Ila Dayananda, MD, MPH is a board-certified OB/GYN. As the daughter of immigrants, she grew up straddling both Midwestern and Indian cultures. Her love for medicine and in particular reproductive health care and rights stemmed from her early exposure to disparities in medicine. Through her work in India, Africa and Mexico, she witnessed early on that maternal mortality and morbidity could be decreased through improved access to trained health care workers, safer birthing and abortion practices, and access to essential medications. The disparities in reproductive health outcomes for women and particularly women of color are prevalent across the globe, including the United States. Dr. Dayananda is passionate about improving the experience that people have when they seek reproductive health care – from reproductive health and pregnancy planning, the pregnancy journey, and navigating postpartum care and next steps.

Dr. Dayananda completed her Medical degree and Master’s in Public Health at Northwestern University Medical School and then pursued an OB/GYN residency at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, MA. In order to focus on research, international health and complex contraception/abortion care she continued her training by pursuing the Family Planning Fellowship at Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA. Dr. Dayananda most recently served as the Chief Medical Officer for Planned Parenthood of Greater New York.