Akila Prashant
Dr. Akila Prashant, MBBS, MD, PhD, PGDip (Genomic Medicine & Health Care), is a medical biochemist and molecular geneticist whose work bridges laboratory science, clinical diagnostics, and translational genomics. She serves as Professor & Head of Biochemistry at JSS Medical College, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mysuru.
Her scientific contributions span more than two decades of work in clinical biochemistry, molecular diagnostics, rare disease genetics, and biomarker discovery. She has systematically strengthened the diagnostic ecosystem through the establishment of key laboratories including newborn screening for inborn errors of metabolism, cytogenetics and FISH, maternal serum screening, and advanced molecular testing platforms. These efforts have enabled early identification of metabolic, chromosomal, and monogenic disorders in the regional population and have significantly improved diagnostic access within the public health system.
Her work covers rare Mendelian disorders, β-thalassemia, pharmacogenomics, mitochondrial variants, and genomic approaches in metabolic and neurological disease. She also leads capacity-building through her role in national programs such as the ICMR Collaborating Centre of Excellence and the National Registry for Rare and Other Inherited Disorders.
Dr. Akila has authored more than 135 scientific publications across biochemistry, genetics, diagnostics, clinical research, and laboratory medicine. She also serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Indian Journal of Medical Biochemistry and Associate Editor for Scientific Reports, contributing to scientific communication and discipline-wide quality standards.
Her work is recognized through multiple awards including the AMBI Fellowship (2024), the Research Excellence Award (2025, JSS AHER), and the IFCC Global MedLab Week Award (APFCB region, 2025). She is also listed among the World’s Top 2% Scientists (Stanford, 2024). Beyond research, she has played a pivotal role in shaping academic curricula, mentoring young scientists, and promoting the professional growth of laboratory medicine in India.
