Q&A with Dr. Piya Sorcar, Stanford Global Health Faculty Fellow and Adjunct Professor of Medicine

Dr. Piya Sorcar is a Stanford Global Health Faculty Fellow and Adjunct Professor of Medicine. She is the founder and CEO of TeachAids, a global NGO dedicated to helping children and youth through innovative health education technology. TeachAids has built and distributed research-based, culturally-tailored education on topics including HIV/AIDS, brain injuries, and COVID-19, to over 500 million people in 82 countries. In this reflection, Dr. Sorcar shares a pivotal moment in her career—a meeting with the Dalai Lama that inspired her to expand her work with TeachAids—and the lessons from that encounter that have shaped her approach to tackling global challenges over the past decade.

Q: After two decades in global health, you’ve seen the field at its best and its most challenging. Many professionals today speak of profound obstacles and a sense of discouragement. Have you ever experienced that yourself?

I have, and I remember it vividly. The political barriers, cultural complexities, and the challenge of scaling HIV/AIDS education globally often felt overwhelming. I was navigating complex product approvals and government partnerships, traveling constantly to expand our programs into more than 80 countries, and confronting the persistent stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS education. There was a time when I even questioned whether I could continue leading TeachAids. Looking back, it became a defining moment in my life.

Q: What helped you move forward during that period of doubt?

I’ve found that when you dedicate yourself to public service, to address an important global need, the world often finds a way to meet you and lift you up. That’s exactly what happened during this time for me. In 2015, while working with Tibetan leaders in Dharamshala, including their prime minister and health minister, to distribute our localized HIV animations into 30 countries, I received an unexpected call from His Holiness’s personal physician, who had been closely involved with our work. He asked if I would like to meet His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, who happened to be in the same city where my team had just arrived for filming. What I thought would be a brief introduction turned into a deeply transformative private audience. He spoke with remarkable simplicity and depth about compassion, humanity, and service. Witnessing the paradox of his life—a man of peace living under constant threat—put my own struggles into perspective and renewed my sense of purpose.

Q: Can you share what stood out most from that conversation?

He reminded me that service is a privilege, transforming a life’s path into one of meaning and contribution beyond the self. That reality filled me with a renewed sense of purpose and strength. He held my hand throughout our conversation, as if sensing the conflict within me. That simple gesture—his presence, his calmness—was profoundly healing. To this day, in times of deep conflict or struggle, I transport myself back to that time and space with His Holiness, and it carries me through even the most difficult moments.

Q: Was there a particular message from the Dalai Lama that has stayed with you?

Yes. He said, “We must recognize that the suffering of one person or one nation is the suffering of humanity.” That message of compassion resonates profoundly, especially in times like these. It continues to guide me and TeachAids as we think about how to serve communities around the world.

Q: How does this perspective show up in your day-to-day work at TeachAids?

I often think about my colleagues in Chennai, India. About a decade ago, on a day when nearly two-and-a-half feet of rain flooded the streets, our animation team manager, Desingh Raja, made his way through the water to reach the studio. We were racing to prepare fourteen versions of our productions featuring twenty-two cultural icons for a national launch on December 1st, World AIDS Day. When I urged him to go home for his health, he simply said, “No, we have to finish. This is for the children of India.” Moments like that remind me that our work is far bigger than any one person. It’s about the mission, the impact, and the lives we are striving to touch.

Q: Given the challenges in the world today, what message would you want others to take from your experience?

I’ve learned that stories of compassion and resilience surround us if we take the time to notice them. In a world filled with uncertainty, these stories can renew us and remind us that we are not alone. As Margaret Mead famously said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Each act of service, moment of courage and kindness, ripples outward. When we approach the world with compassion for all, we are part of that ripple, united in the desire to create a healthier, more just, and more compassionate world. That is what keeps me hopeful.