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Anamika Krishnan, a Master of Laws student studying the Health Law, Policy, and Bioethics track at IU McKinney, has big dreams and goals. These aspirations are not merely for herself. Krishnan also aims to make the world better for underprivileged people.

Krishnan is originally from Wayanad in the state of Kerala in the southern part of India. She graduated first out of 1,500 students in her law class from Government Law College, Ernakulam, affiliated with Mahatma Gandhi University in India. She’s wanted to be a lawyer since her childhood, Krishnan said. Her maternal grandfather was a lawyer-activist, and her father is a retired judge. “I’m inspired by how he grew up amidst utter poverty and starvation and became a well-respected judicial officer,” Krishnan said. “All these factors motivated me to pursue law as a profession.”

At first, Krishnan thought to study intellectual property law. As she has pursued advanced degrees, her focus has shifted to human rights and health law. She was the youngest participant at the Global Conference on State Accountability at The Hague, Netherlands, in 2017. The following year, she was invited to be a guest lecturer to law professors and students at Andaman Law College in Port Blair in southern India and represented the Asian continent at the 2^nd International Conference on “Bioethics in the New Age of Science” at Szeged University in Hungary where she was the only student and youngest participant. She also has trained law enforcement officers in modern policing and human rights and has served as a guest lecturer at several universities in India on the topic of bioethics and human rights. Krishnan also published a collection of essays in 2021 titled The Future of Bioethics is Feminist and Other Essays.

Desiring to pursue a master’s program in bioethics and law, Krishnan’s search for a course of study led her to IU McKinney. She began her studies in the spring 2022 semester and plans to complete her degree in December 2022. She was invited to be the chief guest by IELTS USA at the International Women’s Day celebrations, where the interview was streamed live on LinkedIn. Krishnan also was selected as a 2022 Indiana University McKinney Climate Fellow, where she has been placed at the Pace Community Action Agency, Inc. Krishnan also is working on a book project about the climate crisis and its legal implications in Indiana.

Krishnan plans to achieve a goal she’s had since she was an undergraduate student when she hosts a virtual international symposium on bioethics at IU McKinney in September 2022. During the event, trailblazers from the U.S., U.K., The Netherlands, New Zealand, Australia, India, Kiribati and Marshall Islands, Italy, Hungary, and Hong Kong will share their expertise on bioethics and public health, and the importance of feminist bioethics.

After completing her LL.M. studies at IU McKinney, Krishnan plans to work as a law professor before returning to India. She says she’s always been active in politics and community work there and plans to continue to advocate for the health and human rights of underprivileged people and those who are suppressed. Her long-term goal is to become a judge in the higher-level judiciary in India. “Health law and human rights have developed mainly through common law in India,” Krishnan said, “and I believe that bringing gender-neutral perspectives to the judiciary will be my responsibility.”