BNA Face of the Fortnight: Ananya Shankar

4th Mar 2024

The BNA Face of the Fortnight is a new initiative, where we want to showcase the breadth, depth, and variety of neuroscience in the UK and abroad.

BNA Face of the Fortnight: Monday 4th March 2024

Ananya Shankar, is a passionate Clinical Neuropsychiatry graduate from King's College London, currently working as a project lead at NIMHANS. Her focus on translational neuroscience encompasses neurodegenerative disorders, and psychosis research. An advocate for inclusivity in the field, Ananya serves as Women in Neuroscience UK's (WiN UK) virtual events director.

As a research scientist, Ananya navigates the intersection of science, sustainability and society, exploring tauopathies, epilepsy, and psychosis. Her recent work on de novo psychosis in epilepsy fuels her dedication. Beyond academia, Ananya contributes to community service, mental health initiatives, and environmental awareness campaigns as a volunteer and theatre artist. She's also the founder of The Neurojournalist, unique platform that transcends traditional boundaries between science, medicine, art, technology, and social sciences in neuro-related fields. Ananya aims to create a safe space for sharing a mutual passion and fascination about the brain and encourages expression through various mediums, whether it be art or writing. Ananya's multifaceted approach exemplifies her commitment to making a meaningful impact on both the scientific community and society at large.
Ananya joined the BNA a year ago, after being drawn in by the BNA 'Face of the Fortnight’ highlights. Seeing these posts rekindled her desire to meaningfully contribute to the neuroscience community particularly in the realm of neuropsychiatry. Ananya has recently become a Green Neuroscience ambassador for the BNA and hopes to inspire others in a similar way.

Each Fortnight, we ask our featured individuals for the Top Tips they would like to share with our members; Here’s what Ananya had to say:

“One tip that has always helped me and stayed with me is " Seek and ye shall find." It's not about consistency, but constantly trying the best you can, even if it's 10 minutes a day, to put in the effort to make your career. 10 minutes is better than 0. It will yield results at some point, I promise. And it does get better.”

If you are interested in being a BNA Face of the Fortnight, find the details here. If you have any questions then please contact the BNA Office at office@bna.org.uk