Prevent third wave, don't wait for it
THE WEEK|October 17, 2021
Exclusive interview Soumya Swaminathan, chief scientist, World Health Organization
MINI P. THOMAS
Prevent third wave, don't wait for it

As a researcher at the National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis in Chennai, she would travel to the homes of her poor patients and even look after their orphaned children.

Life is essentially a quest for meaning for Dr Soumya Swaminathan, the World Health Organization’s first chief scientist. She has proudly taken forward the legacy of her parents— Prof M.S. Swaminathan, the architect of Green Revolution, and Mina Swaminathan, an educationist.

Each job is fulfilling in a different way, says Swaminathan. Her role as chief scientist allows her to make a real difference in the world. “Being able to contribute to pandemic response makes my life meaningful and fulfilling,” says Swaminathan, who works out of Geneva, Switzerland. “It involves dealing with a new pathogen, working with scientists around the world, advancing clinical trials, developing standards and benchmarks for vaccines and diagnostics and reviewing guidelines.”

Her ability to articulate and dejargonise scientific terms sets her apart from other scientists. Swaminathan spent her childhood surrounded by books. But they were not all about medicine. “I loved Gerald Durrell because I love animals,” she says. “I used to read Sherlock Holmes, Jane Eyre and adventure books. I also read Agatha Christie, and a lot of Indian authors like Rabindranath Tagore. I am a huge fan of Indian literature, but after getting into medicine there was less and less time to read fiction.” She now enjoys listening to podcasts on environmental science, economics, philosophy and literature.

Denne historien er fra October 17, 2021-utgaven av THE WEEK.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra October 17, 2021-utgaven av THE WEEK.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA THE WEEKSe alt
William Dalrymple goes further back
THE WEEK India

William Dalrymple goes further back

Indian readers have long known William Dalrymple as the chronicler nonpareil of India in the early years of the British raj. His latest book, The Golden Road, is a striking departure, since it takes him to a period from about the third century BC to the 12th-13th centuries CE.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 17, 2024
The bleat from the street
THE WEEK India

The bleat from the street

What with all the apps delivering straight to one’s doorstep, the supermarkets, the food halls and even the occasional (super-expensive) pop-up thela (cart) offering the woke from field-to-fork option, the good old veggie-market/mandi has fallen off my regular beat.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 17, 2024
Courage and conviction
THE WEEK India

Courage and conviction

Justice A.M. Ahmadi's biography by his granddaughter brings out behind-the-scenes tension in the Supreme Court as it dealt with the Babri Masjid demolition case

time-read
2 mins  |
November 17, 2024
EPIC ENTERPRISE
THE WEEK India

EPIC ENTERPRISE

Gowri Ramnarayan's translation of Ponniyin Selvan brings a fresh perspective to her grandfather's magnum opus

time-read
4 mins  |
November 17, 2024
Upgrade your jeans
THE WEEK India

Upgrade your jeans

If you don’t live in the top four-five northern states of India, winter means little else than a pair of jeans. I live in Mumbai, where only mad people wear jeans throughout the year. High temperatures and extreme levels of humidity ensure we go to work in mulmul salwars, cotton pants, or, if you are lucky like me, wear shorts every day.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 17, 2024
Garden by the sea
THE WEEK India

Garden by the sea

When Kozhikode beach became a fertile ground for ideas with Manorama Hortus

time-read
4 mins  |
November 17, 2024
RECRUITERS SPEAK
THE WEEK India

RECRUITERS SPEAK

Industry requirements and selection criteria of management graduates

time-read
3 mins  |
November 17, 2024
MORAL COMPASS
THE WEEK India

MORAL COMPASS

The need to infuse ethics into India's MBA landscape

time-read
5 mins  |
November 17, 2024
B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH
THE WEEK India

B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH

INTERVIEW - Prof DEBASHIS CHATTERJEE, director, Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode

time-read
3 mins  |
November 17, 2024
COURSE CORRECTION
THE WEEK India

COURSE CORRECTION

India's best b-schools are navigating tumultuous times. Hurdles include lower salaries offered to their graduates and students misusing AI

time-read
8 mins  |
November 17, 2024