Born in London and raised in the United States, Dr. Shriram Nene, often referred to as Doctor Nene, embodies the spirit of a modern-day Renaissance man. The son of Indian immigrants who embarked on their own journey from India in 1962, his upbringing instilled in him a blend of global perspectives and a drive to excel. From a young age, Doctor Nene cultivated a profound passion for science and technology, drawing inspiration from historical figures who seamlessly blended diverse fields, such as Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Edison, Franklin, Tesla, and Einstein. These polymaths, capable of mastering multiple disciplines, served as his early role models.
Alt text: Dr. Shriram Nene portrait, reflecting his early interest in science and technology.
During the burgeoning era of personal computing in the late 1970s and early 1980s, as Apple and Microsoft emerged from garages to tech giants, the young Doctor Nene, then just 13, immersed himself in the world of code. He became self-taught in programming on an Apple IIe, showcasing an innate aptitude for technology. By the age of 15, leveraging these newly acquired skills, Doctor Nene founded a computer software company, developing and marketing products aimed at real estate professionals and for educational purposes. Demonstrating leadership and a passion for sharing knowledge, he also presided over his school’s computer science club, mentoring and teaching programming to fellow students. This early entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to both technology and education laid the foundation for his multifaceted career.
Doctor Nene’s Academic Foundation and Medical Career
Alt text: Doctor Nene in a professional setting, highlighting his distinguished career in medicine.
Doctor Nene‘s dedication and academic achievements were recognized through prestigious scholarships from Rockwell International, the Washington University Scholars Program in Medicine, Fluor Daniels Engineering, and the University of California Berkeley. Further highlighting his early success in business, he received an award for business entrepreneurship from the Independent Press Telegram, presented by the acclaimed author Ray Bradbury. These accolades underscored his potential and supported his ambitious academic pursuits.
Driven by an insatiable curiosity and a desire to emulate the Renaissance ideal, Doctor Nene was drawn to the Scholars Program in Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis. This highly competitive, combined eight-year undergraduate-medical program perfectly suited his accelerated learning pace and multifaceted interests. He completed his undergraduate studies in a remarkable 3.5 years and subsequently earned his medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine in 1993, setting the stage for his impactful medical career.
Initially, Doctor Nene‘s path led him to the traditional healing arts, pursuing a career far removed from the microchips of his early programming days. He undertook rigorous training in General Surgery, followed by a Vascular Surgical Research Fellowship at the University of California, Los Angeles. His pursuit of specialized surgical expertise continued with a fellowship in Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at the University of Florida, solidifying his skills in the intricate field of heart and lung surgery.
Upon completing his extensive training, Doctor Nene established himself as a board-certified Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeon in Denver, Colorado. He entered private practice, affiliated with a network of hospitals, including three major and five ancillary facilities. His surgical practice encompassed a wide range of complex procedures, from routine and minimally invasive coronary artery bypass surgeries and mitral valve repairs to advanced endovascular and open aortic surgeries, and thoracic surgical oncology. Embracing technological advancements in surgery, Doctor Nene also became proficient and trained as a Da Vinci Robotic surgeon, showcasing his commitment to utilizing cutting-edge techniques for patient care.
Despite a thriving and deeply fulfilling career as a Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeon, Doctor Nene began to contemplate the scalability of his impact. He recognized the limitations of a practice where he could only directly impact one patient at a time. Considering the vast global healthcare challenges affecting billions, Doctor Nene felt compelled to seek avenues for broader, more scalable solutions. This realization sparked a pivotal shift in his career trajectory, leading him to consider how he could merge his early talents in software and hardware engineering with his extensive medical expertise to create systems that could revolutionize and scale healthcare delivery.
This vision of scalable medicine became the driving force behind Doctor Nene‘s move to India in 2011. Joining forces with his wife, Madhuri Dixit, a celebrated actress and dancer, he co-founded RnM Moving Pictures. This platform-agnostic digital media and content creation company was built on a prescient understanding of the converging digital landscape, where all screens would ultimately merge. Doctor Nene and his partner envisioned that controlling content in this unified digital world would be key to driving impact and shaping narratives.
Doctor Nene’s Vision for the Future of Healthcare
Alt text: Dr. Nene in a forward-looking pose, representing his vision for healthcare innovation.
Even amidst his entrepreneurial endeavors, Doctor Nene remains deeply connected to the healthcare community. He is actively involved in fostering innovation in healthcare delivery, driven by a core mission to improve lives and advance the practice of medicine both nationally and internationally. His approach centers on empowering patients and extending the reach and effectiveness of doctors through technology and innovative platforms.
Currently, Doctor Nene is at the forefront of developing ‘Pathfinder Health Sciences,’ a groundbreaking medical platform. This venture is dedicated to enhancing lifestyles and extending lifespans through precision and personalized health strategies. Pathfinder Health Sciences integrates media, mobile applications, wearable technology, and a smart services marketplace to create a holistic and proactive approach to healthcare management. Doctor Nene has also been a significant contributor to the healthcare innovation ecosystem, serving as Chief Medical Officer and seed investor at GoQii, a well-known wellness startup.
Beyond his professional pursuits, Doctor Nene is a passionate advocate for a healthy lifestyle. An avid sports enthusiast, he firmly believes in the importance of fitness and actively participates in tennis and cross-country running. His athletic background extends back to high school varsity sports. Doctor Nene consistently embraces challenges, demonstrating his adventurous spirit through activities like bungee jumping, skiing, surfing, hiking, mountain biking, sailing, and even achieving PADI open water dive certification. Doctor Nene‘s life and career exemplify a remarkable blend of medical expertise, technological innovation, entrepreneurial drive, and a commitment to holistic well-being, making him a true leader in the evolving landscape of modern healthcare.
