Alka Shrikhande (MS, MBA) is a biochemist, who has worked with Pfizer and Bayer Pharmaceuticals in drug development as a research scientist for over thirty years. Her work in the field of neuroscience and inflammation has been published in scientific journals. She was the President of Asian Pacific American Group at Pfizer. Alka, who lives in Connecticut, USA, is currently a consultant working with life science industries in the area of drug development.
Alka Shrikhande along with her father Mr. S.B. Pandit, started Maina Foundation in the loving memory of her mother, Smt. Shailaja (Maina) Pandit in2008. Maina Foundation was established with a vision and mission of – ‘No Lives Lost to Breast Cancer’. Breast cancer being the most common cancer in women, there is a fundamental need to raise awareness. Efforts are required to promote and aid screenings for early detection in several parts of the world. Early detection of breast cancer is crucial for successful treatment of the disease. They are committed towards creating health equity so that women from all walks of life can live long. This is a volunteer based non-profit foundation registered in USA and India, which dedicates all the funds received through donations for organizing programs to help women.
She focuses on raising awareness about breast cancer and provide funding to colleges, clinics, and/or community hospitals to organise programs for raising breast cancer Awareness. They also donate funds to charitable hospitals to make breast cancer screening available to women from underserved communities. Additionally, they provide financial aid for chemotherapy. They work with hospitals who have identified breast cancer patients and provide funds for their treatment. Currently, their majority projects are in India, the information of which could be found on www.mainafoundation.org.
In the last ten years through their collaborations with Somaiya Hospital in Sion, Mumbai, AIIMS in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, Tata Memorial Hospital in Parel, Mumbai, Adyar Cancer Hospital in Chennai to name a few, they have had a significant impact on raising awareness of breast cancer in underserved communities. In the USA they are partnering with Metropolitan Hospital in New York for funding advanced diagnostic screening for women for breast cancer. During the last 10 years, they have been able to reach thousands of women for screenings. Furthermore, Maina Foundation has helped over 150 patients with their treatments.
Alka’s work has empowered women through health education and innovative medical care for breast cancer. Through the years, Maina Foundation has continued to grow through its collaborations and a variety of initiatives. Alka has been the driving force behind the success of the Foundation and has impacted thousands of lives.