RE Log - Fall 2021

FALL 2021 Ransom Everglades LOG 9 The academic windfall changed the course of her life. Suddenly, the opportunity to do meaningful research opened to her. She flew to Oxford University, wide-eyed, excited to start a new chapter. She wore flip-flops and a cardigan. When she landed in London, she was prepared for the academic journey ahead, and wholly unprepared for the weather. “It took me a few months to realize, you need a coat, you need a hat, you need boots, you need gloves, you need a scarf, you need to wear layers,” she said. “I was very Miami.” She was soon off to India to commence on-the-ground research on the nation’s hunger crisis. She looks back at that time with some amazement. Driven by eagerness and not a little bit of naiveté, she traveled largely by herself, determined to learn about the plight of the most impoverished families in the country her parents had been born – a topic that would become the subject of her doctorate and first book. “I just wanted to understand and spend time in India,” she said. “When I think back to some of the stuff I did; I mean, I walked into slums and was walking around on my own … I was – looking back – quite fearless. I was just taking the plunge and trying to understand.” From Oxford to Edinburgh By the time she was 22, she had finished her PhD. At 23, she assumed a research post at Oxford and published The Battle Against Hunger: Choice, Circumstance, and the World Bank . It was about that time that she met Chelsea Clinton, who was researching HIV/AIDs for her doctorate, and working to set up The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The pair found their research complementary and – as Clinton was just a few years older than Sridhar – they became fast friends. They eventually collaborated on a book, Governing Global Health: Who Runs the World and Why? , that was published in 2017. Their work, formulated in the aftermath of the Ebola crisis, discussed pandemic preparedness and sounded an alarm about future infectious diseases while emphasizing the importance of global collaboration. Clinton credited Sridhar with the ability to translate complex public health challenges into plain language – making it easier for lay people to understand, and inspiring public officials to action. “I have seen her do this repeatedly throughout her career, including in our work together,” Clinton wrote in an email. “It’s been a privilege to work with and learn from her. And, she’s an excellent friend!” “There has never been such interest in public health. There’s too much information out in the world, so if I can help sift it, if I can help make it simple and accessible, I feel like I’m playing a useful role.” – Devi Sridhar ’01 “It’s been a privilege to work with and learn from her. And, she’s an excellent friend!” – Chelsea Clinton on Devi Sridhar ’01