Padmini Pillai from Boston and Nalini Tata from New York have been named to the prestigious 2024-2025 class of White House Fellows, alongside 13 other talented individuals from across the US.
Announced on Thursday (3), the fellowship program places individuals with senior White House staff, cabinet secretaries, and other high-ranking officials, offering them unique leadership experiences for a year. By the end of their tenure, Fellows are equipped to become stronger community leaders.
Padmini Pillai, originally from Newton, Massachusetts, is an immunoengineer whose work focuses on bridging immunology and biomaterial design to develop treatments for human diseases. She has led a team at MIT working on a tumor-selective nanotherapy to eliminate difficult-to-treat cancers.
Pillai gained national recognition during the COVID-19 pandemic for her insights on immunity, vaccinations, and how the pandemic disproportionately affected vulnerable communities. She has been featured in several media outlets, including “CNBC”, “The Atlantic”, and “The New York Times”.
Pillai holds a PhD in immunobiology from Yale University and a BA in biochemistry from Regis College. For the fellowship, she is placed at the Social Security Administration.
Nalini Tata, a neurosurgery resident at the New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center/Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, has also been appointed as a Fellow. She works on a range of neurosurgical conditions, treating both emergency and elective cases at a level-1 trauma center and a world-renowned cancer institute.
Tata’s work spans clinical and non-scientific journals, with a focus on advancing healthcare equity and accessibility. She has a deep commitment to public service, reflected in both her neurosurgical career and her longstanding interest in public policy.
Tata earned a BSc in neurobiology from Brown University, an MPhil from the University of Cambridge, an MD from Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, and an MPP in Democracy, Politics, and Institutions from the Harvard Kennedy School. For the fellowship, she will serve in the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs.
This year’s class of Fellows comes from a diverse range of fields, including the private sector, state government, non-profits, academia, medicine, and the armed forces. The White House emphasized the Fellows’ exceptional talent, passion, and dedication, describing them as a remarkably accomplished group who advanced through a highly competitive selection process.
The White House Fellows program was founded in 1964 to provide promising leaders with first-hand experience in the federal government. Over the course of the year, Fellows engage in a variety of assignments, developing the skills and perspectives necessary to contribute meaningfully to their communities and beyond.
