DITN: Atul Gawande & Shazia Sikander, MacArthur Geniuses

[DITN = Desis In The News]

Atul Gawande, M.D., 40 (right), the well known surgeon/writer & Shazia Sikander, 37, the well known painter have been named MacArthur "genius" fellows - one of the top awards in the world. They are among the 25 fellows each receiving $500,000 - no strings attached.

• From the MacArthur profile of Gawande [read the full item]:

Surgeon/Author applying a critical eye and fresh perspective to modern surgical practice, articulating its realities, complexities, and challenges, in the interest of improving outcomes and saving lives.

• From the MacArthur profile of Sikander [read the full item]:

Painter merging the traditional South Asian art of miniature painting with contemporary forms and styles to create visually compelling, resonant works on multiple scales and in a dazzling array of media.

• Read Arthur Pais's report in Rediff.

• Read the MacArthur Foundation press release. Also among the winners is journalist Adrian  LeBlanc.
• Think you might be a genius? See the FAQ.

UPDATE: Thanks to SAJAforum readers Ashfaque Swapan, Lalit Koul, Arthur Pais, Shuja Nawaz and others, we have this list of past South Asian winners (or, in the case of Jhabvala, South Asian connections) . Anyone missing?

• 2005 - Fazal Sheikh - photographer
• 2004 - Dr. Vamsi Mootha, clinical molecular biologist
• 2002 - Sendhil Mullainathan - MIT economist
• 1998 - Ayesha Jalal - historian
• 1991 - Ali Akbar Khan - classical Indian music performer
• 1984 - Ruth Prawer Jhabvala - novelist and screenwriter
• 1983 - A. K. Ramanujan - poet, translator and literary scholar
• 1982 - Ved Mehta, author

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