Dr. Soumya Swaminathan was presented with Super Chennai's 'Icon of the Month' award on Saturday in recognition of her work in science and public health. The honour followed a conversation at Super Chennai Arattai.
The award was given by Ranjeeth Rathod, Managing Director of Super Chennai, and Chella Krishna, Partner at SRSV & Associates. Dr. Swaminathan serves as Chairperson of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation.
During the event she discussed the role of Artificial Intelligence in healthcare. She stressed that technology must improve outcomes and reduce workloads for frontline staff rather than add to them.
Dr. Swaminathan also reflected on the COVID-19 pandemic and her earlier research on tuberculosis and HIV in Chennai. She noted the value of scientific collaboration alongside the need to address inequities and provide social support to patients.