Ronak Desai

Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship awarded in 2026 to pursue an MD in Medicine at Harvard University and a PhD in Chemistry at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Ronak Desai is the child of immigrants from India.

About Ronak Desai

Ronak Desai was born in Tyler, Texas to immigrants from Gujarat, India. He grew up in nearby Lindale, Texas in one of the town’s only Indian families.

Throughout high school, Ronak competed in speech and debate tournaments across the country. He won three state championships and first place at more than 20 meets before graduating as the nation’s leader in policy debate points awarded by the National Speech and Debate Association.

Attending college at the University of Texas at Austin then strengthened Ronak’s relationship with his heritage. Seeing classmates speak their native languages, wear symbols of their religions, and share their unique upbringings with pride invited Ronak to do the same. His experiences continually motivated him in academic pursuits as well. Working with physicians in Lindale, Tyler, and Austin, Ronak heard inspiring patient stories and life perspectives that made him aspire to continue learning from and helping patients as a physician. Specifically, he hoped to address existing barriers to accessing effective treatments.

To better understand those barriers, Ronak spent a semester interning at the US House of Representatives as a Bill Archer Fellow. He also completed biomedical research focused on studying and engineering novel polyketide synthases, aspiring to produce next-generation antibiotics by harnessing such newly engineered synthases. Ronak graduated with degrees in chemistry and biochemistry as a first-generation college student, Health Science Scholar, and Dean’s Honored Graduate, receiving nine scholarships throughout college. His research has resulted in publications in journals such as Cell and Nature Communications.

Ronak hopes to combine his passions for medicine, science, and public policy in his career to advance infectious disease treatment. He received the opportunity to pursue this goal through the Harvard-MIT MD/PhD program. He is currently pursuing a PhD in chemistry working with Professor James J. Collins. Ronak’s research centers on using artificial intelligence to discover and design novel antibiotics, an opportunity to advance treatments for patients worldwide.