Meaningful Careers in Public Policy and Lessons on Resilience with Urvashi Prasad (Former Director, NITI Aayog)

Urvashi Prasad has spent the last 15 years trying to make the world a kinder, fairer, and better place through her policy-based interventions in heathcare. Armed with degrees from Cambridge and LSTH, she worked as a director at NITI Aayog, and was awarded the India-UK Achievers Award. In addition to sharing principles and frameworks for building meaningful careers in public policy, Urvashi opens up about losing her beloved father and being diagnosed with cancer soon after. We admire her resilience and are proud to share her story with you. Here you will learnHow governments attempt to address systemic challenges in sectors like healthcareHow young professionals can carve out interesting and impactful careers in public policy How to make sense of life when you lose your beloved parent and are diagnosed with cancerUrvashi Prasad is a public health and policy advisor with over 15 years of leadership across government, academia, and grassroots innovation. As Director in the Office of the Vice Chairperson at NITI Aayog, India’s apex policy think tank, she helped shape the country’s COVID-19 response strategy, monitor Sustainable Development Goals in real time, and spearhead national programs advancing public health, gender equity, and social inclusion.A co-author of India’s first Voluntary National Review presented at the UN High-Level Political Forum in 2017, Urvashi’s policy insights have been featured in 150+ publications globally. She is also the British Council’s UK Alumni Ambassador for SDG 10, an Honorary Professor at De Montfort University, UK, and a member of the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network. Her accolades include the India-UK Achievers Honors and recognition among India's most influential women. In 2023, she founded Spcace by Urvashi, a pioneering platform amplifying patient voices.Diagnosed with Stage 4 ALK-positive lung cancer at age 35, Urvashi now brings lived experience to the policy table --challenging invisibility in cancer discourse and driving recognition of under-researched malignancies in young adults. Her advocacy bridges science, storytelling, and systemic reform.She holds a master’s in public health from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, an MPhil in Bioscience Enterprise from Cambridge University, and a Bachelor's in Biological Sciences (Genetics) from the University of Birmingham, UK. In 2024, Urvashi received an honorary doctorate for her work in public health and policy.