Dr. Navita Somaiah has been invited to attend the prestigious presentation of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Higher and Further Education, to be held at St. James’s Palace on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.
According to the official invitation issued by the Master of the Household, the ceremony will be presided over by King Charles III and Queen Camilla. The event recognizes outstanding contributions and excellence in higher and further education across the United Kingdom and, in certain cases, internationally.
Dr. Navita Somaiah is a Clinician Scientist and Group Leader in Translational Breast Radiobiology at The Institute of Cancer Research in London, and an Honorary Consultant Clinical Oncologist in the Breast Unit at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, where she specialises in breast cancer treatment and research.
After completing her DPhil in radiation biology at the University of Oxford, she became the first recipient of a prestigious Clinician Scientist Fellowship at The Institute of Cancer Research. Her work focuses on optimising radiotherapy for cancer patients — developing personalised approaches that improve tumour response while reducing side effects on healthy tissues.
She is also involved in multidisciplinary collaborations that use data science and artificial intelligence to uncover new biomarkers of treatment response, with the goal of advancing precision therapy for difficult-to-treat cancers such as triple-negative breast cancer.
Dr. Somaiah’s work bridges clinical practice and laboratory research, placing her at the forefront of efforts to make cancer radiotherapy smarter, more effective and kinder to patients.
Dr. Somaiah’s invitation to attend this distinguished event marks an occasion of considerable honour and reflects the high regard in which her contributions are held within academic and educational circles.
Kannanda Sisters Excel in Medicine
Dr. Navita Somaiah hails from a distinguished Kodava family with roots in Coorg. The Kannanda sisters grew up in Delhi. Her late father, Kannanda Ponappa Somaiah, was an engineer, while her mother, Kannanda Nirmala Somaiah (née Nayakanda), was a professor.
In the words of Navita:
“My mum did her PhD in the early 1970s. In India, at the time, it was highly unusual for a woman to do a PhD – women were the homemakers, encouraged to marry. There was no incentive to pursue further education. She really broke the glass ceiling in her own way.”
Dr. Navita Somaiah’s mother was a Professor of Cell and Molecular Biology, teaching at university until she retired.
Dr. Navita recalls how her Mother would bring home university textbooks about human biology, which Navita would read as a child, fascinated by the intricate diagrams.
“Growing up, biology always attracted me. I remember spending hours flicking through textbooks my mum would bring home, that fascination for biology really stayed with me through my schooling.”, she recalled.
Ensuring their children received the best possible education was always a top priority for the family.
Her younger sister, Dr. Neeta Somaiah, currently serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Sarcoma Medical Oncology in the Division of Cancer Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
Dr. Neeta Somaiah has credited her elder sister for inspiring and guiding her toward a career in medicine. In an interview, she said:
“There was a lot of STEM in my background and I automatically took a liking to it. To be honest, I debated whether or not I would go into engineering as I enjoyed math and physics, but it was my older sister Navita Somaiah who influenced me to go into medicine. I wanted to go into medicine based on some of her awe-inspiring experiences in medical school, and in addition her guidance probably helped me ace the pretty rigorous, competitive exams to get into the top medical schools.”
As Kodavas we should be proud of the outstanding achievements of the family – a vindication of hard work and resolve to succeed. CLN has always maintained, that such achievements should be highlighted as role models for the future development of talent from Kodagu. Organisations like Coorg Education Fund (CEF) would benefit from inviting such luminaries, including the Sisters parent to address the CEF Annual Meeting and motivate aspiring professionals to reach for the stars.
Very inspiring, yet unfortunate that a larger section of our Kodava population remains unaware of the incredible individuals in our community who are reaching such remarkable heights.
Education has always provided the platform for growth and open doors of opportunities. That’s what our elders did – from Coluvanda Cariappa Ajja onwards. We were able to occupy most Government Jobs in erstwhile Coorg and gain lasting advantages for generations. Look at the Tulu community who have done this more recently with great success.
CLN has consistently upheld the belief that stories of merit and excellence deserve to be highlighted, as they serve as inspiration for the next generation from kodagu. As kodavas, we must take rightful pride in such outstanding achievements, which stand as a testament to perseverance, discipline, and the value of guidance within the family.
Congratulations to Dr. Navita somaiah. Wishing her continued success and Many more milestones ahead.
What an inspiring story – so few of us knew the wonderful achievements of the entire family. Coming from an academic background, these are the self-motivated students and now professionals that set standards that students should aspire to follow.
Wow! What an awe inspiring story this is. Great to know the fantastic achievements of Kannanda Sisters. Such are the people whom we should invite to all our Kodava Samaja Annual get-togethers so that their inspiring life story is heard by our youngsters who could try and emulate them. Such are the people who can become role models for our younger generation if they are called to address our community functions.
Thanks to CLN for bringing to fore this wonderful story.