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Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry drpreethi20@gmail.com LinkedIn | ResearchGate Back Back to People Page Back Co-Investigator Team Bipolar Disorder Dr Preethi V Reddy Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry

Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry Google Scholar Back Back to People Page Back Co-Investigator Team Dr Suhas Satish Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry Dr. Suhas Satish is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at NIMHANS, with active research interests at the intersection of clinical neuroscience, precision psychiatry, and digital mental health. He holds an M.D. in Psychiatry and a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Clinical Neurosciences and Therapeutics in Schizophrenia. His work has been recognised through several honours, including the Early Career Fellowship of the World Psychiatric Association, the NIMHANS Silver Jubilee Award (University Gold Medal), and the Frank Noronha Award for Best Outgoing Resident. Through his work, Dr. Suhas aims to advance a future where mental-health care is predictive, personalised, and grounded in measurable biology in combination with clinical wisdom through the power of data, technology, and neuroscience.

Professor, Department of Psychiatry bijuv1@gmail.com Google Scholar | Twitter | PubMed Back Back to People Page Back Investigator Team Bipolar Disorder, Molecular Genetics, Stem Cell Research Dr Biju Viswanath Professor, Department of Psychiatry CBM, MGL, A-BIG-NET, DBT/IA Lithium I am a professor of psychiatry at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru (NIMHANS) , where my primary area of research includes understanding the molecular basis of etiology and treatment response in neuropsychiatric disorders. My training as a physician specialising in psychiatry and as a basic researcher in human stem cells enables me with a unique skill set to develop and execute translational psychiatry research. I am currently funded to examine genetic and cellular correlates of lithium response in bipolar disorder. I am also a key investigator at the Rohini Nilekani Centre for Brain and Mind at NIMHANS (previously the Accelerator program for Discovery in Brain disorders using Stem cells (ADBS) program funded by the Department of Biotechnology), which aims to build a biorepository of human induced pluripotent stem cells for serious mental illnesses in India. The proposed study is in line with my interests in the genetic basis of bipolar disorder. I have established a network of investigators in India that has the capability to become an important contributor in the field of psychiatric genetics. I am also a DBT/WT India Alliance Intermediate Fellow in the Clinical and Public Health programme Publications Agrawal, A., Bulik, C. M., Abebe, D. S., Andreassen, O. A., Atkinson, E. G., Choi, K., Corvin, A., Davies, H. L., Davis, L., Docherty, A., Edenberg, H. J., Franke, B., Gelernter, J., Giusti-Rodriguez, P., Hettema, J. M., Hjerling-Leffler, J., Huang, H., Johnson, E. C., Lewis, C., … Sullivan, P. (2025). The Psychiatric Genomics Consortium: Discoveries and Directions . https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/xykj2_v2 Parthaje, S., Janardhanan, M., Paul, P., Karunakaran, K. B., Deb, A. P., Shankarappa, B., Pal, P. K., Mahadevan, A., Jain, S., Viswanath, B. , & Purushottam, M. (2025). CAG Repeat Instability and Region-Specific Gene Expression Changes in the SCA12 Brain. The Cerebellum , 24 (3), 60. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12311-025-01808-z Ratna, N., Venkatesh, S. D., Pasupulati, S., Murari, G., Kamble, N., Viswanath, B ., Yadav, R., Varghese, M., Pal, P. K., Jain, S., & Purushottam, M. (2025). Allelic Diversity, de novo CAG Expansions, and Intergenerational Instability at the HTT Locus in a clinical sample of Huntington’s Disease from India . https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.03.03.21260193 Ritter, P., Glenn, T., Achtyes, E. D., Alda, M., Agaoglu, E., Altınbaş, K., Andreassen, O. A., Angelopoulos, E., Ardau, R., Aydin, M., Ayhan, Y., Baethge, C., Bauer, R., Baune, B. T., Balaban, C., Becerra-Palars, C., Behere, A. P., Behere, P. B., Belete, H., … Bauer, M. (2024). Association between a large change between the minimum and maximum monthly values of solar insolation and a history of suicide attempts in bipolar I disorder. International Journal of Bipolar Disorders , 12 (1), 43. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40345-024-00364-5 Shankarappa, B., Prasad, V. P., Kumar, S., Rao, R. S., Royal, A. B., Swamy, M., Prasad, P., Niranjana Murthy, A. S., Ganesh, S., Viswanath, B. , Jain, S., Purushottam, M., & Thyloth, M. (2024). A Novel Homozygous Variant in CPLANE1 Gene in a Patient with Developmental Deficits. Molecular Syndromology , 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1159/000541167

