A distinguished academic leader, scientist and institution builder with over 35 years of experience spanning higher education leadership, research, innovation and societal impact. As Vice Chancellor of HSNC University, she leads a dynamic academic ecosystem comprising multiple colleges and specialised schools, driving excellence in education, research and community engagement.

Her work is anchored at the intersection of climate change, environmental exposure and human health outcomes, with a focus on making invisible climate-health risks measurable, visible and actionable. She has led interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research across environmental science, radiochemistry, sustainable materials and public health-linked domains, enabling evidence generation that informs policy, strengthens resilience and supports climate-sensitive health interventions.

A recognised authority in Nuclear and Radiochemistry, she has mentored postgraduate and doctoral scholars for over 25 years while building research and innovation ecosystems that translate science into real-world solutions. Her leadership has enabled the development of platforms that position students as climate-health change-makers, driving youth-led innovation in areas such as urban resilience, environmental sustainability and public health.

Her work extends beyond academia into large-scale public engagement and behavioural change initiatives, including the 25-day pan-India Kashmir-to-Kanyakumari Climate Change Cycling Expedition (2026) and multiple community-facing climate action projects. These initiatives amplify lived experiences of climate impacts, strengthen climate literacy and support grassroots engagement across diverse populations.

With over three decades of research on environmental pollution, exposure pathways and sustainable technologies, her work contributes to understanding and mitigating climate-linked health risks. Her research on environmental remediation, pollution mitigation and climate-resilient materials demonstrates a strong evidence-to-impact pipeline, supporting scalable solutions for sustainable and healthy communities.

Her leadership combines academic rigour, strategic vision and impact-driven execution, positioning institutions as catalysts for climate action, public health advancement and inclusive, future-ready development. Her work is particularly relevant to urban, climate-vulnerable contexts such as Mumbai, where environmental exposure and public health risks intersect at scale.

September 2021 – Present · Lead a multidisciplinary University ecosystem comprising three constituent colleges and 8 specialised schools, fostering innovation across disciplines including Science, Commerce, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Applied Sciences, Management, Real Estate, Media, Law, Performing Arts, Yoga and Engineering & Technology.

A career spanning over 35 years marked by academic excellence, research leadership and institution building.

Led 15+ funded research projects across international, national and institutional platforms. Extensive experience as Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator on national and international research projects spanning environmental science, sustainable materials, analytical chemistry and public health-linked applications. Research portfolio focused on climate-sensitive environmental exposures and their implications for human health, sustainability and resilience. This work contributes to understanding climate-sensitive disease risks, environmental exposure pathways and health vulnerabilities in rapidly urbanising contexts.

Supervised, guided and mentored multiple M.Sc. (Research) students & Ph.D. scholars across environmental, analytical & radiochemical research domains.

A diverse portfolio of innovations spanning environmental remediation, sustainable materials, healthcare technologies and robotics, reflecting a strong focus on translating research into real-world solutions and scalable impact.

Recipient of multiple prestigious awards, honours, academic fellowships and merit-based scholarships, recognising excellence in research, leadership and scholarly contributions at national and international levels across her career.

Extensive experience in institutional governance, academic leadership and policy-level decision-making contributing to the development of high-quality, future-ready higher education ecosystems.

Served as Chairperson of National Assessment And Accreditation Council (NAAC) Peer Review Committees, leading institutional assessment and accreditation visits across India, contributing to quality assurance, academic excellence and governance standards in higher education.

Active member of several national and international scientific bodies, contributing to research collaboration, knowledge exchange and advancement of chemical and environmental sciences.

Held multiple leadership positions across national scientific bodies, international conferences and academic forums, contributing to research collaboration, knowledge dissemination and institutional leadership at scale. Demonstrated leadership in organising and steering large-scale national and international academic and scientific platforms, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration.

Extensive expertise across nuclear, chemical, environmental and biomedical sciences, with a strong focus on applied research and interdisciplinary solutions. Work spans the integration of fundamental science with real-world applications, with a focus on environmental sustainability, healthcare and advanced analytical technologies.

Demonstrated a strong track record of scholarly output, knowledge dissemination and research impact across national and international platforms.

Recognised as an invited speaker across national and international platforms, contributing to discourse on environmental sustainability, nuclear sciences and research innovation.

Demonstrates a strong track record of securing competitive national and international research funding, with projects spanning environmental sustainability, materials science, public health and advanced analytical technologies. Funding portfolio strategically aligned with climate–health priorities, focusing on environmental exposure, sustainable materials, pollution mitigation and resilient infrastructure with direct human health implications.