Dr. Preeti Padmanabhan is an accomplished academician, researcher and administrator whose career in higher education spans more than two decades. Her work reflects a strong commitment to medical education, value-based learning and bioethics in healthcare. Currently serving as Professor and Head of the Department of Biochemistry at SSPM Medical College and Lifetime Hospital, Sindhudurg, she continues to contribute to institutional growth while pursuing work with wider national and global relevance.
For Dr. Padmanabhan, education has never been limited to the classroom. Across her career, she has contributed to higher education with particular emphasis on medicine, while also working across dentistry, physiotherapy, nursing, biotechnology and paramedical education. Her professional journey has brought her into close collaboration with academicians, researchers and administrators, giving her a broad understanding of how institutions and individuals grow together.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Current role | Professor & HOD, Department of Biochemistry, SSPM Medical College, Sindhudurg |
| Experience | 20+ years in higher education |
| Doctorate | Medical Biochemistry, Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences |
| Postgraduate | Medical Biochemistry, B.J. Medical College & Sassoon Hospitals, Pune |
| Specialisations | Clinical nutrition, bioethics, health law, laboratory management, accreditation |
| Recognition | National Teachers Award, Iconic Personality Recognition 2026 |
A defining academic foundation
A defining chapter in Dr. Padmanabhan's development was her association with Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences, Deemed University, Loni, Ahmednagar. It was here that her interest in teaching, research and administration was strengthened and refined. Over the years, she has trained doctors, dentists, nurses, physiotherapists, biotechnologists and paramedics. Her connection with students has extended well beyond formal instruction, with mentoring becoming an important part of her academic life.
Her academic foundation is equally extensive. She holds a doctorate in Medical Biochemistry from Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences and completed postgraduate training in Medical Biochemistry at B.J. Medical College and Sassoon Hospitals, Pune. She has also pursued advanced learning in clinical nutrition, bioethics, health law, medical education, public speaking, laboratory management, accreditation, administration and human resource management.
Bioethics and the wider mission
Her qualifications include an international postgraduate diploma in Bioethics and Health Law and certification relating to quality management systems in healthcare organisations. This breadth of training reflects not just academic curiosity but a deliberate effort to understand healthcare education from multiple angles — scientific, ethical, administrative and legal.
Dr. Padmanabhan's career demonstrates that the most meaningful impact in education often comes not from a single breakthrough but from decades of steady, committed work — teaching, mentoring, researching and building institutions that will outlast any individual. Her story is a reminder that knowledge, when paired with values, has the power to shape not just careers but entire communities of practice.