Senior Scientific Officer, Department of Psychiatry ResearchGate meera.purushottam@gmail.com Back Back to People Page Back Investigator Team Molecular Genetics Dr Meera Purushottam Senior Scientific Officer, Department of Psychiatry Dr Meera is Senior Scientific Officer in the Molecular genetics Laboratory where she leads projects on molecular genetics of neuropsychiatric illness. She has a special interest in the role of epigenetics in mental health particularly alcohol addiction. She has also initiated genetic testing of patient samples for several neurological disorders such as spinocerebellar ataxia, Huntington’s disease, spinal muscular atrophy and Duchenne muscular dystrophy . 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 Patra, C., Ganesh, S., Mahadevan, J., Gujarati, K., Awasthy, D., George, S., Ganapathy, A., Phalke, S., Bettadapura, R., Viswanath, B., Varghese, M., Jain, S., Prasad, P., & Purushottam, M. (2024). W48. PROFILING THE RARE VARIANT GENETIC RISK FOR DEMENTIA WITH WHOLE EXOME SEQUENCING: A STUDY FROM INDIA. European Neuropsychopharmacology , 87 , 126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2024.08.257 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 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 Vinod, P., Sen, S., Jayasankar, P., Janardhanan, M., Paul, P., Viswanath, B., Jain, S., Harbishettar, V., Sivakumar, P. T., & Purushottam, M. (2024). Does Apolipoprotein E polymorphism play a role in familial Alzheimer’s Dementia. Alzheimer’s & Dementia , 20 (S1), e087257. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.087257

Research Technician arulmozhibalakrishnan97@gmail.com Back Back to People Page Back Lab Team Arulmozhi Balakrishnan Research Technician

Junior Research Fellow (Neuroimaging - ADBS Data Centre) LinkedIn deepankan.chy34@gmail.com Back Back to People Page Back MRI/EEG Team Deepankan Chakarborty Junior Research Fellow (Neuroimaging - ADBS Data Centre) Deepankan, a junior research fellow at the Center for Brain and Mind, holds a master's degree in Cognitive Neuroscience. He possesses expertise in crafting a portable AI-driven device for detecting epileptiform discharges. With four years of experience acquiring and analyzing EEG data, he has transitioned his focus to exploring FMRI. Beyond his professional pursuits, Deepankan enjoys exploring the realms of arts, literature, poetry and anime.

Psychiatric Social Worker (Research) sreenimhansPSW@gmail.com Back Back to People Page Back Clinical Team Dr Mallappagari Sreenivasulu Psychiatric Social Worker (Research) Dr M Sreenivasulu is a Psychiatric Social Worker at the Centre for Brain and Mind. He has completed his Masters in Social Work (MSW), M. Phil Psychiatric Social Work and PhD in Psychiatric Social Work from NIMHANS. He has experience of providing Psychosocial interventions for individuals and research experience with the families in the field of Substance use disorders and other Major Psychiatric illness.

