Dr. Padma Venkat

Dr. Padma Venkat, Professor & Dean for the School of Health Sciences and Technology brings with her 31+ years of experience in the fields of Microbiology, Biochemistry, Phytochemistry, Ayurveda, and Public Health.

She was previously Professor & Dean, School of Public Health at SRM Institute of Science & Technology, Chennai. Earlier to that she headed the School of Life Sciences at Trans-Disciplinary University, Bangalore and worked as Research Scientist at the University of Cambridge, UK.

She completed her Ph.D. from Queens’ College, University of Cambridge, UK, her MMgmt program (International Masters for Health Leadership) from McGill University, Canada, and her M.Sc. (Applied Microbiology) from Bharathiar University, Coimbatore.

Her research has mainly been for safe drinking water, anemia, wellness and nutrition. Her current focus is on integrating innovative pedagogies to achieve wellness and sustainability in university campuses.

She has done multiple projects for communities. A few notable ones include setting up a Women Technology Park for Green Technologies, imparting skills to rural women to enhance their livelihood and health security options in an environmental-friendly way, training Women Self Help Groups on good medicinal plants collection, processing, and storage practices, and creating awareness among local communities in good water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH) practices.

She has published numerous articles in scientific journals and is a part of scientific advisory bodies.

Her hobbies include cooking, YouTubing, sightseeing, and watching movies.