Speakers and Panelists

Prof. Debashree Ghosh is a theoretical chemist and Professor at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata. Her research focuses on developing advanced quantum chemical methods and polarizable force-field frameworks to study excited-state processes and photophysics in complex chemical and biological systems. She has made significant contributions to understanding strongly correlated electronic systems and solvent effects in spectroscopy. She is a recipient of several prestigious honors, including the Annual Medal of the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science (2021), the SERB-POWER Fellowship (2022), and the Walter Kohn Prize from the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (2022).  

Prof. M. S. Madhusudhan is a Professor at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune, working at the interface of biology and data science. His research focuses on computational structural biology, particularly the modeling of protein structures and biomolecular complexes using bioinformatics and physics-based approaches. He completed his Ph.D. at the Indian Institute of Science and pursued postdoctoral research at Rockefeller University and University of California San Francisco. Prior to joining IISER Pune, he was a Principal Investigator at the Bioinformatics Institute. His work has significantly contributed to understanding biomolecular interactions relevant to health and disease. 

Dr. Aarat Kalra is an Assistant Professor at the Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, working at the intersection of physics, biology, and engineering. He completed his B.Sc. (Hons.) in Chemistry from Dayalbagh Educational Institute, an M.Sc. in Biology from McGill University, and a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Alberta, followed by postdoctoral research at Princeton University. His work focuses on molecular electrobiology, exploring how light and electrical signals influence biological systems. Dr. Kalra’s research has led to advances in areas such as microtubule electronics and electroceutical therapies. He has received several prestigious awards, including the Young Systems Scientist Award and the Young Faculty Incentive Fellowship at IIT Delhi. His work has been widely recognized and featured in leading scientific platforms. 

Dr. Harjinder Singh is a Professor at the Centre for Quantum Science and Technology (CQST) at International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad. He holds a Ph.D. from Princeton University and has extensive experience in theoretical and computational chemistry and biology. His research focuses on electronic structure calculations, chemical dynamics, and the application of quantum computing to molecular systems. At CQST, he contributes to advancing quantum algorithms and their applications in chemistry and materials science. With a long-standing academic career, he has played a key role in building interdisciplinary research at IIIT Hyderabad. 

Prof. Jayashree Nagesh is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology (IBAB), Bengaluru, working in quantum biology, biophysics, and chemical physics. She earned her Ph.D. in theoretical chemistry from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and completed postdoctoral research at the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on quantum phenomena in biological systems, including excitation energy transfer, photophysics, and weak noncovalent interactions in biomolecules. She was previously a Ramanujan Faculty Fellow at the Indian Institute of Science, where she expanded her work into biologically relevant quantum processes. Her group develops theoretical and computational methods to understand light–matter interactions in living systems and their implications for areas such as photosynthesis and protein dynamics. 

Prof. Samyadeb Bhattacharya is an Assistant Professor at the International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad  (IIITH), working in the areas of quantum thermodynamics, open quantum systems, and quantum information science. He earned his Ph.D. from the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, and carried out postdoctoral research at the Harish-Chandra Research Institute, where he worked on quantum information and computational physics. His research focuses on understanding the dynamics of quantum systems interacting with their environments, including non-Markovian effects, spin systems, and quantum correlations. He has contributed to the development of theoretical frameworks in quantum thermodynamics, particularly in modelling quantum heat engines, quantum devices, and resource theories such as entanglement and coherence. His group develops analytical and computational approaches to study quantum phenomena in both foundational and applied contexts, with implications for quantum technologies, information processing, and the thermodynamic behaviour of microscopic systems. 

Dr. Pratibha Hegde is a postdoctoral researcher at IIIT Hyderabad working on quantum machine learning applied to drug discovery problem. She completed her Ph.D. in Physics and a one-year postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Naples Federico II, Italy. Her dissertation, titled “Genetic Algorithms Assisted Adiabatic Quantum Computing,” focused on employing genetic algorithms to address problems such as shortcuts to adiabaticity in the field of adiabatic quantum computing. She later worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the Computer Science Department at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden, within the High-Performance Computing group. At KTH, her research centered on applying quantum computing to plasma and fluid dynamics simulations. 

Rishab Ghosh is an engineer at Infosys, working with the Applied Research Center for Quantum Computing. His primary research focuses on quantum simulation and hybrid quantum–classical systems, with an emphasis on analyzing structural patterns in quantum Hamiltonians to study complex molecular systems. He is particularly interested in how such approaches could support future applications in chemistry and life sciences. Alongside his research work, Rishab is involved in applied, industry‑oriented initiatives, including contributions to a patent currently in the pipeline on Quantum‑Enhanced AI for semiconductor defect prediction and yield optimization. This work has provided him with practical exposure to how emerging quantum techniques can complement classical AI in high‑impact, real‑world domains. Rishab actively engages with the global quantum open‑source community. He is a Qiskit Advocate and has collaborated with IBM through a mentorship project exploring battery degradation pathways using quantum computing. He is also working with Dr. Lia Yeh at the University of Cambridge via the Quantum Open Source Foundation on applying ZX‑calculus for quantum circuit design and optimization. His broader interest in quantum biology and interdisciplinary research was recognized with a Special Mention from the Foundational Questions Institute for an essay examining how quantum information concepts might help reframe our understanding of biological complexity.

Col. Sai Shankar is a technology leader and defence veteran at QClairvoyance, working at the intersection of quantum technologies, cybersecurity, and strategic innovation. He served in the Indian Army for over two decades, gaining extensive experience in communications, information systems, and defence technology. Following his military career, he transitioned into the deep-tech and startup ecosystem, contributing to the development and adoption of emerging technologies, particularly in quantum computing and secure communications. His work focuses on building practical applications of quantum technologies, fostering innovation in cybersecurity, and enabling organizations to prepare for the next generation of computational paradigms. He plays a key role in bridging defence expertise with cutting-edge research and industry applications, with an emphasis on national security, digital infrastructure, and advanced technology strategy.