The Cochrane Collaboration is delighted to announce that Rupa Sarkar starts today as the new Editor in Chief.
Rupa was the founding Editor in Chief of The Lancet Digital Health, leading it from launch in 2018 to being the top ranked journal in the field today. This has given her a deep understanding of how AI and digital tools are shifting the landscape of medical evidence and practice.
“With over 15 years’ experience bridging scientific research and clinical practice, Rupa brings the perfect skillset to advance Cochrane’s digital transformation,” said Karla Soares-Weiser, CEO of Cochrane. “I am very excited to work with Rupa to evolve Cochrane into a more agile and responsive organization, ensuring that we provide the evidence people need, when they need it, right at their fingertips. With her exemplary record both in the lab and in scientific publishing, Rupa is the ideal person to lead Cochrane to an exciting new digital future.”
Rupa is an accomplished molecular biologist, with a PhD in Cancer Research and Stem Cell Regeneration from Imperial College London. She completed her postdoc at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, then held several editorial roles within Nature journals before founding The Lancet Digital Health.
“I am excited to join Cochrane, which has always been the gold standard for trustworthy evidence,” said Rupa. “The world is moving faster than ever, so my goal is to ensure our evidence isn't just rigorous, but also timely and responsive to the needs of the clinicians and patients who rely on us every day. We are at a pivotal moment where technology, if used ethically, can help us to scale our impact.”
Throughout her career, Rupa has been a passionate advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion. This includes working with the World Health Organization and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development to develop inclusive digital health standards, and ensuring that editorial boards and research outputs reflect the global populations that they serve.
“Equity shouldn't be an add-on; it has to be at the heart of how we synthesize evidence,” said Rupa. “I’m looking forward to working with our global community to ensure Cochrane continues to serve everyone, everywhere, with transparency and integrity.”
