Immigrant Impact Spotlight: Celebrating the People Powering America’s Progress

Health & Medicine: “Healing Across Borders

Behind life-saving medical treatments and global health breakthroughs are innovators whose journeys span continents.  One of those visionaries is Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee, a physician, researcher, and Pulitzer Prize–winning author whose work has transformed how we understand cancer and genetic medicine.

Born in New Delhi, India, Dr. Mukherjee immigrated to the United States to pursue higher education--earning degrees from Stanford University, University of Oxford (as a Rhodes Scholar), and Harvard Medical School.  His path combined rigorous scientific inquiry with a deep passion for storytelling and human connection.

As an oncologist and researcher, he has advanced the field of hematology and cancer therapy through both clinical practice and laboratory research.  His 2010 book, The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, won the Pulitzer Prize and is considered a definitive history of the disease.  It helped bring clarity and compassion to a subject often surrounded by fear and mystery.

Dr. Mukherjee continues to lead research into cancer immunotherapy and stem cell science.  He is also the co-founder of several biotechnology companies working on next-generation cellular therapies.  His work bridges science, medicine, and humanity—placing patients at the center of discovery.

“Cancer is not one disease—it is a hundred different diseases. And each patient’s cancer is different. Understanding that complexity is our key to progress,” he has said.

Through his writing, teaching, and advocacy, Dr. Mukherjee has helped make science accessible to the public and elevated the role of empathy in medicine.  He currently serves on the faculty at Columbia University and continues to mentor the next generation of physician-scientists.

Did You Know?

• Nearly 30% of physicians and surgeons in the U.S. are immigrants, according to the American Medical Association.
• Immigrant scientists and healthcare workers have played critical roles in developing vaccines, treatments, and diagnostic tools—from COVID-19 to cancer research.
• In many rural and underserved areas, immigrant doctors are a lifeline—making up a disproportionate share of providers in primary care and specialties like internal medicine and psychiatry.