Meet Dr. Roshini Raj! 

Gastroenterologist Dr. Roshini Rajapaksa performs many roles in her life - that of doctor, mom, author and media personality. She’s a medical host on Good Day NY, Fox 5 News NY and the Today Show and was also recently on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360, talking about CEO of SurveyMonkey and husband of Facebook executive Sheryl Sandberg, Dave Goldberg’s fatal treadmill accident about two weeks ago.
On the Today Show, known as America’s favourite morning show, Roshini is called to discuss the latest health news or provide health advice to audience members. “It is one of the top-rated news shows in the US and it is always fun to go on because you never know what celebrity you may meet in the green room!” she enthused.

Of Sri Lankan origin, Roshini currently lives in New York City with her husband and two children and is an attending physician at NYU Medical Center/Tisch Hospital and a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the NYU School of Medicine. As a gastroenterologist, she specialises in diseases of the digestive tract, liver, gallbladder and pancreas.

Describing herself as passionate, fun and kind, she realises that her path into medicine was almost predestined. “As an only child of two physicians, this was a natural choice,” she recalls, “But my parents never pressured me to go into medicine. They did stress that whatever career I chose, it should be one that helps people. Seeing how much they loved their jobs certainly influenced me to follow in their footsteps.”
Although she was born and raised entirely in the US, Roshini feels that being Sri Lankan is a big part of her identity. “I love the sense of community (in Sri Lanka). Wherever you go, you run into people you know, or people who know your family. And my friends and relatives are so generous with their time, always happy to meet up, or invite you over. In busy NYC, everyone is so rushed, it is hard to make plans with people.”

With a medical degree from New York University School of Medicine and an undergrad from Harvard College, Roshini also has a special interest in women’s health and cancer screening and has published several research articles on colon cancer screening. “Some of the common conditions I see in my practice are colon cancer, acid reflux and irritable bowel syndrome,” she mused. “Certain cancers are very preventable and treatable, like colon cancer. I love being able to do a test like a colonoscopy which can literally prevent cancer through the removal of polyps.”

Dealing with an intimate area of the body, and the dearth of female gastroenterologists has led to a majority of her patients being female, which sparked Roshini’s interest in women’s health. In August 2010, she released her first book, ‘What the Yuck?! The Freaky & Fabulous Truth About Your Body’, a project, she says, that was born out of her monthly column as Medical Editor of ‘Health’ Magazine. “I wanted to write a book where women could find the answers to the questions they were too embarrassed to talk about.”

Healthy living and achieving a balanced lifestyle are two causes close to Roshini’s heart as well, so it is no wonder that she launched TULA last year, a new skin care line that uses a patented probiotic technology, the first of a series of healthy-living products. “Tula is the Sanskrit word for balance and this line is all about helping women achieve balanced beauty. Probiotics (bacteria that are good for you) are now being shown to be extremely beneficial when used topically on the skin,” she explained, adding that she hopes to expand the line to be a global healthy living brand that extends beyond beauty.

Furthering her desire for balance, in April 2014, Roshini was appointed by Lose It!, a leading consumer weight loss app, to its newly formed Expert Advisory Board. “Because I speak often about effective weight loss strategies on TV, my relationship with Lose It! was a natural fit. I believe their app really helps people lose and keep off weight.” The app itself is based on the proven principles of calorie tracking and peer support for healthy, sustainable weight loss.

The future holds great promise for this dynamic lady and she is determined to enjoy the journey. “There is so much more I hope to accomplish. I am writing my second book. I am working on developing my own TV show. Although I may not reach every goal, as long as I am enjoying the journey, then I am happy."

Website - http://www.DrRoshiniRaj.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/DrRoshiniRaj
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/DrRoshiniRaj

By Jennifer Rodrigo