Madikeri: Kodagu-born Dr Navita Somaiah has been invited by the British royal family to attend the presentation ceremony of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Higher and Further Education—regarded as the United Kingdom’s highest national honour in the academic and research sector—to the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), London.The award will be presented at St James’s Palace on Feb 24, with King Charles III and Queen Camilla presiding over the ceremony.
ICR has been recognised for its sustained excellence in teaching, research, and practice-changing clinical trials, especially in breast, prostate, and head-and-neck cancers, which have had a worldwide impact on standards of care. Dr Somaiah currently serves as a clinician scientist and group leader at the institute.Born to Kannanda Ponappa Somaiah and Dr Kannanda Nirmala Somaiah, her academic journey began in Delhi, where she studied at Springdales School and later Delhi Public School. After securing All-India Rank 3 in the national medical entrance exam, she joined Maulana Azad Medical College. She subsequently pursued advanced clinical and research training abroad, including a DPhil from the University of Oxford.Her work focuses on personalising radiotherapy to improve tumour control while minimising side effects, integrating laboratory discoveries with clinical practice. She also leads research in high-risk breast cancer, advanced imaging, and biomarker development aimed at detecting relapse and treatment resistance sooner.Dr Somaiah is married to Dr Ramesh Ganapathy. Her sister, Dr Neeta Somaiah, is a professor in Sarcoma Medical Oncology at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA.
