Spotlight: An Indian-Origin Neuroscientist Wins The Lister Prize This Year

Dr. Srikanth Ramaswamy, a computational neuroscientist of Indian descent, has been named one of six new Fellows for the 2023 Lister Prize in recognition of his achievements in his early career, which demonstrated excellent potential for future biomedical research. His research advances knowledge of illness, infections, and the body’s recuperative processes, assisting in the creation of novel therapeutic strategies.  

Future leaders in biomedical research can be supported and developed with the help of the Lister Prize Fellowships, which are one-time rewards. These prizes are intended for people who are just starting their careers. Each year, the prizes totaling 250,000 euros are awarded following a thorough peer evaluation of the written applications, an interview with members of the Lister Institute’s Scientific Advisory Committee, and the awarding of the prizes.    

The grant is given as a lump payment and must be used within five years of receiving it. Except for your salary, it can be used for any research-related fees and expenses, including post-doctoral employees’, technicians’, or PhD students’ salaries.  

Dr. Ramaswamy is the director of the Neural Circuits Laboratory and a fellow at Newcastle University’s NUAcT program. His research tries to create computer models of how the brain executes cognitive activities in order to better understand how the brain functions.  

The brain responds to behavioral demands by continuously adapting. It accomplishes this by releasing neuromodulators to regulate the activity of nerve cells (neurons) and their networks.  

Chemical messengers called neuromodulators, such as histamine, acetylcholine, noradrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin, govern the emergence of brain movement by regulating neural network activity and shifting between behavioral states like sleep, alertness, distraction, and attention.  

Research by Dr. Ramaswamy will examine how neuromodulators affect cognition and use this understanding to create computer models of how the brain functions normally and how it malfunctions in sickness.  

Winning the coveted Lister Prize, he claimed, “will advance my research at Newcastle University and advance my career.”    

“The flexibility of funding provided by a Lister Prize will allow me to build a multidisciplinary team to advance with this new research direction, focusing on biological and artificial neural networks,” continued Dr. Ramaswamy. In addition, I will gain access to the Institute’s mentorship program for scientists in their early careers and join a network of Lister Fellows for life.