BOSTON–Dr. Sunita Pereira will be honored with the prestigious 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award at the 23rd Annual Woman of the Year Awards Gala, organized by INDIA New England News.
Dr. Pereira is being recognized for her remarkable contributions to medicine, philanthropy, and the arts. After an illustrious 30-year career as a Neonatal Specialist at Tufts Medical Center, she retired last year to focus on her passions beyond the hospital, including cultural leadership and global maternal and neonatal health.
She currently serves as a trustee of the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) and of the American India Foundation (AIF), where she recently accepted the role of Chair of the Maternal and Neonatal Survival Initiative (MANSI)—a flagship program dedicated to improving care for mothers and newborns in marginalized communities across India.
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Throughout her career, Dr. Pereira has been a tireless advocate for the most vulnerable, advancing neonatal care, mentoring generations of physicians, and shaping the health outcomes of countless families. Beyond medicine, she has used her expertise and leadership to strengthen communities through philanthropy, art, and public service.
“Sunita Pereira’s leadership, generosity of spirit, and deep commitment to the arts have made a lasting impact on the Peabody Essex Museum and the broader cultural community,” said Lynda Roscoe Hartigan, PEM’s Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo Executive Director and CEO. “We are absolutely delighted to see her recognized with this award. It is richly deserved, and it reflects the thoughtfulness, integrity, and vision she brings to everything she does. We are proud to count her as a member of our board and thrilled to celebrate this moment with her.”
The event will take place on March 14, 2026, at the Burlington Marriott Hotel in Burlington, MA, and will bring together approximately 400 community and business leaders, philanthropists, academicians, and professionals.
Reflecting on the honor, Dr. Pereira said, “I am deeply humbled and grateful to be chosen by INDIA New England News for the Lifetime Achievement Award. This recognition belongs to the families that I have had the privilege to serve, the mentors who shaped me, and the colleagues who stood beside me every day. Caring for the most vulnerable newborns and their mothers has not been just my profession, it has been my life’s passion and a calling.”
She continued, “My work in neonatal and maternal health is rooted in personal experience and a deep sense of responsibility to give back.”
She said India carries the world’s highest burden of maternal and neonatal loss, and a sustainable and substantive change only comes when medicine, advocacy, and community leadership come together.
“I dedicate this award to the countless unrecognized ASHA workers (Community health workers), who work tirelessly, with pride, diligence and compassion, to help pregnant young mothers, in the poorest and marginalized communities in rural India, have healthy pregnancies and healthy newborns,” she said. “The programs that I have been associated with have provided a passport for health to the young children, ensuring an opportunity to thrive physically, intellectually and emotionally. These women, who rarely receive the spotlight, are the true pillars of society and nurture the mothers and infants who will be the leaders of tomorrow.”
Dr. Pereira added that their dedicated service to ‘one mother and one child at a time’ are true community achievements and are scalable and replicable.
“Women like these, who never receive the spotlight, who quietly support society, through their dedicated service, hold greater weight than the celebrated achievements of people like me,” said Dr. Pereira. “We as humanity have a responsibility to make our world safer, kinder and more just. I hope that we will use our collective power to strengthen lives around us with compassion, kindness, sharing and giving.”
Dr. Manju Sheth, Director and Host of the Woman of the Year Awards Gala, said, “It was an honor for me to create the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Woman of the Year event, and each year we look forward to honoring an extraordinary woman. This year is especially meaningful for me as a physician, as we are honoring Dr. Sunita Pereira—an exceptional doctor—for her professional legacy as well as her contributions to the community.”
Colleagues and friends also celebrated Dr. Pereira’s achievements.
AIF board member Raj Sharma and his wife Nalini Sharma, who have worked with Dr. Pereira at AIF, said, “We are delighted that Sunita Pereira is getting the Lifetime Achievement Award. As a neonatologist, she has worked all her life improving the well-being of children.”
Sharmas said that Dr. Pereira was the primary catalyst behind AIF’s highly successful MANSI program that has made significant progress in reducing infant and maternal mortality in underprivileged and marginalized communities in India.
“Sunita’s enthusiasm and involvement in causes, particularly if they are about maternal health and children in underserved populations is truly inspiring,” Sharmas said. “She pulls out all stops, pulls up her shirtsleeves and is ready to plunge in to make a difference. She balances her philanthropy with a keen interest in gardening, art, travel and entertaining. We cherish our friendship and extend our heartfelt congratulations to Sunita on this recognition.”
AIF Board Member Venkat Srinivasan and his wife Pratima Srinivasan added, “Sunita is such a wonderfully accomplished individual with a lifetime of contributions to healthcare and specifically neonatal care. Her passion for the arts is noteworthy. She and Brian are exemplary philanthropists who care deeply for the underserved across all sections of society. We admire her selfless support of so many causes and are so lucky to have her in our midst. This recognition is overdue and richly deserved.”
Upendra Mishra, publisher of INDIA New England News, added, “This year marks the 23rd Annual Woman of the Year Awards Gala, produced by The Mishra Group, and we are thrilled to honor Dr. Sunita Pereira with the Lifetime Achievement Award 2026. The Gala, to be held on March 14, 2024, at the Burlington Marriott Hotel, brings together approximately 400 community and business leaders, philanthropists, academicians, and professionals. Dr. Pereira exemplifies the spirit of this award through her outstanding contributions to medicine, philanthropy, and the community, and it is our honor to celebrate her achievements.”
The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes not only Dr. Pereira’s distinguished career as a physician but also her continuing contributions to society. Through her work with MANSI, PEM, and other initiatives, she has created a lasting legacy of service, leadership, and impact—reminding all that true achievement lies in transforming lives, uplifting communities, and extending hope to the most vulnerable.
