For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in prestigious journal Nature
According to Debarati Chatterjee, the well-known “leaky pipeline” model in gender studies shows how the number of women gets depleted as they climb up the career ladder in scientific research.
Professor Debarati Chatterjee is the first woman professor in Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA)’s 37-year-old history. (Special Arrangement)
Women researchers in astrophysics comprise less than 20 per cent and in theoretical physics the fraction of women is even lower. So when the prestigious Nature journal featured professor Debarati Chatterjee, the first woman professor in Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA)’s 37-year-old history, it was significant not only due to her role as a theoretical physicist but also because of her efforts on trying to remove the existing prejudice against women in science in India.
“The journey for a woman in science, particularly in theoretical physics, is a struggle and women like me are trying to break the glass ceiling that still exists. Hence figuring in the Career Q and A series in Nature can go a long way to inspire women to step forward and find their place in such male dominated disciplines,” Chatterjee said, acknowledging the journal’s support for her efforts. Her research group generates complex theoretical models to understand the mystery of the interior composition of neutron stars.
According to Chatterjee, the well-known “leaky pipeline” model in gender studies shows how the number of women gets depleted as they climb up the career ladder in scientific research. “Often they are not given the recognition and visibility for their work as their male peers. My aim is to challenge the existing stereotypes and prejudices based on gender, race or ethnicity in India and globally,” Chatterjee, who is chair of education and public outreach – LIGO -India project at IUCAA, told The Indian Express.
Chatterjee continues to advocate for more women—especially in astrophysics through her work promoting gender equity. (Special Arrangement)
Pursuing her post-doctoral studies in 2010 abroad, she also witnessed persistent race, class and gender biases in the international scientific community. She works in the field of gravitational-wave science and on her return to India, joined IUCAA where this June she became its first female full professor and continues to advocate for more women—especially in astrophysics through her work promoting gender equity.
Why it is important to popularise science
Science popularisation has been emphasised by many renowned pioneers in India, including IUCAA founder-director Dr Jayant Narlikar, Dr N Rathnasree and others. “At present, India is involved in global scientific collaborations and mega-science projects, and there is an urgent need to highlight their importance to the general public, to inform upcoming generations about the diverse career opportunities in emerging multi-disciplinary fields and to develop communities to ensure their successful execution. This was my inspiration behind introducing innovative initiatives for the LIGO-India mega-science project, such as student blogs and podcasts with experts, features highlighting women in gravitational wave science and interviews with early career researchers contributing to this field,” she said.
On international science fests
Traditional science teaching remains confined to classrooms and lecture theatres and hence learning about cutting-edge science in an informal and interactive setting through outreach events provides people the opportunity to interact directly with researchers and to experience it in a fun way so they are not intimidated. According to Prof Chatterjee, this was the motivation behind launching the Pint of Science festival in India. This is an annual international science festival that brings scientists to share their latest research with a wider audience in a pedagogical way with people in a relaxed atmosphere outside the labs and research institutes – such as their local cafes, bars or public spaces. Originating in the UK in 2013, this festival has spread to more than 500 cities in 27 countries, and in May 2025 the festival was launched in India across three cities – New Delhi, Pune and Bengaluru and aims to include other cities in the coming years.
Neglected science disciplines
“Highlighting research in a wide range of topics also provides information to the children and young students to make informed decisions about future career paths, beyond popular domains such as IT and medicine. This is crucial as currently many science disciplines are neglected as career options in universities due to less popularity,” Prof Chatterjee said. Direct interaction with scientists also serves to remove myths and misinformation. “Such events are helping to remove the preconception that science is boring and unapproachable. It has started a new trend of science-themed events in different cities, reflecting the need for broader science outreach to quench the thirst for curiosity in science in Indian society,” Prof Chatterjee added.
Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues .
Professional Background
Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature.
Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO.
Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives.
Awards and Recognition
Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.”
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care
"Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease.
Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose.
2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series)
Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs.
"For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune.
3. Lifestyle & Wellness News
"They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions.
At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents.
4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure
For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics.
Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far.
Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership
Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions.
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Chatterjee continues to advocate for more women—especially in astrophysics through her work promoting gender equity. (Special Arrangement)
