Ashok is the President of TFI. He holds a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) and an MBA degree. Through his work in the pharmaceutical sector, he got involved in thyroid diseases as he supported thyroid patient organizations. His sisters have thyroid issues and so did his mother-in-law. This has led him to take a keen interest in thyroid disorders and leveraged his background of pharmaceuticals to focus on the medication side: formulation, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, excipients, drug interactions, and compliance. As he developed a niche and expertise in this area, he has been widely invited to deliver lectures around the world. In 2006, he was nominated as the Director on the Board of Thyroid Foundation of Canada and later as President from 2007 to 2011. During this time, he had a direct contact with patients, often in the form of direct calls, and he received a deep understanding of what thyroid patients have to undergo. He became a TFI member in 2009, served as Treasurer from 2010 to 2011 and he was elected as President of TFI in 2012. He remains focused on thyroid diseases and he is currently working with key stakeholders and key endocrinology associations to collaborate with the World Health Organization to get thyroid diseases included under the group of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).