health education increase the compliance to oral iron therapy among pregnant women? Indian Journal of Forensic & Community Medicine . 2015Jan-Mar;2(1):50–55
7. Rao A, Velhal GD, Khismatrao DS. Patient’s Comprehension of Prescriptions at Municipal Urban Health Centre, Mumbai . JCDR. 2016Mar;10(3):LC15–LC17.
8. Rao Amrita, Banerjee A . Janani Suraksha Yojana -Implementation in Maharashtra state of India. Asia Pacific Journal of Medical Humanities and Social Medicine Jul- Dec 2016 3(2);47-49
9. Ghate M, Zirpe S, Shidhaye P, Gurav S, Rao A, Verma V, Bamrotiya M, Sachdeva KS, Gupta RS, Gangakhedkar R. A Retrospective Study of Characteristics of HIV Infected Individuals OptingOut from Antiretroviral Treatment under National Programme. J Krishna Inst Med Science Univ. 2019 Jul-Sep; 8(3):19-26.
10. Rao A, Patil S, Aheibam S, Kshirsagar P, Hemade P, Panda S. Acceptability of HIV Oral Self-Test Among Men Having Sex With Men and Transgender Population: A Qualitative Investigation From Pune, India. Infect Dis Res Treatment 2020; 13:1-7
11. Rao A. HIV self-test during the time of COVID-19, India. Indian J Med Res 2020;152:164-7
12. Patil S, Rao A, Pathak P, Kurle S, Mane A, Nirmalkar A, et al. (2020) Unsterile injection equipment associated with HIV outbreak and an extremely high prevalence of HCV—A case-control investigation from Unnao, India. PLoS ONE 15(12):e0243534. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0243534

Reports :

• Epidemiological Perspectives of Common Communicable Diseases in Mumbai –An analysis of Disease Surveillance Data of Epidemiological Cell ,Public Health Department , MCGM in collaboration with UNICEF and T.N. Medical College and B.Y.L Nair Ch hospital .Dr GajananVelhal , DrPrasadWaigankar , DrSudamSuryawanshi, Dr Amrita Rao

• Report titled ‘HIV Self-Test Acceptability : A Qualitative Study From Pune, India’  written by Dr Samiran Panda, Dr Amrita Rao and Dr. Sandip Patil

• Report titled ‘Preliminary Guidelines For Mapping, Size Estimation & Risk Behaviour Survey among Key Populations In Virtual Space’ written by Dr. Samiran Panda, Dr. Amrita Rao, Dr. S.M. Shahabuddin and Ms. Akshada Gopale in consultation with Dr. Shankar Talwar, Mr. Tamseel Hussain, Dr. Tarun Roy and Dr. D.C.S. Reddy 

• Report titled ‘Sustained and Timely HIV/AIDS Response: community engagement in Mizoram’ written by Dr Samiran Panda, Dr Amrita Rao, Dr Megha Mamulwar.