The research areas I pursue include translational bioinformatics - computational drug discovery and drug repositioning, network medicine, systems biology of disease and drug response.

My team and I are attempting to solve biomedical problems by designing, developing and implementing innovative and novel computational methods. These approaches will speed up the diffusion of genomics within biomedical research and education and transform the genomics data overflow into structured knowledge to aid translational research.

Some of the most trailblazing discoveries made within my lab include bioinformatics applications (ToppGene Suite) and rare disease network analysis. We have also discovered drug repositioning candidates for rare diseases such as cystic fibrosis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

I continuously believe that no problem is unsolvable. Problems and challenges are essential prompts for tapping into human creativity. Over the years, I’ve mentored more than 24 PhD and master’s students and served as a chair, co-chair or committee member.

During my early years of research, I realized that the stimulus for technological advancement to further evolve into translational discoveries is through team science and collaborative research.

I have received multiple awards and recognitions throughout my career including:

• Declared as an outstanding student in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India in the faculties of Medical, Dental, Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences
• First rank in Bachelor of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry at College of Veterinary Science (Hyderabad, India)
• Gold Medal for securing the highest Overall Grade Point Average (OGPA) in Surgery

I have more than 20 years of experience in biomedical informatics and began working at Cincinnati Children’s in 2001. My research has been published in well-respected journals, such as Nature Biotechnology, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, The American Journal of Human Genetics, Nucleic Acids Research, Briefings in Bioinformatics and Nature Neuroscience.