Dr Thomas Pucadyil obtained BSc in 1997 from St. Xavier’s College, Ahmedabad, MSc in 1999 from MS University, Vadodara and PhD in 2005 from the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad. He was a Leukemia and Lymphoma Society sponsored Research Associate at the Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla from 2—7-2010. He joined the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune in 2010, where he is currently a professor. \r\n\r\nAcademic and Research Achievements: Dr Pucadyil’s research focuses on understanding protein that remodel membranes. Cell membranes are spontaneously formed by the self-assembly of lipids into a 5 nanometer-thin bilayer sheet. They have unique mechanical properties. Foremost among them is their ability to resist bending and rupture, and lies at the heart of evolution choosing lipids as the material to contain life within membrane-bound compartments. But cells have also evolved mechanisms to compartmentalise the cytoplasm into vesicles and organelles and pathogens and viruses have evolved mechanisms to enter cells enveloped inside vesicles. The formation of vesicles and division of organelles requires active bending and fission of the membrane - processes that are managed by specialised protein machines. Dr Pucadyil’s research group identifies such protein machines and understanding where and how they function in cells.\r\n\r\nAwards and Honours: Dr Pucadyil has been recognized for his contributions by several awards and fellowships including the Rahul Bajaj Chair Professorship in 2021, Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences since 2021, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize in Biological Sciences in 2018, International Research Scholarship from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, USA in 2017, DBT-Wellcome Trust India Alliance Senior Fellowship in 2017, Associateship of the Indian Academy of Sciences in 2011 and the DBT-Wellcome Trust India Alliance Intermediate Fellowship in 2011.