Thiruvananthapuram, April 16 (IANS). Renowned scientist Dr. Beena Pillai has been appointed as the new Director of Rajiv Gandhi Center for Biotechnology (BRIC-RGCB), one of the premier biotechnology institutes of the country. This appointment has been approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet of the Central Government and his tenure will be for five years.
RGCB, functioning under the Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council under the Department of Biotechnology, plays an important role in the field of disease biology, translational science and technological development in the country. In such a situation, this leadership change is being considered important for India’s biotechnology ambitions.
Dr Pillai will replace Professor Chandrabhas Narayan, whose tenure ended in September last year. She takes up this responsibility at a time when the institute is preparing to expand into new high-impact areas.
He currently holds the position of Chief Scientist at CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB) and his work in the field of RNA biology and neuronal development is internationally recognized.
His research has focused on the role of RNA, early development, neurogenesis, behavior, and disease susceptibility. He has also made significant contributions to the identification of microRNA markers in human diseases.
Hailing from Kalady, Kerala, Dr. Pillai studied BSc from Ramnarayan Ruia College, Mumbai and did Integrated MS-PhD from the Indian Institute of Science. Subsequently he established a strong research program in the field of genomics and molecular biology at CSIR-IGIB.
For his scientific contributions, he has received many honors including the National Bioscience Award, INSA Young Scientist Award and CSIR Young Scientist Award (Biological Sciences).
Under his leadership, key national projects such as cGMP compliant facility, bio-manufacturing hub and oncology referral hospital at RGCB are expected to gain momentum.
This appointment is being considered an important step towards strengthening India’s process from research to innovation and the scientific community of the institute has expressed the hope of promoting cutting-edge research.
–IANS
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