Thesis and Guide details:
Details of CSIR Fellowship/ Associateship held, if any or from other sources/ agencies.
Significant foreign assignments:
(a) Significant contributions to science and/ or technology development by the nominee
based on the work done in India during most part of last 5 years:
Dr. Venkatasubramanian has made outstanding contributions towards establishing
deficit of insulin-like growth factor-1 in schizophrenia as well as developing novel
neuromodulatory technique for the treatment of schizophrenia. His earlier studies
on untreated, schizophrenia patients reported the clinical utility of neurological soft
signs (Venkatasubramanian et al 2003). He has applied several state-of-the-art
brain imaging techniques like structural and functional MRI to elucidate the neural
abnormalities in schizophrenia (Venkatasubramanian et al 2005a, 2008, 2010).
His studies have established neural correlates of hallucinations and delusions with
relevant brain regions that involve temporo-parietal junction (Venkatasubramanian
et al 2005b; 2011). His research works have reported for the first time the
role of neurotrophic factors like insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) deficit in
the pathogenesis of hallucinations in schizophrenia (Venkatasubramanian
et al 2007) as well as in treatment of this disorder (Venkatasubramanian et al
2010). These studies were supported by the Innovative Young
Biotechnologist Award by the DBT.
Apart from IGF-1, he has uncovered the influence of brain-derived neurotrophic
factor (BDNF) deficit in the genesis of schizophrenia symptoms (Kalmady,
Venkatasubramanian et al 2014). He has reported the first-time evidence of
neuroimmunological mechanisms involving interleukin-6 gene polymorphism to
affect the hippocampus volume deficit in schizophrenia (Kalmady,
Venkatasubramanian et al 2015). Together, all these clinical neurobiological
studies support a compelling role for aberrant neural plasticity to underlie the
pathogenesis of schizophrenia. These studies were supported by the
Wellcome Trust – DBT India Alliance Senior Fellowship Research Grant.
In the recent years, given that neurotrophic factors can modulate neuroplasticity,
he has translated these neurobiological research findings towards novel clinical
application of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) – a non-invasive, safe
neuromodulation technique that can adaptively modulate neural plasticity to treat
schizophrenia. Notably, abnormalities involving temporo-parietal/prefrontal brain
regions in schizophrenia patients were established by his earlier studies. The
tDCS protocol applied in his research is derived from his earlier neurobiological
research towards implementing adaptive neuromodulation of temporoparietal and
prefrontal brain regions in schizophrenia (Bose… Venkatasubramanian et al
2014). Using this rigorous application protocol, his work was the first to report case
observations illustrating safe application of add-on tDCS in treatment of
schizophrenia in pregnancy (Shenoy…Venkatasubramanian et al 2015) as well as
tDCS as a potential monotherapy for treating schizophrenia
(Gopalkumar…Venkatasubramanian et al 2013). Very recently, he reported
compelling utility of add-on tDCS to treat medication-resistant auditory verbal
hallucinations in schizophrenia using a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled
design (Bose…Venkatasubramanian et al 2017). The ongoing studies on tDCS
are being supported by the Swarnajayanti Fellowship by the DST. Moreover,
in collaboration with the DEBEL, DRDO, he has developed a cost-effective,
indigenous tDCS device matching international standards of quality and safety that
is scalable for India clinical setting.
In summary, Dr. Venkatasubramanian is an impactful clinician scientist who has
translated his neurobiological research works towards optimizing treatment of
schizophrenia using safe, neuromodulatory technique and has developed costeffective
(b) Impact of the contributions in the field concerned:
Dr. Venkatasubramanian’s contributions have resulted in both basic as well applied
impact in the field of schizophrenia. His research works have unraveled important
insights with regards to the neurotrophic factor deficits in schizophrenia. The clinical
utility of neural basis of schizophrenia has been established through his studies on
neurological soft signs as well as brain imaging research. His work has evolved
establishing a novel method to treat resistant symptoms in schizophrenia using
transcranial direct current stimulation.
His outstanding works in the clinical neurobiology of schizophrenia has led to
specialized clinical service called “Individualized Schizophrenia Treatment and
Reintegration (InSTAR) Program” & his pioneering works in tDCS has resulted in
development of another specialized clinical research service called “Weak Intensity
Stimulation for Enhancement and Reintegration (WISER) Neuromodulation
Program” at National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru,
India.
Places where work of last 5 years has been referred/ cited in Books, Reviews:
Names of the industries in which the technology (ies) has (have) been used :
The achievements already been recognised by Awards by any learned body:
The Awardee a fellow of the Indian National Science Academy/Indian Academy of Sciences/National
Academy of Sciences/Others:
The Awardee delivered invited lecture(s) in India/abroad and/or chaired any scientific
Internatiional Conference Symposium:
List of Awardee's 10 most significant publications.
List of Awardee's 5 most significant publications during the last 5 years
List of Awardee's 5 most significant publications from out of work done in India
during the last five years:
Complete list of publications in standard refereed journals:
Complete list of publications with foreign collaborators (indicating your status
as author):
List of papers published in Conferences /Symposia/ Seminars, etc:
List of the most outstanding Technical Reports/ Review Articles:
Statement regarding collaboration with scientists abroad:
Total number of patents granted in last five years.
Details of Books published: