Over the course of a long and accomplished career, Vidya Maharaj has found success as an educator, clinical researcher, epidemiologist, and project manager. Now, she’s adding two surprising new titles to the list: chef and restaurateur. An expert in the fields of pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, she has built a thriving career across a wide range of industries. With the recent launch of their new family restaurant, Diya Miami, Maharaj and her siblings are banding together to take on Miami’s culinary industry.

The Start of a Remarkable Career

Born in Trinidad, Vidya Maharaj grew up with a passion for cooking. Her occupational goals lay elsewhere, however, and she ultimately decided to pursue a medical career. She went on to graduate with a degree in Biological Sciences from Florida International University, where she prospered in her studies, sharpened her innate leadership skills, and became a Founding Mother and the first president of the FIU chapter of Delta Phi Omega Sorority, Inc. DPO is the first South Asian sorority in the US. Upon completing her undergraduate studies, she set her sights on a new field: epidemiology.

Maharaj went on to graduate school and became an Adjunct Graduate Professor at her alma mater. This kickstarted her career in epidemiology. In 2007, she took on her first role in the industry as a clinical research guest researcher for the Center for Disease Control’s Miami Quarantine Station. 

With her clinical research expertise and familiarity with the process and federal regulations of drug research, she has garnered widespread acclaim as a consultant. Maharaj has worked as a Pharmaceutical Project Development Manager and Life Sciences Consultant for over 12 years. In 2016, she accepted the position of regional project manager and lead clinical research epidemiologist for the CDC. She also took on a significant role in the study of the Zika virus, serving as the first on-the-ground epidemiologist contracted for the CDC’s pilot program for Zika surveillance.

Maharaj is now the Vice President of Regenerative Outcomes, LLC. Recently, she earned her Sigma Six Green Belt certification to officialize her status as an expert in pharmaceutical and biotech project management.

Taking the Leap from the Laboratory to the Commercial Kitchen

Always open to new challenges and opportunities, Maharaj recently joined her brothers in taking on the culinary industry. With her love of cooking, Maharaj volunteered to serve as the executive chef of their new family restaurant. They officially opened their lively vegan Indian fusion spot, Diya Miami, in early 2020 – just before the COVID-19 pandemic forced many businesses to close their doors. With dedication and adaptability, they survived the struggles of the pandemic and grew Diya Miami into one of the trendiest restaurants in Miami Beach.

As an acclaimed epidemiologist, Maharaj found many opportunities for work in that field, but she ultimately decided to focus on growing the family restaurant. “We needed all hands on deck for this one,” she says. She stayed on to help the business while simultaneously building a career in the pharmaceutical industry. She was able to develop new strategies for takeout, expand and enhance the Diya menu, and climb the corporate ladder all at once.

Maharaj is particularly proud of the struggles she’s overcome with Diya. The National Restaurant Association estimates a 30% rate of failure across the restaurant industry. This means that at least 1 in 3 new restaurants fail in only their first year. With Diya, the odds were indeed stacked against them. As Maharaj recalls, “A well-known chef told us when we first opened that if we didn’t serve meat, we wouldn’t survive. We heard this a lot in the early days, but when people tell me I can’t do something, I always respond the same way: watch me.”

Supporting the Success of Women Around the World

Empowering women has become very important to Maharaj over the course of her career. Now that she’s reached a level of success, she’s searching for new ways to support women around the world, helping them to build thriving lives and careers for themselves.

Maharaj was recently inducted into Chief Women, an organization founded by and for successful women at the highest levels of the professional hierarchy. With a waitlist of 30,000 women, induction into Chief is a prestigious honor, one that Maharaj wears with pride.

Personal Life

When she isn’t working to save lives in the laboratory or reinventing vegan fusion in the kitchen, Maharaj is a wife, mother of a talented nine-year-old girl, devoted family member, and a role model to her entire community.

Learn more about Vidya Maharaj on her website and linktree. Check out Diya Miami at https://diyamiami.com/