I am a membrane protein biophysicist, and a protein and peptide engineer. I have contributed to advancing fundamental and translational research on human mitochondrial and bacterial outer membrane proteins. I have established an interdisciplinary research program on structural and single-molecule biophysics, in situ membrane protein biology, protein editing, and the design and engineering of molecular and translational peptide-based therapeutics. My expertise includes protein design, developing next-generation customized therapeutics for aging and neurological disorders involving mitochondrial dysregulation, and developing antibacterials against Gram-negative pathogens.
Focus areas:
Protein engineering, protein and peptide design, pioneering peptide-based targeted therapeutics.
Membrane protein biophysics and neurodegeneration, mito-dysregulation, inhibitor design.
Membrane proteins as targets for novel antibacterials for ESKAPEE pathogens.
AI- and experimental membrane protein thermodynamics, interdisciplinary synthetic biology.
Key Awards and Fellowships
2025: Elected as Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy (INSA), India.
2024: Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar: Vigyan Yuva – Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award.
2024: Elected as Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, India.
2023: S. Ramachandran National Bioscience Award for Career Development (SR-NBACD).
2021: Elected as Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI).
2020: DBT – Wellcome Trust India Alliance Senior Fellowship.
2020: SwarnaJayanti Fellowship, Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India.
2020: Young Researcher Award, Lady Tata Memorial Trust.
2019: Young Scientist Award, Indian Peptide Society.
2018: Recipient of the Exceptional Fellows Fund by the Wellcome Trust – DBT India Alliance.
2017: SERB Women Excellence Award.
2015: Wellcome Trust UK – DBT India Alliance Intermediate Fellowship.
2014: NASI Young Scientist Platinum Jubilee Award, The National Academy of Sciences.
2014: Associate, Indian Academy of Sciences.
2014: INSA Medal for Young Scientists, Indian National Science Academy.
2010: Ramalingaswami Fellowship from the Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India.
2009: Innovative Young Biotechnologist Award (IYBA) from the Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India.
Key Recognitions
2024: Decoding mOMPs, the Mitochondrial Outer Membrane Proteins. Research featured by the India Alliance (https://www.indiaalliance.org/news/decoding-momps). Apr 05.
2024: Felicitated by the honorable Chief Minister, Madhya Pradesh, under WeSTEM program (Govt. of MP and UN Women) for contribution in STEM. Feb 12.
2023: Featured as “Young Vidushi” in “Vigyan Vidushi – 75 Women Trailblazers of Science”, published by Vigyan Prasar, Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India.
2022: Featured in the DST Coffee Table Book “75 under 50 Scientists Shaping Today’s India”, a compendium published by Vigyan Prasar.
2021: Featured in the October 2021 issue of Biophysical Society Newsletter (https://www.biophysics.org/profiles/r-mahalakshmi).
2021: Nominated and invited to attend the 4th World Laureates Forum as a young scientist.
2020: Featured in “Future of Biochemistry: The Asia-Pacific Issue”, American Chemical Society (https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.biochem.9b01113). Jan 14.
2019: Session Chair, Gordon Research Conference on Membrane Protein Folding, Boston (USA). July 07-12.
2019: Session Chair, 2019 American Peptide Symposium (APS), Monterey, CA (USA). June 22-27.
2019: Research Highlight titled “Governing the Mitochondrial Governator” in “Embracing the Future”, Annual Report (2018-2019) of Wellcome Trust – DBT India Alliance.
2018: Chasing the Governator. Research highlight in “Decade of Discovery” published by Nature India for Wellcome – DBT India.
2018: Featured in “The Life of Science”, a photoessay titled “Coming back to the fold” under Women in Science.
2017: Session Chair, Gordon Research Conference on Membrane Protein Folding, Boston (USA). June 04-09.
2017: Research Highlight titled “Molecular Origin of Human VDAC-2 Structure, Function and Regulation” in “Connecting the Dots”, Annual Report (2015-2017) of Wellcome Trust – DBT India Alliance.
2014: Best poster presentation in TWAS-ROCASA Regional Conference of Young Scientists (Cash award of US $1500).
2014: Session Chair, The Second International Symposium on Protein folding and Dynamics, Bangalore (India). Nov 5-7.
Other Awards and Recognitions
2024: Prof. B. K. Bacchawat International Travel Grant for young scientists for the year 2025.
2023: Distinguished Teacher Award from IISER Bhopal for the 2022-23-I semester (conferred Aug 15, 2023).
2022: Awarded the Scientific and Useful Profound Research Advancement (SUPRA) grant from the Science and Engineering Research Board, Govt. of India.
2020: 2020 Travel Award, 64th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, San Diego, CA (USA). Feb 15-19.
2019: International Travel Support to participate in the Gordon Research Conference on Membrane Protein Folding from the Science and Engineering Research Board of the Department of Science and Technology (declined).
2019: Travel Grant to participate in the Gordon Research Conference on Membrane Protein Folding from the Department of Biotechnology CTEP (Conference, Travel, Exhibition and Popular Lectures).
2015: International Travel Support to participate in the Gordon Research Conference on Membrane Protein Folding from the Science and Engineering Research Board of the Department of Science and Technology.
2015: Travel Grant to participate in the Gordon Research Conference on Membrane Protein Folding from the Department of Biotechnology CTEP (Conference, Travel, Exhibition and Popular Lectures) (declined).
2008: Scholarship to attend the U.S. – Canada Winter School on Biomolecular Solid-State NMR.
2005: Senior Research Fellowship during graduate school from Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India (2005-2006).
2003: Junior Research Fellowship during graduate school from Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India (2003-2005).
2000: Gold Medal for achieving University First rank in Bachelor of Science.
1997: District Third in class XII examinations, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
2000. B. Sc. (Biochemistry voc. Biotechnology) from P.S.G. College of Arts and Science (Affiliated to Bharathiar University), Coimbatore – 641014. IN. Advisor: (Late) Dr. N. Abitha Devi.
2003. M. S. (Biological Sciences) from Division of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore – 560012. IN. Research Advisor: Prof. P. Balaram.
2006. Ph. D. (Molecular Biophysics) from Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore – 560012. IN. Research Advisor: Prof. P. Balaram.
Mar 2026 – Present: Professor, Division of Sciences, School of Interwoven Arts and Sciences, Krea University, India.
June 2021 – Feb 2026: Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal, India.
Sep 2014 – June 2021: Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal, India.
June 2009 – Aug 2014: Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal, India.
Aug 2008 – May 2009: Postdoctoral Fellow, Division of Molecular Immunology, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, San Diego, CA, U.S.A.
Nov 2006 – July 2008: Postdoctoral Associate, Department of Apoptosis and Cell Death Research, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, San Diego, CA, U.S.A.