After five-years at the global level, Swaminathan told The Indian Express that she wants to come back to do more hands-on practical work in research and policy.
Dr Soumya Swaminathan, a paediatrician from India and a globally recognized researcher on tuberculosis and HIV, has 30 years of experience in clinical care and research, according to information available about her on WHO website.
The WHO chief scientist has also worked throughout her career to translate research into impactful programs.
Previously, she was Secretary to the Government of India for Health Research and Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research from 2015 to 2017. During this period, Swaminathan focused on bringing science and evidence into health policy making, building research capacity in Indian medical schools and forging south-south partnerships in health sciences.
From 2009 to 2011, Swaminathan also served as Coordinator of the UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases in Geneva.
According to WHO, she received her academic training in India, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
Swaminathan, an elected Foreign Fellow of the US National Academy of Medicine and a Fellow of all three science academies in India, has published over 350 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters.
As per WHO reports, her vision is to ensure that that United Nations' specialized agency for Health is at the cutting edge of science and is able to translate new knowledge into meaningful impact on population health worldwide.
