I’ve officially unlocked the “Board Member” badge in the game of life, joining the SAIA Board of Directors in July 2025. The South Asian IBD Alliance (SAIA) is a wonderful organization led by Dr. Neil Nandi, Tina Aswani-Omprakash, Madhura Balasubramaniam, and Sharan Khela whose mission is to create resources, research and education for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients and healthcare providers of South Asian origin to minimize disparities, dispel stigma, promote early diagnosis and improve access to treatment. In my role, I’ll be leading efforts to expand mental health resources to increase access that is nearly non-existent as of now. I’m super excited to partner with SAIA over the next 3 years. So please look out for updates on initiatives, patient advocacy events, and other cool stuff coming from this special organization.