Dr. Jatin Shah Honored as The South Asian Times Person of the Year 2025 honored
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World-renowned oncologist recognized for five decades of transformative service in head and neck cancer care
By Adam Rizvi | Editor-in-Chief, The India Observer (TIO): WOODBURY, NY — Eminent oncologist Dr. Jatin Shah, globally regarded as one of the foremost authorities in head and neck cancer surgery, was honored
as The South Asian Times Person of the Year 2025 at a prestigious gala held on January 9, 2026, at the Crest Hollow Country Club on Long Island.
The elegant evening drew a distinguished gathering of Indian American community leaders, physicians, entrepreneurs, diplomats, and cultural figures, celebrating Dr. Shah’s extraordinary career and lifelong commitment to medicine, research, and public service.
The Person of the Year crystal plaque was presented by Kamlesh Mehta,
Chairman and Publisher of The South Asian Times, along with three Padma
Award recipients — Padma Bhushan Sant Singh Chatwal, Padma Shri Dr. Sudhir Parikh, Chairman of Parikh Worldwide Media, and Padma Shri Dr. Dattatreyudu Nori, an internationally respected oncologist.
Dr. Shah, now 85, completed 50 years of service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York last year, including more than two decades as Chief of the Head and Neck Service. His pioneering research, surgical innovations, and global collaborations have reshaped standards of care worldwide.
Accepting the honor, Dr. Shah reflected on the personal significance of the recognition.
“I am honored and feel privileged to be chosen by The South Asian Times as the Person of the Year for 2025,” he said. “Being recognized by your own community is a unique honor—one that is even harder to achieve than awards from professional or academic institutions. I will cherish this for the rest of my life.”
Dr. Shah was introduced by Dr. Ashok Shaha, an attending surgeon at Memorial Sloan Kettering for over 35 years, who highlighted his colleague’s unmatched contributions to the field.
Dr. Shah was also felicitated by close physician colleagues including Dr. J. Ganesh Bhat, Drs. Nitin and Leena Doshi, Dr. Shashi Shah, Dr. Narinder Kukar, and Dr. Bhupi Patel.
A special video message from Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman congratulated both Dr. Shah and The South Asian Times for honoring excellence in public service.
Former South Asian Times Person of the Year honorees — Chintu Patel (2017),
Naveen Shah (2018), Ranju & Ravi Batra (2019), Ravishankar Bhooplapur (2020), Mohan Wanchoo (2021), and Mukund Padmanabhan (2024) — also addressed the gathering, offering congratulations and personal reflections.
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Since 2010, The South Asian Times has honored a Person of the Year, accompanied by a special pull-out edition published with its New Year issue.
The Person of the Year 2025 Special Edition dedicated to Dr. Shah was formally unveiled during the event. Joining the unveiling were Deputy Consul General of India Vishal Harsh, Dr. Ivana Shah, Nimmi Mehta, Parveen Chopra (Founding Editor of The South Asian Times), and entrepreneur Jori Kohli.
The commemorative issue features an in-depth interview with Dr. Shah and more than 50 congratulatory messages from colleagues, former trainees, and admirers, including Hollywood actor Michael Douglas and Bollywood filmmaker Rakesh Roshan.
The program was gracefully emceed by Jori Kohli, while the cultural segment included a soulful sitar recital by Radhika Samson, accompanied by Ramanan
Venkatraman (Hansaveena), Manav Khurana (Tabla), and Joseph Costello (Ghatam). A Ganesh Vandana and Kathak performance was presented by students of Preya Patel’s Vivarta Arts.
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The evening concluded with a ceremonial cake-cutting honoring Drs. Jatin and Ivana Shah, followed by an elaborate dinner catered by Benares. More than 150 distinguished guests attended the celebration in the Grand Ballroom of the Crest Hollow Country Club.
Editorial Reflection | The India Observer
Dr. Jatin Shah’s recognition transcends professional achievement—it reflects the values of service, humility, and lifelong dedication to humanity. Honoring such figures reminds future generations that excellence is built not only on skill, but on compassion and purpose.
Read the full story and more updates at The India Observer.
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