Stigma remains a stubborn barrier to mental healthcare, but what happens when we examine stigma within the very field that seeks to understand mental health? Psychiatric genetics occupies a sensitive position, shaped by complex public conversations around heredity, neurodiversity, genetic risk, and the field’s historical entanglement with eugenics. A new study by the International Society of Psychiatric Genetics (ISPG)’s Stigma Special Interest Group (SIG) takes a step towards self-reflection by asking researchers and clinicians in this field how they perceive and experience mental health stigma within their professional community. The anonymous survey received 122 responses from individuals at various career stages and professional roles. Overall, respondents were optimistic about the potential of psychiatric genetics to challenge stigma: 67% felt their work helps reduce it. In comparison, 90% agreed that researchers should consider the potential impact of stigma when communicating their findings. Nearly half felt that psychiatric genetics itself is subject to public stigma. Importantly, the findings suggest that scientific knowledge does not automatically translate into greater understanding or acceptance. Researchers with lived experience highlight this tension more clearly. Almost 40% of respondents reported living with a mental health diagnosis, and among this group, decisions about disclosure were often shaped by concerns about judgment, privacy, and potential professional consequences. Workplace stigma was reported within the psychiatric genetics community, including dismissive or stigmatising language and assumptions that people with mental health conditions may be weak, unreliable, or less capable. Nearly one-third of respondents also reported avoiding certain research topics due to stigma-related concerns, suggesting that stigma can influence not only how research is received but also what questions researchers feel comfortable asking. Perceived challenges for individuals in academia with lived-experience of a mental health condition. On a hopeful note, many respondents felt that stigma within the field had reduced over the past decade, citing, in addition to scientific advances, greater openness about mental health, increasing presence of lived-experience voices in research and conferences, and broader societal shifts towards mental health awareness. Researchers called for clearer and more accessible communication of genetic findings, avoiding deterministic interpretations and emphasising that genetic risk does not equal destiny. They also highlighted the need for creating safe spaces for disclosure of a mental health diagnosis, promoting inclusive practices in mentoring and hiring, and building flexible and supportive academic environments. Ultimately, the study offers an important reminder to a field intertwined so closely with stigma: knowledge alone cannot dissolve stigma. Reducing it requires conscious attention to language, workplace culture, research practices and whose voices are included in shaping the science. The featured paper "Mental Health Stigma in Psychiatric Genetics: Insights and Recommendations From the ISPG Member Survey on Stigma" is co-authored by Dr Reeteka Sud, Senior Scientist at CBM-NIMHANS. Read the full paper here

