Ajay Nathan
Washington, D.C.| Grant Category: | Fulbright-Nehru Student Research Program |
| Project Title: | The Role of Telemedicine in Hospice and Palliative Care following the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| Field of Study: | Social Sciences |
| Home Institution: | Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. |
| Host Institution: | Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu |
| Grant Start Month: | September 2025 |
| Duration of Grant: | Nine months |
Brief Bio:
Ajay Nathan, originally from Marietta, Georgia, studied science, technology, and international affairs at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, with a concentration in global health and biotechnology. He is passionate about expanding and improving healthcare access globally through the use of digital technologies and holistic models of care. In his senior year, Ajay completed his undergraduate honors thesis investigating the effectiveness of digital health platforms during and since the COVID-19 pandemic in India. Concurrently, he was conducting research at the Georgetown Medical Center, looking at how the knockdown of cellular communication may limit tumor growth in mice.
Ajay has participated in various research fellowships at Georgetown. He has also served as president of DCivitas Consulting, a pro bono nonprofit consulting firm that works with D.C.-based nonprofits. Besides, he has guided prospective students as a tour guide and new students as an orientation advisor; he has also been involved in student organizations such as the South Asian Society. In his free time, Ajay enjoys creative writing, hiking, jogging, and exploring cafes.
Ajay’s Fulbright-Nehru research project is looking at the potential use of telemedicine in hospice care and palliative care within Tamil Nadu. The project is identifying palliative care centers (PCCs) across the state to conduct a qualitative assessment of the current status of hospice and palliative care. Apart from reviewing public health records, the project is holding interviews with healthcare practitioners and PCC patients across the state, in government hospitals, government community centers, and private community centers. The aim is to identify the larger trends regarding the efficacy of telemedicine in the treatment of hospice and palliative care patients.