Our Board

Dr Jeyaraj D Pandian

Dr Jeyaraj D Pandian is a Professor and Head of Neurology (since 2013) and the Principal (since 2018) from Christian Medical College (CMC), Ludhiana, Punjab, India. Dr Pandian is the current President of World Stroke Organization (First Asian to take up this position in October 2024). He is the Past President of Indian Stroke Association.

He is a member of the Strategic Advisory Group (STAG) for NCDs in WHO Geneva. He is the Member/Chair of several committees under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi and Indian Council of Medical Research.

International award Dr Pandian was conferred the WSO Global stroke services award in 2020 for his contributions to the field of stroke.

National awards He received Careers360 national award for research and best medical teacher in 2023. He also received the Sitaram Jaipuria National award for Medical Excellence and Research in 2023.

Recognitions The department of Neurology is the first Advanced stroke center certified by World Stroke Organization and NABH. This is the only center in the country recognized by Indian Council of Medical Research as the Center of Excellence for Stroke Research. Recently World Health Organization as recognized the department as the WHO Collaborating Center for stroke which is the only center in world.

Dr Pandian has made significant contributions to stroke care services, epidemiology, and thrombolysis in low and middle-income countries. He is the National PI for the Indian Stroke Clinical Trial Network (INSTRuCT). He has 310 peer-reviewed publications (Citations 211099; h-index 77; i10 index-189).

Dr. Mariana Mercado‑García, MD

Medical Director, ROPU ASKAN | Head of the Angels Initiative, ASKAN

Dr. Mariana Mercado‑García is a senior medical leader and endocrinologist with extensive international experience across Asia‑Pacific and Latin America, currently serving as Medical Director for ROPU ASKAN at Boehringer Ingelheim. In this role, she leads medical strategy across diverse health systems, with a strong focus on disease transformation, patient outcomes, and cross‑sector collaboration. As Head of the Angels Initiative in ASKAN, Dr. Mercado‑García is responsible for advancing system‑level improvements in acute stroke care, working closely with governments, clinical leaders, hospitals, and policy stakeholders to strengthen stroke pathways, quality standards, and access to timely, evidence‑based care. Her work emphasizes sustainable health‑system impact, alignment with national priorities, and measurable improvements in patient outcomes. She brings over a decade of leadership experience in medical, clinical, regulatory, and medical excellence roles. Clinically, she is a board‑certified endocrinologist and internal medicine specialist. She has worked in multidisciplinary clinical settings within private and public health systems, grounding her leadership approach in real‑world patient and system challenges. She is passionate and committed to strengthening stroke care ecosystems across the APAC region through collaboration, data‑driven decision‑making, and patient‑centred innovation.

Surbhi JAIN

Surbhi is a health policy and government affairs leader at Boehringer Ingelheim, where she spearheads public policy strategy, stakeholder engagement, and advocacy across the Asia-Pacific region. She drives Public & Government Affairs (PGA) priorities across ASEAN, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand, with a particular focus on shaping health policy frameworks that advance equitable access to stroke care and other critical therapeutic areas. As a representative of Boehringer Ingelheim, a founding member of the APAC Stroke Policy Alliance (ASPA), Surbhi brings deep institutional commitment and policy expertise to advancing stroke prevention, treatment, and recovery outcomes across the region.

Based in Singapore, Surbhi works at the intersection of government affairs, market access, and healthcare policy to strengthen health systems and improve patient outcomes. She engages with policymakers, regulatory bodies, and multilateral health organisations to advocate for evidence-based stroke policies, national stroke action plans, and sustainable healthcare financing models across diverse Asia-Pacific markets.

A former government official, Surbhi has over a decade of experience in public policy and government affairs across South and East Asia. She has successfully shaped policy outcomes in highly regulated sectors including healthcare, telecommunications, natural resources, and manufacturing, bringing a cross-sector perspective to health policy challenges. Her expertise spans regulatory strategy, multi-stakeholder coalition-building, crisis management, and regional policy harmonisation-competencies highly relevant to advancing ASPA’s mission of improving stroke care through coordinated policy action across the Asia-Pacific. Surbhi holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and a Bachelor’s degree in Technology (Engineering Physics) from Delhi Technical University (DTU), India.