About Us Through deep interrogation of brain networks via brain imaging and clinical electrophysiology as well as sub-cellular networks using molecular and cellular analysis, we aim to move towards a better mechanistic understanding of these disorders. These findings should lead to better diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for patients with psychiatric disorders as well as fundamental new insights into the function of the human brain. Changes in the structure and function of the brain that result in mental illness are poorly understood. Neither do we know why some individuals are more prone to developing mental illness than others. Studying these underlying changes in the brain will likely lead to better methods to diagnose and treat mental illness. Our Objecti ves Investigate Psychiatric Disorders & Establish Databases Establish and investigate a large cohort of families with severe psychiatric illnesses & healthy controls Establish an informative, digital database of research outcomes alongside a repository of biological samples Research Focus Understand the causes, connections and courses of severe psychiatric illnesses Explore potential interventions and treatments Advanced Techniques Employ advanced techniques in imaging, genetics, and stem cell biology towards understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms behind these disorders Open Source and Collaboration Commit to openness and collaboration by making the database and repository open-source Emphasise public engagement and community outreach Nodal Centres Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences The National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) is a world-renowned, multi-disciplinary centre for patient care, academics and cutting-edge research in the field of mental health and neuroscience. With its history dating back to 1847, the Central Government recognized its eminent academic position, growth and contributions, and declared it a ‘Deemed University’ in 1994. In 2012, NIMHANS was conferred the status of an ‘Institute of National Importance’. National Centre for Biological Sciences The National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), located in Bangalore, is part of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. Established in 1992, It is a premier research institute with research interests of faculty members lying in the frontier areas of biology, and the science at NCBS (a part of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research) uses experimental and computational approaches in the study of molecules, cells and organisms. Funding Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies , led by Rohini Nilekani, is a catalyst for positive social change in India. With a focus on education, water conservation, healthcare, and social justice, the foundation collaborates with diverse stakeholders to implement innovative solutions. Prioritising community empowerment and amplifying marginalised voices, it strategically invests for lasting impact. Board of Advisors Prof Mriganka Sur Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts, USA Prof Matcheri Keshavan Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts, USA Prof Mani Ramaswami Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland Prof PSVN Sharma Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, India

Assistant Professor, Centre for Addiction Medicine, Department of Psychiatry drlekhansh@gmail.com Back Back to People Page Back Co-Investigator Team Dr Lekhansh Shukla Assistant Professor, Centre for Addiction Medicine, Department of Psychiatry

Professor, Department of Psychiatry Google Scholar Back Back to People Page Back Co-Investigator Team Dr Muralidharan Kesavan Professor, Department of Psychiatry

Assistant Professor, DST INSPIRE Faculty Fellow, Department of Psychiatry Google Scholar ashithasnm09@gmail.com Back Back to People Page Back Co-Investigator Team, Lab Team Dr Ashitha S N M Assistant Professor, DST INSPIRE Faculty Fellow, Department of Psychiatry Dr Ashita S N M is an assistant professor at the INSPIRE facility at National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences at Bangalore, India. Her research focuses on psychiatry genetics, neuroimmunology and neuroimmune dynamics of Autism Spectrum Disorder. She is a recipient of an MQ Fellows Award . Agarwal, A., Praveen, A. P., Singhai, K., Ashitha, S. N. M ., Purushottam, M., Jain, S., & Moirangthem, S. (2024). A rare case of Niemann Pick Disease with a novel variant in the NPC2 gene presenting with neuropsychiatric manifestations in middle age. Asian Journal of Psychiatry , 97 , 104089. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104089 Durbagula, S., Parambath, S. V., Siddappa Niranjana Murthy, A ., Rameshraju K, M., Ghati Kasturirangan, C., Udupi, G. A., Ramachandra, N. B., Huligerepura Sosalegowda, A., Raman, V., Korlimarla, A., & Gowda, N. K. C. (2024). Genetic insights into male autism spectrum disorder in a small cohort of Indian simplex families: Findings from whole exome sequencing. General Psychiatry , 37 (6), e101606. https://doi.org/10.1136/gpsych-2024-101606 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 Snijesh, V. P., Krishnamurthy, S., Bhardwaj, V., Punya, K. M., Niranjana Murthy, A. S. , Almutadares, M., Habhab, W. T., Nasser, K. K., Banaganapalli, B., Shaik, N. A., & Albaqami, W. F. (2024). SHH Signaling as a Key Player in Endometrial Cancer: Unveiling the Correlation with Good Prognosis, Low Proliferation, and Anti-Tumor Immune Milieu. International Journal of Molecular Sciences , 25 (19), 10443. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms251910443 Srividhya, D., Snijesh, V., Ashitha, S. , Korlimarla, A., & Gowda, N. K. (2024). T53. TEMPORAL DYNAMICS AND MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF AUTISM RISK GENES IDENTIFIED IN THE INDIAN POPULATION: PRENATAL AND POSTNATAL INSIGHTS. European Neuropsychopharmacology , 87 , 184. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2024.08.363

Project Associate manasadeepika97@gmail.com Back Back to People Page Back Lab Team Manasadeepika Project Associate I am a project associate at CBM NIMHANS, and am passionate about neuroscience research. I'm currently trying to understand how bionergetics contributes to the machanism of action of lithium in bipolar disorder. Beyond the lab, I find joy in capturing moments through portraits and paintings, letting creativity flow onto canvas. Dancing is my escape, where movement becomes an expression of inner rhythms.

