We Got COVID Shots in One Year. Why Did a Malaria Vaccine Take 35?
The long, maddening wait reveals much about the world's vaccine priorities.
UndarkRepublished by: The Atlantic, Smithsonian Magazine, Popular Science
Read article
About me
Hi! I'm a journalist who covers the intersection of science, policy, and society, with a focus on how underreported systems shape public health, innovation, and equity.
My reporting has appeared in Science, Nature, and Undark, where I've investigated global vaccine access, cholera preparedness failures, and the emerging threat of drug-resistant malaria. One of my investigations — why it took 35 years to develop a malaria vaccine while COVID-19 vaccines were made in under a year — struck a chord and was republished by NPR, The Atlantic, Mother Jones, and others. Beyond global health, I've reported on how institutional policies shape scientific progress across domains, from India's $6 billion research funding overhaul to the U.S. FDA's shift away from animal testing.
Before journalism, I studied biotechnology and worked in India's pharmaceutical industry. That background grounds my reporting in both technical understanding and lived experience.
At MIT's Graduate Program in Science Writing, I'm deepening my skills in investigative reporting and data visualization. My current projects include a deeply reported feature on India's rice fortification push, a high-stakes nutrition policy affecting 800 million people and dividing scientists and public health officials. I'm also working on a data visualization story on how redlining continues to shape housing inequality across Boston's neighborhoods.
Before coming to MIT, I held fellowships at The Open Notebook, AAAS EurekAlert!, and the Indian Academy of Sciences.
