WAJID AH at 10:56, 14 March 2026

2026-03-14T10:56:51Z

New page

{{short description|Indian biophysicist}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2018}}
'''Aruna dhathathreyan''' is a Professor and Emeritus scientist at CSIR-[[Central Leather Research Institute]], [[Chennai, India]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.clri.org/EmployeProfile/279_Dr.Aruna_Dhathathreyan_.html#tab-1|title=CLRI|website=clri.org|access-date=2017-02-04}}</ref> Her fields of work and research include biophysics, biophysical chemistry, and surface sciences.<ref name=":0" />

{{Infobox person
| name = Aruna Dhathathreyan
| alma_mater = [[University of Madras]]
}}

== Education ==
Dhathathreyan grew up and was schooled in [[New Delhi|New Delhi, India]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://thelifeofscience.com/2016/03/07/aruna/|title=Aruna, the Leather Detective|last=TLoS|date=2016-03-07|website=The Life of Science|access-date=2017-02-04}}</ref> Inspired by the science-fiction works of [[Jules Verne]], she chose to pursue physics as her undergraduate field of study.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=http://www.livemint.com/Politics/N0j16kL2ZAzk94ssOKoTdK/Where-are-Indias-female-scientists.html|title=Where are India's female scientists?|last=Masoodi|first=Ashwaq|date=2016-04-19|newspaper=www.livemint.com|access-date=2017-02-04}}</ref> With few options available to her in Delhi, Dhathathreyan moved to Chennai to study physics at [[Women's Christian College, Chennai|Women's Christian College]].<ref name=":1" />

In 1974, Dhathathreyan completed her undergraduate education and pursued a postgraduate degree at [[Madras Christian College]].<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" /> Following this, she completed her PhD in 1984, from the Department of Crystallography and Biophysics at the [[University of Madras]].<ref name=":2" /> Accepted by the [[Max Planck Institute]] in Germany, Dhathathreyan spent six years working on her post-doctoral fellowship.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />

== Career ==
Throughout her career, Dhathathreyan has worked under, and with, eminent scientists, including Dr. [[G. N. Ramachandran|GN Ramachandran]], and the last PhD student of [[Linus Pauling]];<ref name=":1" /> she currently works at CSIR-CLRI's Advanced Materials Lab., where she has been working since July 2015.<ref name=":0" /> She is also an INSA DFG visiting professor at Max Planck Institute, Germany, and visiting faculty at Anna University-CSIR-CLRI, Chennai.<ref name=":0" />

Her publications have been featured in various journals, and include papers and articles such as:

* Scientists - making sense and being sensitive (General article, 2003).<ref name=":0" />
* Teaching and research programmes in science in Indian universities (General article, 2003).<ref name=":0" />
* Protein microcapsules: Preparation and applications (Publication, 2014).<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=http://www.clri.org/EmployeProfile/279_Dr.Aruna_Dhathathreyan_.html#tab-3|title=CLRI|website=clri.org|access-date=2017-02-04}}</ref>
* Development of smart leathers: incorporating scent through infusion of encapsulated lemongrass oil. (Publication, 2015).<ref name=":3" />
* Balancing soft elasticity and low surface polarity in films of charged BSA capsules at air/fluid interface (Publication, 2016).<ref name=":3" />

Dhathathreyan has authored over 125 research papers and has two patents.<ref name=":0" /> She has research experience in areas such as [[Biocolloid|bio-colloids]], Langmuir and [[Langmuir–Blodgett film|Langmuir-Blodgett films]], and molecular organized assemblies of [[Biomembrane|bio-membranes]], [[liposome]]s, and [[proteasome]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.clri.org/EmployeProfile/279_Dr.Aruna_Dhathathreyan_.html#tab-2|title=CLRI|website=clri.org|access-date=2017-02-04}}</ref>

She recently retired as Head of Department at CLRI, but continues to work with and mentor several students.<ref name=":1" />

== Awards and honours ==
Awards received by Dhathathreyan include the following:

* B.C. Deb Memorial Award for Physical Chemistry (1998).<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=http://www.clri.org/EmployeProfile/279_Dr.Aruna_Dhathathreyan_.html#tab-4|title=CLRI|website=clri.org|access-date=2017-02-04}}</ref>
* Raman Research Fellowship (1999).<ref name=":4" />
* Stree Shakti Samman Award for Best Woman Scientist, Physical Sciences (2005).<ref name=":4" />
* Best Woman Biophysicist, [[Mother Teresa Women's University]] - Silver Jubilee Year Award (2009).<ref name=":4" />
* INSA DFG Visiting Fellowship, Max Planck Institute for Colloids and Interface Research (2010).<ref name=":4" />

In addition, Dhathathreyan was elected Fellow of the Madras Science Foundation in 2011, and was among 98 scientists featured in Leelavathi's Daughters, a compendium of female scientists in India created by the Indian Science Academy, Bengaluru (2008).<ref name=":4" />

== Personal life ==
Dhathathreyan married a chemist who, at the time of their marriage, was a Humboldt Fellow in Germany.<ref name=":2" /> She has one child, a boy named Aditya, who is an entrepreneur in Chennai.

On her hobbies, Dhathathreyan says, "I think it’s important for scientists to be aware of trends in the world. They can’t lead isolated lives."<ref name=":1" /> She enjoys reading fiction, listening to a wide variety of music genres, and often discusses movies and actors with her students.<ref name=":1" />

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dhathathreyan, Aruna}}
[[Category:Women scientists from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Scientists from Chennai]]
[[Category:Indian biophysicists]]
[[Category:Place of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Madras Christian College alumni]]
[[Category:Women's Christian College, Chennai alumni]]
[[Category:University of Madras alumni]]
[[Category:Max Planck Society people]]

Aruna Dhathathreyan - Revision history

WAJID AH at 10:56, 14 March 2026