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Meet The Speakers
Director- IIA
Indian Institute of Astrophysics, India
Areas of research:
Observational Astronomy, Stellar Evolution, Star Clusters, Galactic Structure, Magellanic Clouds and UV Astronomy
Dr. Annapurni Subramaniam
Career & Research:
Prof. Annapurni Subramaniam earned her Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics. A pioneering observational astronomer, she made history as the first woman to be appointed Director of the IIA, where she provides scientific leadership for India's national astronomical endeavors.
Her research explores the life cycle of stars and the structure of nearby galaxies. She is globally recognized for her detailed 3D mapping of the Magellanic Clouds, explaining their structure and chemical enrichment, and for her definitive work explaining the binary formation pathways of Blue Straggler stars.
A leading figure in India's space astronomy program, she played a crucial role as the Calibration Scientist for the UVIT payload on AstroSat, India's first multi-wavelength space observatory. She now leads the development of the proposed INSIST space telescope as its Principal Investigator, charting the future of UV-Optical astronomy in India.
Awards and Recognitions:
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Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (Vigyan Shri)
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Fellow of the IASc and NASI
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Chair, membership committee of International Astronomical Union (IAU)
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Chief Editor of the Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy (2019-2024)
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NDTV Science Icon of the Year 2024
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C.V. Raman Young Scientist Award
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SERB-POWER Fellowship
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Future Forward Female Award (CNBC-News18)
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Devi Award (The New Indian Express)
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Vanitha Ratna Award
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NASI-BUTI Foundation Lecture Award
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Life Member of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and Astronomical Society of India (ASI)
Infosys Madhava Chair Professor
International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS), India
Areas of research:
Theoretical String Theory, Quantum Field Theory, Black Hole Physics, High Energy Physics
Dr. Ashoke Sen
Career & Research:
Professor Ashoke Sen earned his M.Sc. from IIT Kanpur, and Ph.D. from Stony Brook University. He is a preeminent physicist whose work is foundational to string theory.
He is globally recognized for discovering S-duality, a key insight that helped unify the five distinct superstring theories. He also formulated the ‘Sen conjecture’, which provided a clear understanding of the decay of unstable objects in string theory.
Professor Sen's ‘entropy function formalism’ provided a landmark statistical explanation for black hole entropy. His contributions have consistently resolved deep theoretical challenges, establishing him as a leader in the field of quantum gravity.
Awards and Recognitions:
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Dirac Medal (ICTP) (2014) - For contributions to string theory unification.
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Padma Bhushan (2013) - For distinguished service in science & engineering.
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M.P. Birla Memorial Award (2013) - For contributions to cosmology and physics.
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Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics (2012) - For opening path to string theory unification.
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Infosys Prize in Mathematical Sciences (2009) - For S-duality and black hole contributions.
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Padma Shri (2001) - For distinguished service in science & engineering.
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Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) (1998) - Elected for work on superstring dualities.
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TWAS Prize (1997) - For fundamental contributions to physics.
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G.D. Birla Award for Scientific Research (1996) - For outstanding contributions to theoretical physics.
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S.S. Bhatnagar Prize (1994) - For pioneering work on string duality.
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ICTP Prize (1989) - For significant contributions to theoretical physics.
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Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), the Indian National Science Academy (INSA), and the Indian Academy of Sciences (IASc).
Outstanding Professor
Physical Research Laboratory, India
High Energy Physics, Neutrino Physics, Astro-particle Physics
Areas of research:
Dr. Srubabati Goswami
Career & Research:
Dr. Srubabati Goswami began her academic journey with a B.Sc. (Hons) in Physics from Lady Brabourne College, followed by an M.Sc. and Ph.D. from the University of Calcutta, where she made history as the first Indian woman to earn a doctorate in neutrino oscillations.
Her research explores the mysteries of neutrino mass, mixing, and symmetry violation, pushing the boundaries of the Standard Model and uncovering pathways to new physics. A leading figure in neutrino phenomenology, she also plays a key role in the India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO), a flagship project advancing India’s contributions to particle physics. Dr. Goswami’s pioneering work has earned her the J. C. Bose National Fellowship (SERB) and the Humboldt Fellowship (Germany). She is also an elected Fellow of INSA, IASc, NASI, and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) - a testament to her remarkable impact on modern physics.
Awards and Recognitions:
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President, Indian Physics Association
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Head of the Theoretical Physics Division, PRL
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J.C. Bose National Fellowship (SERB)
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Humboldt Fellowship (Germany)
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Elected Fellow of INSA, IASc, NASI
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Elected Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS)
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C.V. Raman Mahila Vigyan Purashkar from SVA, Karnataka
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Ramanujan Fellowship by DST
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NASI- Dr P Sheel Memorial Award for young women scientists
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JSPS fellowship
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DST Fast Track Proposals for Young Scientists
Professor
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, India
Experimental Condensed Matter Physics, Semiconductor physics, Spectroscopy and Dynamics of Excitons, Dynamics of Phase Transitions, Physics in High Magnetic Fields
Areas of research:
Dr. Bhavtosh Bansal
Career & Research:
Bhavtosh Bansal is a professor of experimental physics at IISER Kolkata. Their research involves studies of phase transformations, quantum fluctuations, and light-matter interaction in solid state systems, often using equipment (including a 35 tesla pulsed magnet) and techniques they develop themselves. Bhavtosh is interested in analogies and new ways of looking at old things.
Awards and Recognitions:
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Maintains international collaborative networks with institutes like Weizmann Institute ,Israel and Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Germany.
