a majority of domain-experts. She has highlighted how lockdowns compounded with a fear of contracting COVID-19 have excluded those living with HIV from receiving optimum care, leading to preventable fatalities. Instead, Gandhi advocates for the "risk reduction strategy" by conceding that all people cannot inhabit an ideal risk-free environment and hence work to ensure that they wear masks and maintain distancing, and later, get vaccinated. She has been a consistent advocate against closing of schools throughout the pandemic especially with the availability of effective vaccines. In April 2022, Gandhi leveraged the same argument to support the end of universal mask mandates, particularly for children. These views have spurred criticism and targeted harassment, much of it on Twitter, both for her pro-mask views, and her views on opening schools and easing lockdowns. Academic activities Supported by the National Institutes of Health, Gandhi developed a mentoring program that supports early career investigators from diverse backgrounds. She also established a mentoring workshop series for HIV investigators across the United States, Peru, and South Africa. From 2008—2015, Gandhi directed the Communicable Diseases of Global Health Importance program. In 2019, Gandhi delivered the convocation speech at the University of Utah. She has written for The Conversation. Personal life Gandhi was married to Rakesh Mishra, Professor of Medicine at UCSF, until his death in November 2019. They have two children. Awards and honours 2012 Sarlo Award for Teaching Excellence 2013 UCSF John L. Ziegler Outstanding Mentoring Award 2017 HIV Medical Association Clinical Educator Award 2019 UCSF Lifetime Merit Award 2020 University of Utah Distinguished Alumni Award 2020 UCSF Distinction in Mentoring 2020 Co-Chair of AIDS 2020 2021 - San Mateo County declared June 15 Monica Gandhi Day Selected publications References External links Monica Gandhi, MD, MPH at University of California, San Francisco Monica Gandhi at the COVID Collaborative Living people University of California, San Francisco faculty UC Berkeley School of Public Health alumni University of Utah alumni Harvard Medical School alumni 1969 births American people of Indian descent in health professions American academics of Indian descent 21st-century American physicians 21st-century American women physicians