Slaghyasree Duggirala

Artist, Educator/Teacher, Musician, Scientist, Student, Writer/Editor

I am is a future surgeon with a scalpel in one hand and a story in the other. As the Head of Curation at TEDxTSMU, I lead the charge in shaping 8 powerful talks that blend science, soul, and storytelling. With roots in neurology, surgical precision, and global medicine, I am building bridges between brains, borders, and bold ideas.

I’m deeply passionate about the intersection of science, storytelling, and service. As a medical student on the path to surgery, I’m fascinated by the human body—but equally by the human experience behind every diagnosis. Whether I’m assisting in the OR, curating ideas on a TEDx stage, or mentoring future healthcare leaders, I’m driven by a desire to make knowledge more human, more accessible, and more meaningful. For me, medicine isn’t just about precision—it’s about empathy, curiosity, and impact.

"The Brain Has No Native Language" An exploration of how multilingual brains wire themselves—and how language loss (like in dementia or trauma) might unlock memories from forgotten tongues. What if our identity is stored in the language we don’t speak every day?

I didn’t come to TED to speak—I came to listen, build, and elevate. As Head of Curation for TEDxTSMU, I’ve worked with my brilliant team to mentor, shape, and design 8 speakers and their stories into something that sticks. Behind every mic, there’s a curator holding the scaffolding. This year, that’s me—and I’ve loved every minute of sculpting thought into impact

Before I ever stepped into an OR or onto a TED stage, I was a classically trained pianist and a competitive swimmer. Music taught me precision, swimming taught me stamina—both trained me for medicine in ways I didn’t realize until years later.