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Serves on international advisory committees for major scientific conferences, such as International Conference on Advanced Functional Materials and Devices (AFMD-2024).
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Globally recognized for research on the Mott (metal-insulator) transition.
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Published the discovery of "thermal-breach memory" in Physical Review Letters.
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Published the key finding "Critical slowing down at the abrupt Mott transition" in PRL.
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Pioneered work on kinetic spinodal instabilities in phase transitions.
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Published "Kinetic spinodal instabilities in the Mott transition in V2O3" in PRL (2018).
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Co-authored the PRL paper on the realization of Feynman's "single-slit" thought experiment.
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Invited speaker at major international conferences like International Workshop on The Physics of Semiconductor Devices IWPSD and International Conference on Nonlinear Optics and Nanophotonics: Fundamentals and Technological Applications (ICNNFT) 2025
Assistant Professor
Indian Institute of Technology Tirupati, India
Quantum Information and Computation, Quantum Foundations, Quantum Many-Body Theory, Quantum Chaos, Philosophy of Physics
Areas of research:
Dr. Aravinda S
Career & Research:
Dr. Aravinda S earned his PhD in Theoretical Sciences from Poornaprajna Institute of Scientific Research (PPSIR) and the degree is awarded by Manipal University. He completed his MSc from NITK, Surathkal. He further honed his experitse through postdoctoral positions at IMSc, Chennai; ISI, Kolkata; and IIT, Madras.
In addition to being a theoretical scientist, he is also an active writer, writing poetry and prose in his native language, Kannada. His blog is www.sakshiprajne.com.
At IIT Tirupati, Dr. Aravinda leads the Theoretical Quantum Information Science (TQIS) group. Their research is two-fold:
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Quantization: Developing a deeper understanding of the non-commutative extension of classical probability theory, emphasizing its distinctions from classical theory.
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It from Qubit: Leveraging Quantum Information and Computation (QIC) techniques to gain insights into fundamental physics. The group specifically explores multi-partite entanglement theory, many-body quantum dynamics, foundations of quantum computational advantage, quantum thermodynamics, quantum dynamical systems, and the underlying principles of quantum foundations.
Principal Investigator
Quantum Information and Quantum Optics Group, IISc
Quantum Information Theory & Algorithms (Quantum Walks), Relativistic quantum physics and particle physics using qubits, Experimental Quantum Optics & Photonic quantum computation, Open Quantum Systems, and Quantum Communications (QKD)
Areas of research:
Dr. C. M. Chandrashekar
Career & Research:
Prof. C. M. Chandrashekar completed his M.Sc. (research) in Physics at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and earned his Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Waterloo, Canada. Before joining IISc, he served as a Fellow, Reader and Professor (G) at IMSc, where he established one of India's leading research groups in quantum Information theory focusing on quantum walks, quantum algorithms, and quantum simulations.
At IISc, Prof, Chandrashekar leads the Quantum Optics & Quantum Information (QOQI) Group, which works at the interface of fundamental quantum mechanics and emerging quantum technologies using photonic quantum systems. their research employs quantum walks and quantum cellular automata ass versatile tools to explore relativistic quantum dynamics, topological phases, to model dynamics in quantum systems, and efficient quantum simulations of natural physical processes. On the experimental front, the group develops advanced photonic platforms, including entangled-photon sources, single-photon interferometers, and programmable photonic circuits. They are a key contributor to the National Quantum Mission (NQM) flagship project on photonic qubit processors, working toward scalable photonic quantum computing architectures. Their broader scientific goals involve probing how relativistic phenomena can be encoded in quantum information, how quantum correlations transform under motion, curvature, and high-energy conditions, and how quantum states evolve in simulated spacetime environments.
Awards and Recognitions:
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Rhodes Scholar
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Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Fellowship
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Perimeter Institute Doctoral Fellowship
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Ramanujan Fellow
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Elected Member, The National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI)
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Lead Principal Investigator, National Quantum Mission (NQM) Technology Group (TG) on Photonic Quantum Computing
Associate Professor
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Tirupati, India
Atomic & Molecular Physics, Laboratory Astrophysics, Ion–Molecule Dynamics, Photo-detachment Spectroscopy, Molecular Biophysics, Multipole RF Ion Traps, Fluorescence Measurements, Ion Stability against Light Radiation.
Areas of research:
Dr. S. Sunil Kumar
Career & Research:
Dr. S. Sunil Kumar obtained his PhD in Physics from IIT Madras (2009), where he received the Best Thesis Award. He then worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics (MPIK), Heidelberg, studying the dynamics of molecular ions using cryogenic storage-ring setups. He joined IISER Tirupati in 2017 as a founding faculty member in Physics.
He leads the Atomic, Molecular & Physical Chemistry Laboratory (AstroBioLab / AMPLab). His group studies molecular ions of astrophysical and biological importance, focusing on how they interact with light, radiation, and reactive species.
Key Research themes of his lab include, Photo-detachment & Photostability, Interstellar Chemistry, Ion Traps, Spectroscopy & Dynamics, Quantum-Chemical Modelling
Awards and Recognitions:
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Best PhD Thesis Award – IIT Madras
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SERB Early Career Research Award (ECRA) – Science & Engineering Research Board (DST, Govt. of India)
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Founding Faculty Member, Department of Physics, IISER Tirupati
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Established home-built precision ion-trap setup for laboratory astrophysics, astrochemistry and molecular biophysics