I write about science, health policy and sometimes culture for the world's leading publications. For many stories with ground reporting, I take my own pictures.
Financial woes ail early-career scientists
This Chemistry World piece digs deep into the financial struggles of PhD students and postdocs around the world.
Psychotherapy Utilized to Hypnotize the Gut
This story for Discover's Piece of Mind section explores how gut-focused psychotherapy techniques can relieve irritable bowel syndrome.
PC Ray: A genius chemist who dreamed of a modern India
PC Ray was not only a rockstar chemist but also a socio-cultural revolutionary. For this Chemistry World piece, I got to dive into the details of his illustrious life.
Do Positive Affirmations Work?
"As I began my dental treatment, I added some gum-related statements for fun: 'My gums are healing quickly.' And to my surprise, that's exactly what happened."
Using virtual reality to help counter domestic abuse
For Knowable, I dug into the dark world of domestic abusers -- why they abuse, and most importantly, can they change? Turns out VR can help them empathize with their victims, and perhaps, change.
Photo by Adrian Deweerdt on Unsplash
A feminist's case for decriminalizing prostitution
It's time to decriminalize prostitution everywhere, I argue for Playboy.com. The piece combines on-the-ground reporting from Cape Town (South Africa) and the Indian cities of Jaipur and New Delhi. It's a relic -- one of my favorites nonetheless -- from my culture reporting days. Here, I'm uploading the version accessed from Archive.org since Playboy restructured its website a couple of years ago, removing most of its old content.
The search for better antivenoms heats up as snakebites get renewed attention
Snakebite continues to be a silent public health problem across Asia and Africa. In this piece for Chemical and Engineering News, I combine on-the-ground reportage from Kochi, India, and in-depth exploration of novel antivenoms that could potentially be a "gamechanger" for many countries plagued with the disease.
Another reason to say “thanks”
This short and sweet piece reports on a study on gratitude. For Psychology Today.
India's unofficial medical watchdog shows its teeth
Borne out of a national conference, this piece for The BMJ chronicles the birth of India's unofficial medical watchdog -- ADEH.
Poor antibiotic stewardship blamed as India found to be superbug’s birthplace
In this Chemistry World news feature, I report on a recent study that linked India to a major superbug's birth. The piece also provides a lot of context on India's antibiotic resistance problem.
Can a credit card-sized monitor help India battle its heart disease epidemic?
Solutions journalism is close to my heart. In this Pacific Standard (non defunct) story, I explore India's heart disease epidemic through the lens of a low-cost intervention.
A vaginal ecologist's crusade against HIV in women
Sharon Hillier is on a mission to save women from HIV. Read her amazing story in Science Friday, an NPR entity.
How innovators are adapting existing technologies to fight COVID-19
I profile three innovators who are using emerging tech to fight COVID-19 for Smithsonian.
Telemedicine abortion provider locks horns with US drug regulator
This 2019 Chemistry World piece reports a news story spanning across the US, Europe and India.
A smarter way to fight with your partner
In this piece for Forge, Medium's personal growth magazine, I've condensed research on conflict resolution to help couples fight better.