Soumya Swaminathan honoured as Super Chennai’s ‘Icon of the Month’

Scientist and Chairperson of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), Soumya Swaminathan, was presented with Super Chennai’s ‘Icon of the Month’ award on Saturday in recognition of her contributions to science and public health.

The award was presented by Ranjeeth Rathod, Managing Director of Super Chennai, and Chella Krishna, Partner, SRSV & Associates, after Dr. Swaminathan’s conversation with Akhila Krishnamurthy at Super Chennai Arattai.

During the discussion, Dr. Swaminathan spoke about artificial intelligence in healthcare, lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the importance of empathy in science.

Speaking on the growing role of artificial intelligence in healthcare, she said technology should be deployed to improve health outcomes and make healthcare delivery more efficient, rather than increase the burden on frontline workers. Referring to healthcare staff who are often required to enter the same information in both physical registers and digital applications, she said digitalisation would be meaningful only if it streamlined workflows.

Dr. Swaminathan said the COVID-19 pandemic showcased unprecedented scientific collaboration, with researchers across disciplines openly sharing data to accelerate understanding of the virus. At the same time, it exposed deep inequities, with poorer countries receiving vaccines much later and vulnerable communities bearing the brunt of job losses, food insecurity, and prolonged school closures, she said.

Drawing from her early work on tuberculosis and HIV in Chennai, Dr. Swaminathan said patients often struggled with stigma, poverty, discrimination, and loss of livelihoods, making social support just as important as clinical care. She said these experiences reinforced the need for an interdisciplinary approach, with social scientists working alongside clinicians and researchers.

Reflecting on the influences that shaped her, Dr. Swaminathan said growing up in the household of agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan and educationist Mina Swaminathan exposed her early to both science and social justice. While her father taught her patience, she said, her mother instilled the courage to speak up for what she believed in.