BioVoice News September 2016 Issue 5 Volume 1 | Page 10

face to face “WE ARE DOING REASONABLY WELL ON QUALITY OF RESEARCH OUTPUT” Dr Soumya Swaminathan who joined her current high profile assignment in August 2015, has got vast outstanding experience in health research and administration. Prior to her current role, she was the Director of National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (NIRT), Chennai from August 2012 to August 2015. Her extra-ordinary research work has been well recognized and featured in reputed national and international journals. She is a fellow of all Indian National Academies of Sciences. Dr Swaminathan has the distinction of being awarded the President of India’s Gold Medal at the undergraduate level for the best all round outgoing student of the year 1980. She was awarded ICMR Kshanika oration award in 2008, Tamil Nadu Science and technology award in 2012. Through Department of Health Research and the network of ICMR institutes, Dr Swaminathan looks forward to focusing on key health priorities and generating scientific evidence for achieving public health impact. Further, she aims to work towards expanding the scope and quality of biomedical research being conducted in medical colleges in India. 10 BioVoiceNews | September 2016