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Executive Assistant eacbmnimhans@gmail.com Back Back to People Page Back Admin Team Umalakshmi Vellapilakkal Executive Assistant CBM

Senior Professor and Head, Department of Psychiatry Google Scholar Back Back to People Page Back Investigator Team Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Dr YC Janardhan Reddy Senior Professor and Head, Department of Psychiatry CBM Dr Reddy is a Professor of Psychiatry at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India. He completed his MBBS from the Government Medical College, Bellary in 1986 and obtained his MD degree in psychiatry from the NIMHANS in 1991. He is on the faculty of the department of Psychiatry at NIMHANS since 1995. The obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) clinic at the institute is headed by him. The OCD clinic is involved in clinical services, post-graduate training and research. His areas of specialization include obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, bipolar disorders and clinical psychopharmacology. Dr Reddy has special interest in studying the long-term course and outcome of OCD and bipolar disorders and in the management of treatment resistant OCD patients. Recently, the OCD Clinic has initiated neurosurgery program for treatment refractory OCD patients. Dr Reddy is involved in studies of phenomenology, comorbidty, family-genetics, treatment resistance, neuropsychology and neuroimaging in OCD. His current area of study involves studying neuropsychological and neuroimaging endophenotypes in OCD. He has published extensively in international and national peer reviewed journals on OCD and bipolar disorders. He is also the reviewer for many national and international journals in psychiatry. In view of his interest in clinical psychopharmacology, Dr Reddy has participated in international clinical drug trials of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and OCD. He mentors post-graduate and doctoral students in their research work and is a mentor of the Fogarty Indo-US Training Program. He was awarded the Visiting commonwealth research fellow at the Oxford University Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK in the years 1999 and 2000. He has also been awarded the prestigious Sir C.V. Raman State Award for the Young Scientists for the year 2011 by the Government of Karnataka. Dr. Reddy has funded projects on OCD from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) of the Government of India. He is a member of the WHO Working Group on Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders for revision of ICD-10. Publications Bhattacharya, M., Kashyap, H., Balachander, S., & Reddy, Y. C. J. (2024). Validation of the Cognitive Assessment Instrument for Obsessions and Compulsions (CAIOC-13) in an Indian Sample. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine , 02537176241245330. https://doi.org/10.1177/02537176241245330 Bhattacharya, M., Kashyap, H., & Reddy, Y. C. J. (2024). Cognitive Training in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Systematic Review. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine , 46 (2), 110–118. https://doi.org/10.1177/02537176231207781 Kurth, F., Schijven, D., Van Den Heuvel, O. A., Hoogman, M., Van Rooij, D., Stein, D. J., Buitelaar, J. K., Bölte, S., Auzias, G., Kushki, A., Venkatasubramanian, G., Rubia, K., Bollmann, S., Isaksson, J., Jaspers‐Fayer, F., Marsh, R., Batistuzzo, M. C., Arnold, P. D., Bressan, R. A., … Luders, E. (2024). Large‐scale analysis of structural brain asymmetries during neurodevelopment: Associations with age and sex in 4265 children and adolescents. Human Brain Mapping , 45 (11), e26754. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.26754 Sharma, L. P., Ganesh, U. M., Arumugham, S. S., Srinivas, D., Venkatasubramanian, G., & Reddy, Y. J. (2025). Deep brain stimulation–A primer for psychiatrists. Asian Journal of Psychiatry , 104 , 104354. Thatikonda, N. S., Narayanaswamy, J. C., Venkatasubramanian, G., Reddy, Y. J. , & Arumugham, S. S. (2025). Differential Functional Connectivity of Frontolimbic Circuit During Symptom Provocation in Distinct Symptom Profiles of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Connectivité fonctionnelle différentielle du circuit frontolimbique durant la provocation de symptômes dans des profils symptomatiques distincts du trouble obsessionnel-compulsif. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. Revue Canadienne de Psychiatrie , 07067437251328368.

Professor, Department of Psychiatry a.shyamsundar@gmail.com Google Scholar Back Back to People Page Back Co-Investigator Team Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Dr Shyam Sundar Professor, Department of Psychiatry Dr. Shyam Sundar A is an Associate Professor in psychiatry at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India. He completed his MBBS from Coimbatore Medical College, Tamil Nadu in 2002 and his postgraduate training in psychiatry at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in 2006. He worked in AIIMS, New Delhi and Christian Medical College, Vellore before joining NIMHANS as a faculty in the department of psychiatry in 2011. He has been part of the obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) clinic since then. His areas of interest include obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). He was involved in a research project on the use of rTMS for OCD. He has published in many national and international scientific journals and authored various book chapters on psychiatry. He recently completed a fellowship in bipolar disorders from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

