Title: Professor of Theoretical Physics
Affiliation: International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS), Bengaluru
Email: sumathi.rao@icts.res.in; sumathi@hri.res.in;
Bio: Prof. Sumathi Rao is a prominent Indian theoretical physicist specializing in condensed matter physics. She is currently a Professor at the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS) in Bengaluru. Dr. Rao completed her PhD in high energy physics at Stony Brook University under the supervision of Robert Shrock, focusing on B-L violation in grand unified theories. She transitioned to theoretical condensed matter physics after holding postdoctoral positions at Fermilab and the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Her research interests include electronic transport in quantum wires, quantum dots, and correlated mesoscopic physics in low dimensions. Dr. Rao has also been an advocate for the representation of women in physics, having served on the IUPAP Women in Physics working group. She is a Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, India, the Indian Academy of Sciences, and the American Physical Society.