Join us for a webinar on “Heart of a Nation: Disease and Medicine in Modern India,” which will explore the eponymous book by Kavita Sivaramakrishnan and David Shumway Jones that traces the evolution of cardiac care in India alongside the country’s post-independence development journey.
Moving beyond a conventional medical history, the session will examine how heart disease emerged from being considered rare to becoming a leading public health challenge, and how Indian physicians, institutions, and policymakers shaped—and were shaped by—global scientific networks, political priorities, and economic transitions. The discussion will also reflect on the rise of corporate healthcare, persistent inequalities in access, and the continued tension between high-end treatment and preventive care, offering critical insights for understanding India’s current burden of non-communicable diseases and the future of its health systems.
Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Time: 5:30–6:30 pm IST / 8:00–9:00 am EST
Venue: Online on Zoom
Speakers:
• David Shumway Jones, A. Bernard Ackerman Professor of the Culture of Medicine at Harvard University
• Kavita Sivaramakrishnan, Associate Professor, Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia University