Scientific Development & Communication Officer cbm.nimhans@gmail.com Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn ORCID ID: 0000-0001-5616-8003 Science Writing Making research inclusive: Bringing patients and the public into the fold The Great Divide: India and Mental Illness | MIND: The Gap Variations in Bipolar Disorder: Insights from and Treatment Implications in Indian Patients De-stigmatizing mental health care in India: a way forward Back Back to People Page Back Communication Team Anushka Banerjee Scientific Development & Communication Officer CBM Anushka Banerjee is a molecular biologist by training and a science communicator by choice. She holds an M.Sc. in Molecular Medicine from the Amrita Centre for Nanoscience & Molecular Medicine (ACNSMM), Kochi. She has research experience in neuroscience from the ADBS Lab (now the Rohini Nilekani Centre for Brain and Mind) at NIMHANS, Bengaluru. With over five years of experience in science communication and public engagement, Anushka works at the intersection of neuroscience, mental health, and society. Currently, she leads science communication and outreach at the Centre for Brain and Mind at NIMHANS, where she translates complex neuroscience research into meaningful and accessible content for diverse audiences. Her work includes strategic communication, programme development, public engagement, policy research, project management, fundraising, workshop facilitation, and science education. She also co-leads efforts to develop a Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) programme to strengthen meaningful collaboration between researchers, people with lived experience, and wider communities. Anushka has contributed to writing, securing, and delivering grant-funded outreach and public engagement programmes that promote non-animal research methods (CPHMS, AIC-CCBMB), strengthen mental health awareness, and support more participatory approaches to science and research engagement (CBM–NIMHANS). Her work spans educational resources and engagement initiatives across visual, audio, digital, and social media platforms. Outside work, she enjoys photography, watching Hindi films, and exploring restaurants. Projects mglnimhans.org An informal, safe and supportive outreach approach to bridge the Mental Health Gap in India | IndiaBioscience Outreach Grant With support from the IndiaBioscience Outreach Grant, we created platforms for scientists, clinicians, patients, caregivers, and general public to connect and share insights. Through awareness events, expert interviews, an art competition, and an e-book, we sparked conversations on mental health, tackled stigma, and made research more accessible. www.mglnimhans.org Coffee, Cinema and Community: Redefining Mental Health | MGL NIMHANS

In the News 2026-10-11 Decoding mental illness: Beyond single causes, stigma, and genetic fate Much of what we know about mental illnesses comes from Western populations. This has transformed our understanding of illnesses, but raises an important question — are these findings universal? Know more 2026-10-02 Temperament, childhood adversity may offer clues to psychiatric vulnerability: NIMHANS study The researchers examined four broad dimensions of adult temperament negative affectivity, extraversion/surgency, effortful control and orienting sensitivity - along with adverse childhood experiences Know more 2026-03-25 Nimhans unveils digital repository for mental health research Researchers and clinicians aim to study neuropsychiatric diseases in the Indian context to understand them for early intervention, progression, and underlying causes. Know more 2026-03-25 India’s first repository of major psychiatric disorders, CALM-Brain, launched in Bengaluru The database, built on Indian patient data, will be made open source, opening it up for clinicians and researchers aiming to study neuropsychiatric disorders Know more 2026-03-25 India's mental health database launched in Bengaluru to decode psychiatric disorders CALM-Brain, a first-of-its-kind, large-scale indigenous mental health research database released Wednesday Know more 2026-01-20 The Dichotomy of Science: “Mind the Gap” | India Alliance DBT Wellcome Science is often described as flowing from discovery to clinic. Biju Viswanath’s current ran the other way. Know more 2025-11-10 Awareness, not algorithms, must guide mental health: Neurologists at Manotsava in Bengaluru Know more 2025-04-05 Stabilizing DNA Repeats: New Study Shows Promising Path To Treat SCA12 The study findings suggest that protecting DNA from mutations in brain cells could offer a viable treatment strategy for SCA12. Know more 2025-04-02 Making research inclusive: Bringing patients and the public into the fold Public and Patient Involvement and Engagement is transforming research around the globe - will India chime in? Know more Read More

Junior Research Fellow (Psychophysics) vyomashah97@gmail.com Twitter ORCID ID: 0000-0002-6503-7571 Back Back to People Page Back MRI/EEG Team, Doctoral Candidate Vyoma Rakesh Shah Junior Research Fellow (Psychophysics) CBM Vyoma is a Junior Research Fellow at the Centre for Brain and Mind. She has earned her Master's degree in Neuropsychology and is currently pursuing her PhD in Psychiatry. She has experience in neuroscience research and teaching. In her free time, Vyoma enjoys going on nature walks and jamming to retro music.

Post Doctoral Fellow aishwaryaraj93@gmail.com Back Back to People Page Back Lab Team Aishwarya Raj Post Doctoral Fellow CBM, DBT/IA Lithium

Clinical Post Doctoral Fellow (Equivalent to Senior Resident, Psychiatry) chidatma.a@gmail.com ORCID ID: 0009-0005-1300-2317 Back Back to People Page Back Clinical Team Dr Chidatma A Clinical Post Doctoral Fellow (Equivalent to Senior Resident, Psychiatry) CBM Dr. Chidatma A is a Clinical Postdoctoral Fellow at the Centre for Brain and Mind with an MD from Karnataka Medical College and Research Institute, ranked 4th at RGUHS. He has a strong background in community mental health, psychiatric training, and research. His work includes international presentations and published research, with a focus on neurobiology, schizophrenia, and psychopathology. Dr. Chidatma is passionate about advancing mental health care through clinical expertise and multidisciplinary collaboration.

