Keralite Dr Susan Eapen among Stanford’s top 2% Indian scientists in world

Stanford University has recently included Dr Susan Eapen in the list of the two per cent top-ranking Indian scientists in the world in the ‘Plant Biology and Botany’ category.
Dr Susan Eapen (Photo | Special Arrangement)
Dr Susan Eapen (Photo | Special Arrangement)

KOCHI: Stanford University has recently included Dr Susan Eapen in the list of the two per cent top-ranking Indian scientists in the world in the ‘Plant Biology and Botany’ category. Considered to be one of the pioneers in transgenic plant research, Susan Eapen, is a special BSc (Botany) graduate from Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam, and holds a post-graduate degree in ‘Genetics and Plant Breeding’ with a gold medal from the University Centre, University of Kerala, Kariavattom. 

“I was in the 15th batch of BARC Training School scientists in ‘Biology and Radio-biology’ and retired in 2011,” said Susan, a native of Kochi. She obtained her PhD in Applied Botany from Mysore University in 1982.

“However, I am not involved in any research work now. But I had recently published a paper on absorption of uranium from soil using vetiver plants,” she said. According to her, the research work for the paper was done sometime back. 

“At present, I am involved in triggering scientific temper among the faculty and students at Union Christian College, Aluva, as an adjunct professor in Biosciences Group,” she said. kSusan’s interests vary from plant biotechnology, production of secondary metabolites from in vitro cultures and phytoremediation. 

“We had done many research works in transgenic plants and developed ones that had been infused with a gene found in the human liver. So basically, they were non-vegetarian plants,” she said. “However, since the Government of India doesn’t give sanction for genetically altered plants to be used in fields, they all remain as mere research works,” said Susan. 

She was invited by the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2007 to chair a session and give a plenary talk on Symposium in “Pollution Ecology”. Immediately after the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster, she was approached to find solutions to contain low-level radioactive contamination at the site using plants. She has published 93 research papers of relevance and has review papers with the highest impact factor reaching up to 12.831. Her papers are still quoted in international journals.

“I was also involved in the ‘Cotton Mini Mission’ project of Government of India,” said Susan. According to her, she is a past president and member of the Board of Trustees of Indian Women Scientists’ Association (IWSA), which has over 2,500 members. 

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