Dr. Maya Ragavan (35)
Pediatrician, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh; Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Maya Ragavan was a leader with the Pittsburgh Community Vaccine Collaborative, which partnered with local organizations to make sure that marginalized voices weren’t being left out of the process of researching and obtaining the vaccine, whether that was ensuring they were included in clinical trials or working on vaccine trustworthiness and accessibility.

It was an incredibly fitting role — Ragavan’s life’s work has been centered on the intersection of public health, medicine, gender equity and intimate partner violence, none of which, the pediatrician says, can live in a vacuum.

“I really love this idea of thinking about the ways we can expand health care outside of the hospital or doctor’s office to really think about communities,” she says.

Pre-pandemic, Ragavan focused her research work on intimate partner violence and gender equity, particularly in immigrant communities. “The more I learned about it and talked with survivors and worked in this space, the more I became passionate and realized this is my life’s work,” she says.