Dr. Rupinder Kaur Kanwar
Additional Professor and Head, Department of Translational Medicine Associate Dean (Research) All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhopal
Bio
Dr. Rupinder Kaur Kanwar is an internationally acclaimed biomedical scientist and academic leader who brings over 27 years of global research, academic, and leadership excellence spanning India, New Zealand, and Australia. Her academic journey began with a PhD in Paediatrics from PGIMER, India, followed by prestigious national CSIR fellowships. Her postdoctoral and academic tenures at the University of Auckland, New Zealand and Deakin University, Australia have laid the foundation for international collaborative platforms such as the LactoPharma Consortium and the Deakin India Research Initiative (DIRI), where Dr. Kanwar has held several key, Regular, and Honorary/Adjunct faculty positions supporting and building novel research platforms.
Dr. Kanwar's research bridges molecular medicine, nanomedicine, and clinical translation, with particular focus on cancer therapeutics, drug resistance, chronic inflammation, microbial infections, regenerative medicine/tissue engineering, and diagnostic innovation.
Her research portfolio includes 300 research outputs, including 133 peer-reviewed publications, 26 book chapters, and 22 international patents across the US, Europe, and Asia, including technologies licensed/transferred to Fonterra NZ and Genesis Auckland. With an h-index of 45 and >6,800 citations, her work has significantly advanced applied biomedical research.
She has received multiple awards throughout her career, including Forttuna Biomedical Research Leader of the Year (2025), Excellence in Translational Biomedical Science Award (2024), Swasthya Shodh STREE SHAKTI Samman (2024), 2024 “Most Widely Read Author Recognition Certificate” from Cancer Medicine (Wiley), 2015: Vice-Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Research Supervision (Highly Commended), Deakin University Australia, 2013: Vice Chancellor's Award for Outstanding Contribution to Deakin Connectedness.
Currently, at AIIMS Bhopal, Dr. Kanwar has been instrumental as Head, Department of Translational Medicine in the establishment of fully functional world class laboratories to launch India's first MSc in Translational Medicine (2024) marking a transformative milestone in academic healthcare innovation, along with contributing as a collaborator to the development of world-class infrastructure for tissue engineering facility and Centre of Excellence for diagnosis of Infectious Causes of Reproductive Disorders.
Beyond research, her impact is seen in the supervision/mentorship of over 60 research scholars, including 45 PhD students. At Deakin, she supported cultural inclusion through initiatives like “Diwali at Deakin,” now a city-wide event in Geelong, Australia. Her passion for mentoring, innovation, and bridging the gap between bench and bedside underpins her professional philosophy.
Personal Quote:
“Great science starts with curiosity and thrives through ethics, perseverance, and purpose. True leadership transforms knowledge into hope, nurtures character, and drives translational science toward equity, impact, and global health. - Dr. Rupinder Kaur Kanwar”