Atul Gawande

On reclaiming America’s edge in research and public health

- BY TARA HAELLE

ATUL GAWANDE IS A SURGEON, author and public health expert. He holds the Cynthia and John F. Fish Distinguished Chair in Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and is Samuel O. Thier Professor of the Practice of Surgery at Harvard Medical School. He previously served as assistant administrator for global health at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and as co-founder and chair of Ariadne Labs, a joint center for health-systems innovation at Brigham and Women’s and the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. Gawande has written four bestselling books: Complications (2002), Better (2007), The Checklist Manifesto (2009) and Being Mortal (2014). An edited transcript of the interview follows. For the full conversation, visit www.ScientificAmerican.com

How would you describe the current state of American science?

Oh, it’s tough. We start out with an amazing base that’s been built up over decades. It’s the talent, it’s the resources, it’s the openness to the world and our brand. We're recognized as the place to go if you want to do cutting-edge science, make discoveries and make a difference.