“I have experienced loneliness at many, many points in my life and felt this profound sense of shame about it - all the years when I was a child that I struggled with feeling lonely when I was scared to go to school and petrified of walking into the elementary school cafeteria because I was worried I wouldn't have anyone to sit with.”

American physician, former vice admiral

Vivek Hallegere Murthy is an American physician and former vice admiral in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. He served as the 19th and 21st surgeon general of the United States from 2015 to 2017 and again from 2021 to 2025. He served under Presidents Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden. Murthy is the first surgeon general of Indian descent, and during his first term he was the youngest active duty flag officer in federal uniformed service.