Ramya Ravindranathan, PhD

What’s the most important leadership lesson you’ve learned?

Listening and empowering others is more impactful than directing. Trusting your team, valuing diverse perspectives, and fostering collaboration creates stronger solutions and inspires commitment.

What do you aspire to accomplish in your career and why? What obstacles will you overcome?

To translate insights from cancer biology into therapies that make a real difference, a mission made personal after losing my mom to cancer. While complex biology and setbacks are inevitable, I stay driven by curiosity, perseverance, and the desire to create meaningful impact.

What is your favorite word? (only one word)

Perseverance.

How do you define it?

A winner is just a loser who tried ONE MORE TIME!

How has this word influenced or inspired your career?

Perseverance has shaped both my confidence and my career trajectory. The progress I have made in my career has not been the result of convenience or simplicity, but of perseverance: staying committed to challenging questions long enough to turn complexity into clarity.

How does AWIS impact your career journey?

I’m fairly new to AWIS and am excited about the opportunity to connect with inspiring women who actively support and uplift one another in their professional journeys.

What are you currently reading or listening to?

Atomic Habits by James Clear.

What do you consider the best professional or personal advice you’ve ever received?

Stand by your work if you genuinely believe in it. Not every opinion requires a reaction, and learning to differentiate between constructive criticism and noise has been incredibly empowering.

Ramya Ravindranathan, PhD, is a molecular and cellular biologist by training, with a strong focus on understanding the mechanisms that govern DNA repair and cellular responses to stress. She is passionate about translating complex biological processes into meaningful applications in oncology and beyond. Beyond the bench, she engages in connecting and learning from peers and mentoring emerging scientists. In her free time, Ramya enjoys dancing and cooking.