Soumya Swaminathan (scientist)


Soumya Swaminathan yadav is chief scientist at the World Health Organization. Originally belonging to India, she is also a paediatrician and clinical scientist known for her research on tuberculosis. Swaminathan has been Chief Scientist of the World Health Organization since March 2019. Previously, from October 2017 to March 2019, she was the Deputy Director General of Programmes at the World Health Organization.

Early life and education

Soumya was born in Chennai, India. Swaminathan is the daughter of "Father of Green Revolution of India" M. S. Swaminathan and Indian educationalist Mina Swaminathan. Soumya has two siblings, Madhura Swaminathan, a professor of economics at the Indian Statistical Institute, Bangalore, and Nithya Swaminathan, a Senior Lecturer in Gender Analysis in International Development at the University of East Anglia.
Swaminathan holds M.B.B.S. from Armed Forces Medical College and M.D. from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, along with a Diplomate of National Board from National Board of Examinations. She subsequently held Post Doctoral Medical Fellowship in Pediatric Pulmonology at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles,California, Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.

Career

Swaminathan joined the National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis in Chennai in 1992. She started a multi-disciplinary group of clinical, laboratory and behavioural scientists studying various aspects of TB and TB/HIV. Swaminathan along with her colleagues were among the first to scale up the use of molecular diagnostics for TB surveillance and care, to undertake large field trials of community-randomised strategies to deliver TB treatment to underserved populations. Most recently she is part of the TB Zero City Project which aims to create "Islands of elimination" working with local governments, institutions and grassroots associations.

Awards

Swaminathan is married to Ajit Yadav, an orthopedic surgeon.

Selected works and publications

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