Dr Mavlanakar is former Director of the Indian Institute of Public Health-Gandhinagar (IIPHG). He is a doctor by training, with an MD in Preventive and Social Medicine from the Gujarat University, and a Doctor of Public Health Degree from Johns Hopkins University. He was a post-doctoral fellow at the National Institute of Health (NIH) in USA. He has taught at the IIM Ahmedabad for 20 years, and has also worked as Senior Management Advisor to the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University. His areas of interest include management of Maternal and Child Health programs, including Immunization and health systems improvement, quality of care, reproductive healthcare, and management of services. He has been a member of several programme & scientific advisory committees including, Mother Care project USA; NIHFW, New Delhi; IIPS, Mumbai; IIHMR Jaipur; IMMPAC Project University of Aberdeen UK, government of India, Planning commission of India etc. He was appointed by the Prime Minister to the Missions Steering Group of the National Rural Health Mission constituted by the Government of India in 2005. He was also member of the steering group on Health for the 12th five year plan constituted by the Planning Commission of India and similar group constituted by Government of Gujarat.