Amrutha Swaminathan

Dr. Amrutha Swaminathan is an Assistant Professor in the School of Biology at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Thiruvananthapuram, where she leads the Molecular Neurodevelopment Lab. Her research focuses on understanding how developmental processes impact behavioral tendencies later in life using zebrafish models, which undergo external fertilization and development allowing detailed analysis of neurodevelopmental processes.

Dr. Swaminathan's educational background includes:

• PhD in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore (2010-2016)
• M.Sc from Madurai Kamaraj University (2008-2010)
• B.Sc from SIES College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Mumbai University (2005-2008)

Her research program explores two major directions: understanding the role of immune factors in stress-responsive behavior across the lifespan, and investigating how mutations in epigenetic factors lead to epilepsies and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Her laboratory uniquely combines behavioral analysis with molecular approaches to uncover fundamental principles of how developmental processes shape behavior. The lab utilizes zebrafish to study complex behaviors from early life stages, providing insights into human conditions like epilepsy that have traditionally been studied only in adult mammals.

Dr. Swaminathan's publication record demonstrates an evolution from molecular epigenetics toward integrative neurobehavioral research, with recent work increasingly incorporating machine learning approaches to analyze complex behavioral data. This interdisciplinary trajectory bridges molecular biology, neuroscience, computational methods, and developmental disorders research.

Her scientific achievements have been recognized with numerous prestigious fellowships:

• Dean of Faculty post-doctoral fellowship (2018-2020)
• Fonds de recherché du Quebec-Sante (FRQS) post-doctoral fellowship (2017)
• Rhone-Alpes exchange fellowship (2013)
• Charpak exchange fellowship (2012)
• Council of Scientific and Industrial Research fellowship (2010-2015)

Dr. Swaminathan has presented her research internationally including at the International zebrafish neural circuits and behaviour seminar series (2022), KNOW RNA Research Centre in Poznan, Poland (2022), and delivered an invited TED-style talk at the International day of Women in Science conference (2022). She actively mentors students in her Molecular Neurodevelopment Lab at IISER Thiruvananthapuram.