I received my MSc in Biochemistry in 1986, and my PhD in Biochemistry in 1992 both from the University of Mysore in India. I started my career working my way up through various hospital positions in the Department of Laboratory Medicine, starting as associate biochemist, moving on to biochemist; and then head of the Department of Biochemistry at Mallya Hospital in Bangalore.

Before Joining Icon in 2008, I was the general manager and director of a central laboratory called Clinigene International in Bangalore. There I was responsible for establishing and developing the lab and establishing it as the first laboratory in the country to be accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) during 2002. I also had the privilege of getting the laboratory accredited in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025 during 2003.

I am managing director of one of Icon's global central laboratories, located in Bangalore. I have been at Icon since May 2008 and have enjoyed playing a leadership role in the laboratory's growth. As the lab in India has grown in size, so have my responsibilities. In addition to offering laboratory testing, our lab in India also provides logistics, site services, IT validation and data management solutions, including the management of local lab data through a solution we call IRIS (Icon Results Integration Service).

I started my career in a hospital diagnostic laboratory, in 2001, when clinical research was just picking up in India. I had an opportunity to move to this industry and that was the turning point in my professional life. I grew with the Industry and learned everything about clinical research.

Establishing the laboratory from the ground up has been my crowning achievement at Icon so far. In just six months with two people, we were able to identify the location, design the floor plan, select the architects, purchase equipment and hire a team-- opening our doors in November of 2008. The lab was accredited by College of American Pathologists in March 2009, just four months after opening.