Dr. Ruby Anto | Drug Discovery and Development | Best Researcher Award

Centre of Excellence in Nutraceuticals | India

Dr. Ruby Anto is a distinguished biochemist and cancer researcher with an extensive career dedicated to advancing the fields of molecular oncology, bioimmunotherapy, and nutraceutical science. She currently serves as Chief Scientist at the Centre of Excellence in Nutraceuticals, KSCSTE, Government of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, and Honorary Scientist at the Institute of Advanced Virology, Thiruvananthapuram. Over her accomplished career, she has held numerous scientific positions at the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, progressing from Research Associate to Scientist G, reflecting her consistent contributions and leadership in biomedical research.Dr. Anto earned her PhD in Biochemistry from Amala Cancer Research Centre, Thrissur, following her postgraduate studies in Chemistry and Education. Her multidisciplinary academic background—combining chemistry, biochemistry, and pedagogy—has been central to her innovative approach to cancer biology and molecular medicine. Her early academic achievements and later professional experiences at prestigious institutions such as the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, provided a strong foundation for her research on targeted cancer therapies, chemopreventive agents, and the role of natural products in disease modulation.Recognized nationally and internationally for her scientific excellence, Dr. Anto has received several prestigious honors, including the Young National Women Bio-Scientist Award from the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, and fellowships from the National Academy of Sciences, India, and the Academy of Sciences, Thiruvananthapuram. Her professional journey also includes global training experiences, such as her participation in the Clinical Trials Traineeship Program at INSERM, Paris, which broadened her expertise in translational research and clinical validation of nutraceutical interventions.As a mentor, Dr. Anto has nurtured a generation of young scientists, with her students and postdoctoral fellows earning numerous national and international awards for their work in cancer biology and nutraceutical research. Her leadership has fostered a thriving academic environment focused on the discovery and characterization of bioactive compounds from natural sources with therapeutic potential.Dr. Anto’s scientific publications have advanced understanding in areas such as natural compound-mediated cancer prevention, signaling pathway modulation, and anti-inflammatory mechanisms of nutraceuticals. Through her research, she continues to bridge the gap between basic biochemistry and applied health sciences, promoting nutraceutical innovation as a cornerstone of preventive and personalized medicine. Her lifelong dedication to scientific inquiry and mentorship underscores her status as one of India’s leading voices in biochemistry and nutraceutical research.

Profile: Google Scholar

Featured Publications

Ruby, A. J., Kuttan, G., Babu, K. D., Rajasekharan, K. N., & Kuttan, R. (1995). Anti-tumour and antioxidant activity of natural curcuminoids. Cancer Letters, 94(1), 79–83.

Anto, R. J., Mukhopadhyay, A., Denning, K., & Aggarwal, B. B. (2002). Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) induces apoptosis through activation of caspase-8, BID cleavage and cytochrome c release: Its suppression by ectopic expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl. Carcinogenesis, 23(1), 143–150.

Anto, R. J., Sukumaran, K., Kuttan, G., Rao, M. N. A., Subbaraju, V., & Kuttan, R. (1995). Anticancer and antioxidant activity of synthetic chalcones and related compounds. Cancer Letters, 97(1), 33–37.

Oommen, S., Anto, R. J., Srinivas, G., & Karunagaran, D. (2004). Allicin (from garlic) induces caspase-mediated apoptosis in cancer cells. European Journal of Pharmacology, 485(1–3), 97–103.*

Anto, R. J., Mukhopadhyay, A., Shishodia, S., Gairola, C. G., & Aggarwal, B. B. (2002). Cigarette smoke condensate activates nuclear transcription factor-κB through phosphorylation and degradation of IκBα: Correlation with induction of cyclooxygenase-2. Carcinogenesis, 23(9), 1511–1518.*

Bava, S. V., Puliappadamba, V. T., Deepti, A., Nair, A., Karunagaran, D., & Anto, R. J. (2005). Sensitization of taxol-induced apoptosis by curcumin involves down-regulation of nuclear factor-κB and the serine/threonine kinase Akt and is independent of tubulin polymerization. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 280(8), 6301–6308.*

Srinivas, G., Anto, R. J., Srinivas, P., Vidhyalakshmi, S., Senan, V. P., & Karunagaran, D. (2003). Emodin induces apoptosis of human cervical cancer cells through poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage and activation of caspase-9. European Journal of Pharmacology, 473(2–3), 117–125.*