We’ve heard that a healthy mind makes for a healthy body - but let’s be honest: we are always trying to keep both well. I like to call us first-timers, because we’re doing this life for the first time. Every experience and encounter is uniquely tailored. Whether we handle it gracefully or hastily depends on how well we’ve trained ourselves for it. Hey! Not saying you should be ready for a bullet at any given moment, but how well we receive and deal with it is what matters. While most of the population agrees that a healthy mind is something we all deserve in order to live this life, some people still wonder whether mental health and wellness are marketed to simply attract consumers. It is seen as a luxury or a premium service. Honestly? I can’t blame them! As much as we have made people aware of mental health, we have not yet made it accessible to them. The recent awareness boom could have also ignited this thought among people. The hope is that it reaches people in power and is made affordable and accessible for larger crowds across the nation. That said - Are you wondering if you should take help? Healing Blooms by Jhilik Paul While there is no straightforward answer, it is encouraged that you take it, but it’s also a personal choice. If you have experienced a negative occurrence at any point in life, been hard on yourself for taking a leap, or even because something did not work out the way you wanted it, and that has left you feeling persistently sad, angry, disturbed, anxious, or irritated, it might be your sign to speak up. Ever since we were kids, we have been discouraged from thinking about negative outcomes, let alone negative experiences. So, when life presents us with a bitter event, we tend to stumble. It doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to feel your feelings, but a healthy balance is what we are trying to achieve here. Why is it important to seek help? When you don’t learn to cope with your emotions, you may easily fall into habits harmful to both yourself and the people around you. If left unaddressed, emotional distress may also contribute to long-term health challenges. Mental health conditions can arise from a combination of life experiences, biological factors, and genetic influences. You might start seeing signs in your body as well, because a healthy mind is truly important for a healthy body. This is why it is important to build healthy coping mechanisms and seek support. When should you consider taking help? For many mental health conditions, symptoms first emerge during adolescence and early adulthood. If you catch yourself struggling to perform well or falling behind more than usual, therapy can help you manage yourself better. There is nothing wrong with choosing to go to therapy. It’s like working out in a gym, but for your mental well-being! As Mental Health Awareness month wraps up, I want to remind you to be aware of your mental health and pay attention to your state of mind. Indeed, we all deserve a healthy inner well-being to face the world outside. Also - remember to be kind to your fellow first-timers!

Genetic stutters echo through the brain, but their impact is far from uniform. A surprising resilience in the cerebellum is rewriting our understanding of SCA12's complex pathology. (L-R) Dr Meera Purushottam, Senior Consultant & Shreevidya Parthaje, PhD Scholar, Molecular Genetics Lab, Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru (NIMHANS) A recent study published in The Cerebellum  by Dr Meera Purushottam’s team at the Molecular Genetics Laboratory, NIMHANS, Bengaluru has unveiled significant regional variations in the molecular pathology of Spinocerebellar ataxia type 12 (SCA12), a debilitating neurological disorder, caused by an expansion of repetitive CAG sequences in the PPP2R2B  gene. Imagine DNA as a long, intricate sentence. In SCA12, a particular word – CAG – is repeated far more often than it should. This "stutter," or expansion, is associated with the disease. But is the length of this stutter consistent throughout the brain? Researchers used DNA obtained from the  post-mortem brain donation of a patient diagnosed with SCA12. The study examined CAG repeat length, gene expression, and DNA methylation patterns across multiple brain regions. What they discovered was a dramatic difference in the stability of these CAG repeats. Some brain cells have longer CAG repeats than others. Surprisingly, the DNA from cerebellum (the brain region primarily responsible for coordination and balance), showed the least degree of CAG expansion and somatic instability. Is this tissue extra resilient? Researchers found that the cerebellum seemed to be employing a sort of molecular defence. They observed decreased PPP2R2B  gene expression and increased DNA methylation within this region. Interestingly, the cerebellum also exhibited high expression of genes involved in DNA maintenance and repair pathways. This implies enhanced mechanisms within the cerebellum, to perhaps prevent slippage and restrict CAG expansion errors. The study also examined the expression of genes involved in cell cycle regulation and found altered expression patterns. These disruptions may contribute to the hallmark neuronal loss and cell death seen in neurodegenerative diseases.  This study highlights a complex interplay between CAG repeat instability, gene expression and cellular processes in SCA12, indicating the importance of studying regional differences in molecular pathology. Future research can focus on drugs that enhance DNA repair or promote repeat stability. While SCA12 remains a challenging condition, these findings offer new hope and a deeper understanding of the brain's hidden battle against this devastating disorder. Access the full publication here: CAG Repeat Instability and Region-Specific Gene Expression Changes in the SCA12 Brain