Divya Chadha Manek has been awarded an OBE for Vaccine Development. When Divya left India for the UK, her father told her to “do something great”. 35 year old Manek, remembered her father, Narin Dark Marchada, who died in December when he went to England on an 18-year-old scholarship.
She said: “When I was 18, I left India and came to England. My dad gave me £ 500 while I was on the plane. He said, “Do good.And do amazing things so that you will be able to meet the Queen someday. That was the motto of his life. Do good, do good.”
According to a report published online, Manek was seconded from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to become the Clinical Trials Workstream Leader for the Vaccine Task Force. She is honored to have played an important role in convincing the manufacturer of a testing hub in the United Kingdom. She added: “I lost my dad last year. To me, this honor is very personal and wonderful. I know he is proud to see me, but it’s done by the team. It is also a reflection of that. ”
