Kamala Krishnaswamy is a medical graduate (MBBS) from Osmania University and joined the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Indian Council of Medical Research (1964) and pursued research as well as further education to obtain MD in Internal Medicine from Osmania University. She worked in the field of nutrition at NIN (1964-2002) and was also appointed Director of the Institute (1997-2002). She continued as Emeritus Medical Scientist for three years till 2005. During 1977-78, she was at Karolinska Institute, Stockholm on a WHO Fellowship to obtain special training in Clinical Pharmacology.

Academic and Research Achievements: Kamla Krishnaswamy has carried out a number of research studies in the fields of diet-cancer interactions, nutrient-drug interactions, environmental toxicology, non-communicable chronic diseases and vitamin B-complex deficiencies. She has been able to integrate laboratory, clinical and community studies and was instrumental in giving necessary directions and guidance to several research projects having practical relevance. She has published over 240 original research articles in several national and international journals of repute and has edited books and contributed chapters to many books.

Other Contributions: Under Krishnaswami's chairmanship 'The Dietary Guidelines for Indians' was prepared which has been widely circulated and recently updated again. She established the Advance Centre for pre-clinical toxicology at the Food and Drug Toxicology centre at NIN. She has served Nutrition Society of India in several capacities and was twice elected as President of the society. She was also on the Executive Committee of International Union of Nutritional Sciences and Federation of Asian Nutrition Societies. She is currently on Advisory Board of several scientific committees and industries and on the governing body of Nutrition Foundation of India, New Delhi.

Awards and Honours: Dr Kamala Krishnaswamy received the Shakuntala Amir Chand Prize, Dr VN Patwardhan Prize, Dr Kamala Menon Medical Research Award and Basant Devi Amirchand Prize, all from ICMR; Shakuntala Dasgupta Oration of the Physiological Society; Glaxo Oration of NAMS; Chopra Oration of IPS; BC Guha Memorial Lecture of INSA; Sita Mahalakshmi Memorial Oration and Best Medical Person Award of AP Akademi of Sciences; SG Srikantia Memorial Lecture Award of Nutrition Society of India; ASTC-Eminent Women Scientist Award (2004); Dr Rajammal P Devadas Annual Oration Award of Avinashilingam Deemed University, Coimbatore and Ramachandran Award of NFI. She is a Fellow of Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, National Academy of Medical Sciences, National Academy of Sciences (India), Allahabad, National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, New Delhi, Andhra Pradesh Akademi of Sciences, International Union of Nutritional Sciences and Academy of Sciences for the Developing World.