Fellow Highlights

Not On My Resume: Rajiv Doshi

February 17, 2024

Rajiv Doshi serves as director of the India Program at the Byers Center for Biodesign at Stanford University. He advises dozens of India-based health technology start ups looking to create public health impact in India. An active inventor, he has also founded three healthcare companies. A 1998 Paul & Daisy Soros Fellow, Rajiv is the child of immigrants from India.

Why did you (or your family) come to America? My parents immigrated to the United States from India to complete their medical training. They settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where my brother and I grew up.

Which living New American do you most admire? My father. He grew up in a small town in East Africa in the 1940s with limited schooling options and opportunities. Often working by candlelight, he studied hard and eventually earned a Government of India scholarship for medical school which allowed him to pursue his dream of becoming a physician.

What is your current state of mind? Grateful to work on interesting problems in global health, that if solved, can impact the lives of many.

When was the last time you felt imposter syndrome? Years ago, I invented a new obstructive sleep apnea therapy (called Provent) and had the opportunity to present the invention and clinical data to world experts in sleep medicine, including the inventor of CPAP.

What is your greatest fear? Not being able to see my children every day when they head off to college.

If you could change careers and do anything, what would it be? Pizzaiolo, toy inventor and children’s book author.

What is your idea of a good life? Family movie night on Friday evenings with my wife and two kids.

What is the one habit that you can’t live without? Morning coffee made in a Bialetti Moka Express, with a splash of oat milk.

What one piece of advice do you live by? Don’t take yourself too seriously.

Who or what makes your heart beat faster when you think about them? Biking through the Stanford Quad. 34 years after I arrived as a freshman, the feeling remains the same today.

This interview was originally published in the January, 2024 issue of The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships’ monthly Distance Traveled newsletter. Sign up to receive the latest issue here. ∎