G2MC Featured Young Investigator: Pratiksha Gyawali
As part of our Young Investigator Profile Series, we are excited to introduce Dr. Pratiksha Gyawali, MBBS, MD, from Nepal. While serving as a Young Investigator with G2MC, Dr. Gyawali currently works as a consultant biochemist at Dhulikhel Hospital, and as a Lecturer of Clinical Biochemistry at Kathmandu University, School of Medical Sciences, Nepal. Recently, she’s also begun work representing Nepal in the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC) Task Force’s Global Newborn Screening Program.
“In my current position I am teaching genetics to students with diverse backgrounds, such as medicine and allied sciences, while also working in the clinical biochemistry laboratory,” she said. “I strongly felt the need to foster genomics beyond the classroom in providing actual clinical services to improve patient health outcomes, generate new evidence and develop genomic education in Nepal.”
Growing up in Nepal, Dr. Gyawali was taken in by Biological Science, and only later on did she decide to pursue medicine. So far in her career, after years of researching and mentoring, she’s particularly proud of her participation in the International Summit on Human Genetics and Genomics Event in 2019. This initiative was part of a five-year plan to “help developing nations build and expand their knowledge base, infrastructure, systems, research efforts and technologies in human genetics and genomics.”
“It all served as a stepping stone to conceive and promote fresh genomic initiatives here in Nepal,” recalls Dr. Gyawali.
Outside of work, Dr. Gyawali enjoys cooking and traveling. She aims to continue developing her genome diagnostic and research skillsets, while fostering genomic medicine services in her country, “I hope to be able to make significant contributions in the field of personalized medicine in Nepal.”
