Review of At the Wheel of Research — An Exclusive Biography of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan: The face of science

A biography by Anuradha Mascarenhas that shows how Soumya Swaminathan rose to the highest levels in her field

If the birth of Christ was the significant event that determined the counting of years in the past, in the modern world, it is probably COVID. The world as we know it will, at some point of time, be split into Before COVID, and After COVID epochs. It is no surprise that when profiling one of the key leaders who led the battle against the SARS-COV-2 virus, this new temporal duality asserts itself with ease. No better place to start, actually.

At the heart of At the Wheel of Research is an attempt to capture the multifarious personality of Soumya Swaminathan, who much of the world became acquainted with, while she was at the WHO, helming it as Chief Scientist during the pandemic. In the BC part of the narrative, captured intricately here, Dr. Soumya was always famous in her neck of the woods, in the scientific circles in India, having pushed boundaries, and glass ceilings; and standing for ethical, yet compassionate care. Some of it has definitely been absorbed as she grew up, ensconced in the liberal and progressive, scientific atmosphere of a home built by her parents — renowned agricultural scientist and father of the Green Revolution M.S. Swaminathan and educationist Mina Swaminathan. Clearly, she has gone much further since, her steely composure and ability to empathise with people complimenting her capacity for reason, and her faith in science standing her in good stead.

A journalist, Anuradha Mascarenhas employs the tools of the trade, recording the significant events, and providing the contexts. She’s working with a wealth of information and an inspiring life with several decades of achievements, and while that’s good material, it can also be overwhelming. Dr. Soumya’s life and works are lessons in scholarship, yes, but also hard work, persistence, weathering the rough rides, and sterling leadership. The author is not fazed though, she manages to bring to readers a nearly scientific account of a woman who rose to the highest levels in science.

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan was the face of science, of reason, for many in the world, during the dark, dark, days of COVID. As we sat quivering in our homes, her posts on social media and her interviews to television channels were the steadying force. Striking out with science and for science, while at the WHO, with her impeccable communication, and explanations of complex scientific terms, undeterred by trolling armies of anti-vaxxers, she guided the world back to sanity. She gave advice on protocols, best practices, and broke down the nearly daily advances in research and technology for better understanding. A life that must indeed be chronicled, never mind that Dr. Soumya herself first wondered what the point of a biography might be. In the interests of science itself, aren’t we glad she had a change of heart?

At the Wheel of Research: An Exclusive Biography of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan; Anuradha Mascarenhas, Bloomsbury, ₹599.

ramya.kannan@thehindu.co.in