Dr Geetha Vani Rayasam, Director, CSIR-NIScPR (8th September 2025) is a highly experienced and accomplished scientist with vast experience in academia, industry, Government of India and abroad. Dr Rayasam is a PhD in Biochemistry from IISc Bengaluru and has post-doctoral experience in IGBMC, France and at the National Institute of Health, USA. She has worked in Industries such as Ranbaxy (Daiichi-Sankyo) and SMART ANALYST as a senior scientist in the areas of new drug discovery and development.

Dr Rayasam has been at CSIR from 2011, in a variety of roles and contributed extensively to the Open Source Drug Discovery (OSDD) Programme and as Head Business Development and Industry Alliance at CSIR-IGIB. Subsequently, she Head, Science Communication and Dissemination Directorate (SCDD) at CSIR HQ and was instrumental in launching many new initiatives and increasing the public outreach of CSIR and highlighting the CSIR contributions during Covid-19 pandemic.

Dr Rayasam was appointed as Outstanding Scientist and Head, CSIR Human Resource Development Group (HRDG) in February 2022. As Head, HRDG she played a pivotal role in streamlining of fellowship disbursements, the CSIR-UGC-NET exam, and the Extra Mural Research Grants, Bhatnagar Fellowships among others. Many new initiatives such as ASPIRE grants for women scientists, the newly instituted RVP awards, digitization of various application processes and many innovative initiatives under the flagship JIGYASA outreach platform were undertaken under her leadership.