MONTREAL – Forbes magazine names a teenage Montreal researcher among the the 30 most impressive people under 30 in the world for the year 2021.
Last year, at the age of 15, Thomas Khairy became the youngest lead author in an article ever published by the New England Journal of Medicine, arguably the most prestigious medical journal on the planet.
In work at the Montreal Heart Institute, Khairy and his colleagues showed that the risk of infection when implanting pacemakers and defibrillators was similar for re-sterilized devices and newer devices.
The Canadian Press has caught up with the college student, who will of course be applying for admission to medical school this spring.
How did you react when Forbes included you in their Top 30 Under 30 list?
I was so shocked when I found out! I knew I was nominated, but I still don’t know who nominated me. I found out that I had made the list the same day the list was published. I wasn’t warned in advance so it was a shock. I remember I had completed an online biology course for my school, then I got an email through Forbes saying, “Congratulations, you were named to the 30 under 30 list for the category. Health.” It was unbelievable. I’m very grateful.
Did you really believe in your chances when you were nominated?
No, I didn’t. I had just seen my name in the New England Journal of Medicine. I still couldn’t believe this was really happening. I thought it was still a dream. And now we add a nomination for Forbes? I thought, no, New England is a dream I never thought would come true. The whole team that I worked with, we didn’t think we could make it to New England, and in the end we did. So now we’re adding a nomination for Forbes and I thought, sure, it would be amazing to make the list, but in my mind, even if I didn’t make the list, I wouldn’t be disappointed at all because already The News. -England was so (fantastic).
Do you see this as proof that your work is important to the general public and not just to the medical community?
Yes. It gives me so much pleasure to know that the project on which we have been working with this team for several years, that it is more than medicine, it is really what I like the most.
Is there any pressure that comes with a Forbes nomination like this? Feel like you’ve got to do great things if you’re one of the 30 brightest kids on the planet?
Yes. There is bound to be pressure. But I’ll tell you, there’s no way I’m one of the 30 brightest kids on the planet.
Forbes disagrees.
I don’t consider myself at such a high level. It’s really like I’m living two completely different lives. In a lifetime, I was recently in Detroit for a conference with the others on the Forbes list. Then at the same time, I study, I have my classes at school, I have not yet applied to medical school. So yeah, there is pressure, but it’s a little difficult to have achieved something like this at my age, knowing that it will probably be one of the greatest accomplishments of my life. I’m not complaining, I’m very, very, very lucky to have had this experience, but it definitely comes with a little bit of pressure for what I’m going to do with the rest of my life.
Have you been involved in other work at the Heart Institute?
Yes, but unfortunately not with the same team, because I loved the team I was working with so much! But there was another cardiologist who does a lot of genetic research who contacted me to ask if I would be interested in contributing to his project. It was a mixture of cardiology and genetics. I was so interested! It was another chance for me to do research and I really enjoy doing research. I’m so lucky that she gave me another chance.
It is another great recognition to have been approached by a researcher who wanted to work with you.
Yes, I am truly privileged.
– Thomas Khairy’s comments have been abbreviated for the sake of brevity and clarity.
– This report by La Presse Canadienne was first published in French on November 27, 2021.
“Coffeeaholic. Lifelong alcohol fanatic. Typical travel expert. Prone to fits of apathy. Internet trailblazer.”