Gitanjali Adlakha-Hutcheon
Adjunct Research Professor
Dr. Gitanjali Adlakha-Hutcheon is a Principal Defence Scientist at Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) and an Associate faculty member of the Canada School of Public Service.
Gitanjali has extensive experience working with the Canadian Armed Forces, NATO, and other international bodies on assessing disruptions, horizon scanning, technology watch, emerging and disruptive technologies, operational research, wargaming, and strategic foresight. Her research focuses on disruptions, how to identify them, assess and plan for them to enhance resiliency. A highlight of Gitanjali’s contributions to the field are two books ‘Disruption, Ideation and Innovation for Defence & Security and ‘(In)security: Identifying the invisible disruptors of security’ (Springer Nature, 2022, 2024) that she co-edited. She has also developed policies in areas as diverse as the use of animals within Defence, Biotechnology, and Greening government operations. She was a Chief Scientist in DRDC and for over five years chaired the security five eyes Technology Foresight Network for research and development.
She holds a Doctorate in Pharmacology & Therapeutics from the University of British Columbia, Canada and a M.Sc. in Biochemistry & Microbiology, India. She is also doubly certified in Strategic Foresight. She is fluent in English, French, Urdu and Hindi.
She is the recipient of several international and national awards: the NATO Scientific Achievement Award (2011, 2021, 2023); the Award of Excellence in Service Delivery from the Clerk of the Privy Council (2003), and the Gold Medal for B.Sc. in Zoology, Botany and Chemistry from Delhi University, India.
During her off hours she extends her career in the realm of yoga. She teaches Hatha and Yin yoga.