Asha Pillai - M.D.

Activist, Brainstormer, Change agent, Doctor, Global soul, Idea generator, Public servant, Scientist, Social entrepreneur, World traveler

Please see my personal profile at: http://med.stanford.edu/profiles/Asha_Pillai/ or my updated CV at: http://www.purogati.org/aboutus.php

1) TOLERANCE --- in immunology/ transplantation, in individuals, in societies, in the global community; 2) THE INTERSECTIONS of SCIENCE, ART, and CONSCIOUSNESS; 3) SOCIAL CHANGE by APPLYING 1 and 2!

By studying the immune system of all species, we will come to understand that, overall, tolerance is the natural state of our being. The question that can extend from this is "Why is intolerance so rampant?" The way to study this is to work backward toward root causes of intolerance and reactivity. From much research in this area over the years, my conclusion is that intolerance of one entity by another is only useful when it is clear that one seeks to dominate the other. We can learn some global lessons from the immune system in this regard. When tolerance goes awry in the body, significant destruction happens. Intolerance in the immune system happens when our naive (ignorant) cells do not receive the education required to recognize the benefit (to both themselves and the global system as a whole) of acknowledging but not reacting to differences. Tolerance is otherwise established as long as no unnecessary negative influences are established. Think about this vis-a-vis societies.

Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplantation, Children's Blood Diseases and Cancer Treatment, Diversity Training, Efficient NGO collaboration, Infrastructure Development - Medicine, Social Welfare, Academia, NGO leadership, Sustainable Development and Novel Initiatives in India, Transparency and Anti-corruption Efforts of NGOs, Transplant Immunology

Aside from my main focus in international development and medicine, I am trained in the South Indian dance style of Bharatanatyam....an art form which I 've composed, performed, and taught since 1988.