The Hindu Business Line : ‘Bio-, nanotech, critical areas for India’s growth’

Subra Suresh, a 1977 graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, on July 23 assumed the role of the Dean of the School of Engineering of the famed Massachusetts Institute of technology (MIT). Earlier the Ford Professor of Enginee ring in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, he succeeded Institute Professor Thomas Magnanti, epitomising the heights that professionals of Indian origin have scaled in both the corporate world and academia in the US.

Dr Suresh’s current research, according to the MIT Web site, focuses on experimental and computational studies of the mechanical responses of single biological cells and molecules and their implications for human health and diseases. His prior and ongoing work has also led to seminal contributions in the area of nano- and micro-scale mechanical properties of engineered materials.

His many awards and honours include election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and academies of engineering and/or science based in Germany, India, Italy and Spain. Last year, he received the Acta Materialia Gold Medal for “ ;pioneering research” into the mechanical properties of materials and was selected by MIT’s Technology Review magazine for its TR10 list as one of the 10 scientists whose research will have "a significant impact on business, medicine or culture" in the years ahead.

Suresh is the recipient of the 2007 European Materials Medal from the Federation of European Materials Societies. He is the first scientist based outside Europe to receive the award.

After his B.Tech from IIT Madras, Dr Suresh received a master’s from Iowa State University in 1979 before pursuing doctoral studies at MIT, where he received the Sc.D. in 1981. After two years of postdoctoral research at the Universit y of California at Berkeley, he joined the faculty at Brown University, where he became professor of engineering in 1989 before returning to the Institute in 1993 as the R.P. Simmons Professor.

In this e-mail interview, Dr Suresh talks about his new appointment, his work and what it could contribute to society:

Is your appointment as Dean of the prestigious School of Engineering at MIT an affirmation that Indian origin people are scaling the heights of both academia and the corporate sector in the US? What qualities do you see in them, and in your self, that has helped high achievers in a meritocratic society?

People of Indian origin in the US have long established themselves as accomplished professionals in many different fields, including the arts, sciences, technology and industry.

In the 1990s and early part of this decade, the entrepreneurial spirit of the Indian residents in the United States became well recognised. Colleagues of Indian origin have also established a strong presence in leading academic institutions in the United States, where they have prominent leadership roles in growing numbers. This trend points to the strong educational foundations they received in their secondary and tertiary education in India from institutions such as the IITs and the IISc.

What will be your agenda for MIT? Do you see yourself setting a new direction for the school of engineering?

In this “Century of Engineering and Technology”, engineering plays a critical role in not only the shaping of the future of humanity, but also addressing major and complex problems for which technology can offer solutions.

To this end, multidisciplinary research and education in the global context is vital. Many of my priorities will address these aspects.

You studied in IIT Madras before you left for the US. Education is touted to be the key if India is to really enjoy its demographic dividend. Now that you have been able to observe the education systems in India and in the US, what would y our prescription be for India’s policy-makers?

Indian academic institutions have the luxury of attracting a vast talent pool from domestic sources. Many institutions have excellent educational programmes and established track record. At the same time, as major new institutions in science and technology are created in large numbers, it is very important that high standards be established for education, and that the educational activities do not become too commercialised.

It is also important to ensure that adequate support and infrastructure are provided for sustainable, long-term research at the cutting edge of technology to position India as a birthplace of innovation.

Information technology has so captured students’ imagination that even biotech students are said to be taking up programming jobs, not related to their vertical. What, then, is the future for other areas? How long do you think the IT boom will last, and how long will it continue to absorb emerging engineers?

IT is definitely an important area for current and future growth. But, there are also many other areas of science and technology that are critical for India’s growth. These include: biotechnology, energy, environment, nanotechnology, etc.

A large country such as India with a vast talent pool should be able to focus on a broad spectrum of important areas of technology for its future growth and prosperity.

From materials science to biological engineering, why the transition and how have you managed it?

My research into engineered materials has focused on micro- and nano-scale properties. The natural extension of this work was to begin to explore cell and molecular level responses of “living materials”. I found this transition to be exciting and intellectually invigorating.

I realized that studying the mechanical properties of living cells and molecules at the smallest of force and displacement resolutions currently available provided an exciting opportunity to apply state-of-the-art engineering and physics to living systems. At the same time, it also provided a unique opportunity to address key factors influencing the progression of human diseases. Such studies at the intersections of engineering, physical sciences, life sciences, medicine and public health are very rare. I spent several years learning the literature and basics of fields such as biology, microbiology and parasitology, and worked closely with biologists and medical doctors. This gave a very good preparation to venture into new fields.

You and your team have just completed some pioneering work on the effect of the Malarial parasite on blood cells. In what way will this work be furthered and in layman’s terms, how would it benefit a society like India where malaria i s so prevalent?

At the scientific level, we are exploring the mechanisms underlying the pathogenic basis of malaria. Many of the tools and approaches developed here could also offer possible applications for diagnostics, drug efficacy assays and therapeutics, which could be particularly useful for countries such as India.

If we can develop portable, disposable, and inexpensive (but technologically sophisticated) diagnostic tools for diseases such as malaria on the basis of the scientific results obtained, it would be enormous value to countries such as India.

Is India going up the outsourcing value chain, and what are its prospects in biological, and biomedical engineering?

In recent years, there have been many industries, as well as their clinical, developmental and R&D branches, established in India in the broad area of biomedicine and pharma. This trend is likely to continue to accelerate.

Incorporating advanced research into medical practice through state-of-the-art discoveries in biomedical devices, drug delivery systems, implant materials, tissue engineering and biocompatible systems, would provide new opportunities for science and business.

What do you think of the perceptible shift among engineers to pursue management degrees rather than research in their own fields?

While the rapid economic expansion of India provides numerous opportunities for financial success, the evolution of a greater number of high-end research and educational institutions will make it more appealing to pursue scientific research in many fields. Improved research infrastructure will inevitably lead to greater appeal for scientific research.

What would be your advice to young students from the IITs looking to pursue a research career in the US? Do you see young graduates from IITs looking to take up academic work and research or heading to lucrative careers in the corporate sec tor?

In leading academic institutions in the United States, there is still the opportunity to attract highly qualified applicants from around the world, who wish to perform cutting edge scientific research.

Lastly, being in the US for over two-and-a-half decades, do you think you’ve retained your Indianess? What would you like to do by which you can contribute to India in any way that you can?

The values I inherited during my childhood in India have stayed with me during the past three decades. I have maintained close contact with India during this entire time, and I continue to interact very closely, both professionally and personally, in India.

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