Organizing Committee Member
Pragna Rao
Dean
Manipal University
India
Biography
Dr. Pragna Rao became the Dean of Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, affiliated to Manipal University, India in August 2017. She is an alumnus of the same college, having completed her MD and Ph.D. in Medical Biochemistry there, after graduating from Grant Medical College and JJ Group of Hospitals, Mumbai. Being a professor of Biochemistry, she also heads the Department of Medical Education and is in charge of a Center of Excellence in Inborn Errors of Metabolism, established by a grant awarded by the Vision Group of Science and Technology (VGST), Government of Karnataka and supported by a generous grant from Grand Challenges, Canada. In her 30 years of working experience, she has divided her time between diagnostics, teaching, and research. Dr. Pragna Rao is a recognized Ph.D. guide and has more than 100 publications in the area of maternal and child health. Her publications focus mainly on biomarkers in endometriosis, dysfunctional uterine bleeding, gestational diabetes, and endometrial carcinoma. She is also involved in establishing a newborn screening program to detect Inborn errors of metabolism in the local pediatric population. Dr. Pragna Rao serves as a certified lead assessor for the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.
Research Area
Biochemistry