In 1999, history was made when Riti Shimkhada became the first female student to be awarded a prestigious Fulbright fellowship from the United States’ Department of State to study in Nepal. What makes her journey truly remarkable is that she is the daughter of Dr. Deepak Shimkhada, a Nepali scholar who, back in 1972, embarked on the same path with a Fulbright fellowship.
At the time of receiving her fellowship, Riti was a biology major at Claremont McKenna College in California. Fueled by a passion for improving healthcare in remote villages of Nepal, she set out on a groundbreaking research project. However, the task proved to be immensely challenging in an era devoid of widespread communication channels such as newspapers, radios, and televisions. Social media as we of today had only recently made its full utility.
Undeterred, Riti embarked on a remarkable journey, traversing various remote villages by bus and on foot to collect invaluable data. Her goal was to devise effective means of educating the local communities about healthcare. Through perseverance and dedication, she crafted a winning report for the government and the Fulbright Commission. Her recommendations included utilizing radio programs, poster art, and community news platforms to disseminate crucial information on good health and hygiene.
Following her return to California, Riti continued her academic pursuits, completing both her master’s and doctorate (Ph.D.) degrees in public health with a specialization in epidemiology at the University of California (UCLA). Today, she stands as a renowned expert in her field, with numerous peer-reviewed research articles and co-edited books published under her name. Devoting her full-time efforts to conducting cutting-edge research in public health, Dr. Shimkhada-Relan’s impact has been felt far and wide. Her expertise proved indispensable during the COVID-19 pandemic, where she actively contributed to CDC-funded projects. Through her work, she has emerged as a leading advocate for public health, striving to create a healthier and safer world for all.
Today she serves as a senior research scientist at UCLA’s Center for Health Policy Research, where she is involved in research on several health policy such as health care costs, health disparities, data equity, disaggregated data, and immigrant and global health. With 104 publications under her belt, she is Please join us in celebrating the achievements of Dr. Riti Shimkhada-Relan, a trailblazer, whose unwavering commitment to improving healthcare and advancing epidemiology continues to inspire generations to come.
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