What's it like to win a MacArthur "Genius" award?

Last week, I posted a Q&A with health justice lawyer Priti Krishtel, JD. We covered her important work on medical patents and improving global access to novel medicines. To read and listen to our conversation click here. If you prefer a video, click here.

But there’s one part of our conversation that ended up on the cutting-room floor which many people will be fascinated by: I couldn’t resist asking Krishtel what it’s like to find out that you’ve just been named a MacArthur Fellow—that is, you’ve been named a recipient of a so-called “Genius” award, that comes with $800,000 and absolutely no strings attached.

The MacArthur Fellows program is shrouded in mystery. You can’t apply to be a MacArthur Fellow. Nobody is ever told who was considered, nor who was a finalist. So, I took the opportunity to ask Krishtel how it all went down! Here’s how that part of our conversation played out….