Boston, MA — May 14, 2025 — Dr. Satheesh Kathula, a distinguished hematologist and oncologist from Dayton, Ohio, and the current President of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), was awarded the prestigious Lifetime Achievement in Global Health Leadership Award by the Global Healthcare Leaders Foundation (GHLF) during its 2025 Annual Gala held at the Harvard Club of Boston.
The award, presented by GHLF—a nonprofit organization founded by Harvard University alumni—recognizes individuals who have made lasting contributions to advancing healthcare globally. With its mission centered on tackling the world’s most pressing health challenges through innovation, collaboration, and education, GHLF selected Dr. Kathula for his decades-long dedication to improving health outcomes on a global scale.
Dr. Kathula, an alumnus of the Global Healthcare Leaders Program at Harvard University, has been at the forefront of global health advocacy. Since assuming the role of AAPI President in July 2024, he has spearheaded three major global healthcare conferences in India and chaired multiple Oncology Tracks at international health summits. These initiatives have helped foster cross-border collaboration and knowledge-sharing in cancer care and public health.
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One of Dr. Kathula’s hallmark initiatives, the “Stop 3 and Start 3” campaign, aims to prevent cancer through lifestyle modification and vaccination. The campaign emphasizes halting smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and sedentary living, while encouraging healthy eating, regular physical activity, and HPV vaccination. The initiative reflects Dr. Kathula’s preventative and patient-centered approach to cancer care.
In another groundbreaking effort under his leadership, AAPI partnered with the Global Association of Indian Medical Students (GAIMS) to launch a comprehensive cervical cancer prevention program. This joint initiative focuses on increasing awareness, expanding screening services, and promoting HPV immunization in underserved communities.
Speaking at the award ceremony, GHLF co-founder Anya Ohavi Neizler praised Dr. Kathula’s “unwavering commitment to health equity” and called him “a visionary leader transforming global oncology and preventive care.” Richard Hosein, Co-Founder and President of the GHLF Board, added that Dr. Kathula exemplifies the kind of global leadership the foundation seeks to uplift.
As he accepted the award, Dr. Kathula expressed gratitude to GHLF and dedicated the honor to “every healthcare worker striving to make a difference across borders.”
Dr. Kathula’s continued work in bridging medical innovation with community engagement underscores his place as a transformative figure in global health—one whose influence is felt well beyond Ohio.