Scientist ‘D’ (Electrophysiology) LinkedIn | Twitter gautam73kb.cbm.nimhans@gmail.com Back Back to People Page Back MRI/EEG Team Dr Gautam Kumar B Scientist ‘D’ (Electrophysiology) Dr Gautam’s fascination with understanding biological systems with the help of graph theory during his engineering took him on a journey on the yellow brick road called research. His PhD thesis was on using novel techniques to understand Alzheimer’s disease using neuroimaging data and network analysis using EEG & PET imaging data. His current interest is understanding psychiatric disorders using dynamic causal/decision models. As an autodidact, He gets excited talking about diverse topics and good food.

Project Associate LinkedIn lakshmianand22@gmail.com Back Back to People Page Back Lab Team Lakshmi Anand Project Associate Lakshmi completed her integrated Master's in Biological Sciences from Bangalore University and joined CBM as a Project Associate in 2024. She is interested in understanding cellular intricacies of the brain. Her conversational kick starters are food spots, sitcoms and travel. Beyond the lab bench, Lakshmi is a Bharatanatyam dancer and skater.

Filter by type of resource Rome Berlin Paris People of CBM CBM NIMHANS MGL NIMHANS NCBS Investigators NCBS Staff Our diverse team comprises passionate individuals from various academic backgrounds, united in our pursuit of cutting-edge research. From seasoned clinicians to budding researchers, we foster innovation and are committed to accelerating our understanding of the brain and mind. Select & de-select team category Admin Team Clinical Team Co-Investigator Team Communication Team Investigator Team Lab Team MRI/EEG Team Research Students & Fellows Support Team Dr YC Janardhan Reddy Senior Professor and Head, Department of Psychiatry | Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Dr Vivek Benegal Professor, Department of Psychiatry Dr Biju Viswanath Additional Professor, Department of Psychiatry | Bipolar Disorder Dr John P John Professor, Department of Psychiatry Dr Venkatasubramanian G Professor, Department of Psychiatry Dr Meera Purushottam Senior Scientific Officer, Department of Psychiatry Dr Pratima Murthy Director & Senior Professor, Department of Psychiatry Dr Prabha S Chandra Senior Professor & Department of Psychiatry Dr Sanjeev Jain Senior Professor, Department of Psychiatry Dr Muralidharan Kesavan Professor, Department of Psychiatry Dr Arun Kandasamy Professor, Department of Psychiatry Dr Shyam Sundar Professor, Department of Psychiatry Dr P T Sivakumar Professor, Department of Psychiatry Dr Jagadisha Thirthalli Professor, Department of Psychiatry Dr Jitender Saini Professor, Department of Neuro Imaging & Interventional Radiology Dr Thennarasu Kandavel Professor, Department of Biostatistics Dr B Binu Kumar Professor, Department of Biostatistics Dr K S Meena Professor and Head, Department of Mental Health Education Dr Urvaksh M Mehta Additional Professor, Department of Psychiatry Dr Anish V. Cherian Additional Professor, Department of Psychiatric Social Work Dr Himani Kashyap Additional Professor of Clinical Psychology Dr Reeteka Sud Lab Senior Scientist (Equivalent to Research Associate Professor), Department of Psychiatry Dr Bharath Holla Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Centre for Integrative Medicine and Research Dr Vijay Kumar K G Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry Dr Sreeraj V S Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry Load More