Project Associate, Doctoral Student mythri0834@gmail.com LinkedIn ORCID ID: 0009-0001-5846-1315 Back Back to People Page Back Lab Team, Doctoral Candidate Mythri S V Project Associate, Doctoral Student CBM Mythri is a PhD scholar at the Centre for Brain and Mind. She obtained her Masters in Biochemistry from Central College, Bengaluru City University. She plans to work on the cellular phenotypes in obsessive compulsive disorder using iPSC derived brain cells. Apart from Science, she's a coffee and dosa aficionado, enjoys dancing and singing, watching films and exploring food joints in her spare time.

Additional Professor, Department of Psychiatry urvakhsh@gmail.com LinkedIn | Google Scholar Back Back to People Page Back Co-Investigator Team Dr Urvaksh M Mehta Additional Professor, Department of Psychiatry Urvakhsh Mehta practices in Bengaluru, India. He is highly rated in 2 conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Schizophrenia, COVID-19, Bipolar Disorder (BPD), and Delirium Tremens. His clinical research consists of co-authoring 119 peer reviewed articles in the past 15 years.

Professor, Department of Psychiatry Google Scholar Back Back to People Page Back Investigator Team Dementia, Schizophrenia Dr John P John Professor, Department of Psychiatry Dr. John P. John is a Professor of Psychiatry at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India. He underwent post-graduate training in Psychiatry at NIMHANS and post-doctoral training in MRI analyses at the Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA. He has been a faculty at NIMHANS since 2002. His area of clinical specialization is General Adult Psychiatry. His research interest is in linking multi-modal brain imaging techniques (sMRI, fMRI, MRS, DTI, EEG, ERP, PSG) and genomics in understanding the neurobiology of schizophrenia, dementia as well as of different cognitive states. He is the Faculty-in-Charge of the Multimodal Brain Image Analysis Laboratory (MBIAL) at the Neurobiology Research Center at NIMHANS. He is also the faculty-in-charge of the ADBS Neuroimaging Centre (ANC) and the Centre for Brain Mapping (CBM) of the Department of Psychiatry at NIMHANS. Arora, S., Praveen, A. P., Subu, O., Suhas, S., Gowda, G. S., Reddi, V. S. K., & John, J. P. (2025). Sequential ketamine infusion and electroconvulsive therapy in severe depression with psychotic symptoms and pseudo-dementia – A case report. Asian Journal of Psychiatry , 104 , 104383. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2025.104383 Arora, S., Suhas, S., Gowda, G. S., Reddi, V. S. K., & John, J. P. (2025). Avertible filicide: A call to action for early intervention and mental health support in India. Archives of Women’s Mental Health . https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-025-01559-0 Feng, Y., Chandio, B. Q., Villalon‐Reina, J. E., Thomopoulos, S. I., Nir, T. M., Benavidez, S., Laltoo, E., Chattopadhyay, T., Joshi, H., Venkatasubramanian, G., John, J. P ., Jahanshad, N., Reid, R. I., Jack, C. R., Weiner, M. W., Thompson, P. M., & for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. (2025). Microstructural mapping of neural pathways in Alzheimer’s disease using macrostructure‐informed normative tractometry. Alzheimer’s & Dementia , 21 (1), e14371. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.14371 Malipeddi, S., Mehrotra, S., John, J. P. , & Kutty, B. M. (2024). Practice and proficiency of Isha Yoga for better mental health outcomes: Insights from a COVID-19 survey. Frontiers in Public Health , 12 , 1280859. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1280859 Villalón-Reina, J. E., Zhu, A. H., Benavidez, S., Moreau, C. A., Feng, Y., Chattopadhyay, T., Nabulsi, L., Kushan, L., John, J. P. , Joshi, H., Thomopoulos, S. I., Lawrence, K. E., Nir, T. M., Jahanshad, N., Bearden, C. E., Kia, S. M., Marquand, A. F., Thompson, P. M., & the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. (2024). Lifespan Normative Modeling of Brain Microstructure . https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.15.628527

Scientific Communication Coordinator writetokadambari7900@gmail.com Back Back to People Page Back Communication Team Kadambari Patil Scientific Communication Coordinator CBM Kadambari Patil is a science communicator and illustrator with a background in Zoology and Botany. As the visual communication lead at the Centre for Brain and Mind - NIMHANS, she ensures complex scientific information is accessible and engaging across platforms. Kadambari has secured grants for outreach, curated science-art exhibitions, and coordinated neuroscience public engagement programs fostering community involvement