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Padma Lakshmi Visits MIT

Dec 8, 2009
Christina Bognet '10
slice.mit.edu
2

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When I first heard about Padma Lakshmi coming to MIT , the details (i.e., what for?) were inconsequential in my decision to attend her speech. As the host of one of my favorite TV shows, Top Chef, she was the second most famous person to visit MIT this semester (second to...well...Barack Obama, if you've heard of him) and I figured it'd be memorable and fun. Little did I know she was coming to MIT to help launch a new research center for women's diseases; MIT is the first engineering school to take on such an endeavor! Quite the historical step!

Padma came to MIT to discuss her battle with Endometriosis, a common but not well known disease that affects 10 million women in the United States and over 90 million worldwide. It is highly treatable when detected early...unfortunately, it usually is not. The disease causes a great deal of pain and in its later stages, infertility. But Padma spoke to us (very eloquently and poignantly, I might add) on Friday while six months pregnant, and explained the path of misdiagnoses that finally lead to the correct diagnosis, treatment, and eventual triumph over the disease.

My favorite part of Padma's lecture was when she mentioned the obvious dichotomy between wanting to be a private person through keeping her personal life confidential but also needing to share such a personal part of her life in order to spread awareness about Endometriosis. She reconciled this by always keeping the greater good in mind. "I asked myself, 'what's more important? My life or the lives of millions of others?' I chose the latter."

For more information on MIT's new research center, check out: http://web.mit.edu/cgr/

For more information on Endometriosis, check out: http://www.endometriosisassn.org/

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Comments

Fri, 01/15/2010 12:32pm

I'm not sure why MIT would invite a TV presenter (which has nothing to do with MIT) that is mainly famous for posing nude.

I find it a bit offensive that while women are trying hard to become well-known in business, science, and other fields, if you pose nude we'll give you a podium at MIT!

Lots of people have endomitriosis. Why pick her? Especially when she's famous for those photos. All we did was justify her prior actions to get her well-known enough to speak at MIT.

Ben

Sat, 12/19/2009 12:04pm

My wife was diagnosed with endomitriosis several years ago. It is hard to diagnose with certainty unless you are able to get opened up (or so we were told). During an appendectomy, they confirmed it. Endometriosis can be put under control by cutting out things like wheat, coffee, and white sugar, and incorporating more raw leafy greens. My wife stopped having symptoms after the first 3 months of this diet change and has been endometriosis-free now for over 2 years. I just want to spread the word to any other woman with endometriosis that is reading this article.