RGCB scientist wins Ben Barres Spotlight award

Thiruvananthapuram: Karthika Rajeeve, a staff scientist at the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), has been selected for 2022 Ben Barres Spotlight Award.

The Ben Barres Spotlight Awards, given by scientific journal for the biomedical and life sciences eLife, have been given each year since 2019 in memory of the American neurobiologist Dr Ben Barres, a transgender researcher who advocated for equality in science Karthika is one of the 12 scientists from around the world chosen for the prestigious award this year.

She has been working on the human pathogens Chlamydia trachomatis. Her research focuses on how these pathogens evade the host immune system, a RGCB release said here.  "The scientific community at RGCB is elated at the international recognition received by Karthika Rajeeve," said Prof Chandrabhas Narayana, Director of RGCB.

Expressing happiness on being selected for the honour, Karthika said she will use her award to buy much-needed equipment to take forward her research besides attending an international conference on Chlamydia biologists to increase the visibility of her work.

Chlamydia trachomatis (Ctr) is a neglected tropical disease and this infection remains asymptomatic as a silent epidemic. The bacteria persist over extended times within their host cell and thereby establish chronic infections. PTI