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Science Writer & Medical Researcher
Awards, Recognitions, Honors
Writing Awards​​​
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Winner, $40,000 Award for Excellence in Science Communications – Schmidt Futures and National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine: National Academies Announce 2023 Recipients​​
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The Guardian. Pig to human heart transplants are the future. Are we ready for it? August 4, 2022.
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Scientific American. Most People at Risk for Lung Cancer Never Get Screened: Here’s How to Fix That. September 6, 2022.
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Undark. A New, Transparent AI Tool May Help Detect Blood Poisoning. October 12, 2022.
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Winner, 40 Under 40 in Cancer - consortium of oncology groups. 40 Under 40 in Cancer Congratulates the Class of 2023.​
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Winner, Science Story of the Year - Foreign Press Association: FPA Media Awards 2022
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The Guardian. Pig to human heart transplants are the future. Are we ready for it? August 4, 2022.
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Winner, Newcomer of the Year - Medical Journalists Association: Congratulations to all our winners: MJA Awards 2023
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The Guardian. Should we ban the purchase of cigarettes for life? A US town is trying March 31, 2023.
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Winner, Newcomer of the Year - Association of British Science Writers: ABSW Awards 2023: The Winners​​
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The Guardian. Voting is significant determinant of health, US medical association declares. July 14, 2022.
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The Guardian. Pig to human heart transplants are the future. Are we ready for it? August 4, 2022.
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WIRED. This Follicle-Hacking Drug Could One Day Treat Baldness. September 6, 2022.​
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Winner, Student Journalism Award - Online News Association: Portfolio: Student
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Washington Post. After centuries, we still can’t perform animal-to-human transplants. June 1, 2022.
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The Guardian. Pig to human heart transplants are the future. Are we ready for it? August 4, 2022.​
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Slate. How to Raise a Pig for Its Organs. August 30, 2022.​​
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Finalist, Freelance of the Year - Medical Journalists' Association: MJA Awards 2023 — Meet the Finalists
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The Guardian. Pig to human heart transplants are the future. Are we ready for it? August 4, 2022.
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WIRED. This Follicle-Hacking Drug Could One Day Treat Baldness. September 6, 2022.
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The Guardian. Should we ban the purchase of cigarettes for life? A US town is trying March 31, 2023.​​
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Runner-Up, Excellence in News Reporting - Asian American Journalists Association: Written Journalism Awards 2023​​
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Undark. A New, Transparent AI Tool May Help Detect Blood Poisoning. October 12, 2022.
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Honorable Mention, W. Curtis Worthington, Jr. Essay Contest - Waring Historical Library: Announcing the Winners
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Grantee, Summer Diversity Fellowship - National Association of Science Writers: NASW Fellows 2023
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Academic and Service Awards
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Phi Beta Kappa: 24 Harvard juniors for “exceptional academic achievement in the arts and sciences"
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Detur Book Prize: ~50 Harvard sophomores who "attained very high academic standing"
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John Harvard Scholarship: 5% of Harvard students in the top 5% of their class
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Veritas Award: 1 Harvard student "who demonstrates an exceptional commitment to intellectual curiosity inside and outside the classroom... holds him/herself to a high standard of academic excellence and integrity in the search for truth, and encourages a vibrant and ever-aspiring learning community"
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National Student Leadership Foundation Scholarship: $20,000 award to 8 students for "academic excellence, demonstrated leadership in extracurricular activities"
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Gold President's Volunteer Service Award: given to individuals "whose service positively impacts communities in every corner of the nation and inspires those around them to take action"
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Speaking Engagements​​​
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The Harker School (April 18, 2023): Research Symposium - Alumni Keynote Simar Bajaj
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MIT (February 24, 2023): Guest lecture in Global Health Informatics to Improve Quality of Care, taught by Professor Leo Celi
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Harvard College (December 5, 2022): Guest lecture in Narrative Scientific Journalism, taught by Professor Michael Pollan
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UCSF School of Medicine (November 2, 2022): Vaccine Apartheid: Can we decolonize the distribution of health resources?
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Harvard Kennedy School (September 9, 2022): Vaccine Hesitancy: Between Miracle & Mistrust
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Humans of Harvard College (February 28, 2021): Simar Bajaj
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Providence, Rhode Island City Council (November 23, 2020): National Lung Cancer Awareness Month Conversation
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TEDx (January 29, 2020): Breaking the Locks: Why I Cut My Hair After 17 Years
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Quotes and Press Features ​​
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CIDRAP (August 31, 2023): Cancer patients saw higher mortality from COVID-19
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Good Moning America (August 24, 2023): Obesity specialists are scarce, new report shows
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The Hill (August 22, 2023): ‘Eris’ COVID strain leaves vaccine strategy mostly unchanged
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The Hill (August 4, 2023): Americans largely interested in prescription weight-loss drugs
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Washington Post (July 28, 2023): Nearly 4 million in U.S. cut from Medicaid, most for paperwork reasons
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The Hill (July 21, 2023): New US pandemic office set to launch
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Washington Post (July 6, 2023): More abortion rights ballot measures are coming
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Harvard Crimson (March 29, 2023): Phi Beta Kappa Elects ‘Junior 24’ from Class of 2024
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Harvard University Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology (December 2, 2022): Undergraduate Simar Bajaj awarded FPA Science Story of the Year Award
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Estadão (November 30, 2022): OMS sugere aproveitar vacinação contra covid-19 para fazer imunização de rotina
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Healio (August 16, 2022): Delayed vs. early surgery linked to shorter survival in advanced esophageal cancer
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Drug Discovery News (July 24, 2022): Trailblazing scientist changes the view of obesity
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POLITICO (July 6, 2022): Flawed devices and Covid-19 diagnoses
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New York Times (May 31, 2022): The Doctor Prescribed an Obesity Drug. Her Insurer Called It ‘Vanity.’
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New York Times (May 24, 2022): What Vaccine Apartheid Portends for the Climate Future
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American College of Surgeons (May 12, 2022): Delays in surgery for advanced esophageal cancer result in significantly worse survival than early surgery
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The Harvard Gazette (November 30, 2021): ‘Writing to push conversations forward’
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Massachusetts General Hospital (October 15, 2021): ‘Superhuman, but never enough’: Essay details inequities experienced by Black women physicians in the United States
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Boston.com (August 12, 2021): Vaccine honor system may be harming vulnerable communities, say MGH researchers
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U.S. News (February 11, 2021): To Save Their Communities, Black Ministers Preach the Gospel About the COVID-19 Vaccine
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The Hill (January 27, 2021): Black people in the US are getting vaccinated at lower rates
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The Harker School (January 21, 2021): Bajaj ’20 published in New England Journal of Medicine
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The Harvard Gazette (September 15, 2020): Inspired to action, eager to serve: A community-wide effort for Harvard’s first Global Day of Service
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Harker Aquila (April 21, 2020): Humans of Harker: To help, to heal
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