Bahraini Student Excels Globally

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Dr. Fathima Ridha, who began her academic journey in Bahrain, has emerged as one of the fastest-rising researchers in bioinformatics after completing both her Master’s and PhD at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras in just 4.5 years.

A former student of the Asian School and New Millennium School, Fathima pursued a Direct PhD programme at IIT Madras, India’s top-ranked engineering institute, after her Bachelor’s degree. She earlier secured a Gold Medal in BTech Biotechnology from NIT Calicut.

Record feat

Her doctoral research focused on developing machine learning and AI-based computational tools to study membrane protein complexes, which are among the most important drug targets. The work contributes to better understanding of disease mechanisms and can help guide the design of more effective therapies.

Prestigious honours

With over 10 publications in high-impact peer-reviewed journals, Fathima has presented her findings at conferences in Europe, Japan and Korea. She has won awards including the Royal Society of Chemistry Poster Prize and Best Flash Talk, and was also named an Institute Research Awardee in 2025.

Her exceptional performance was recognised with the Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF), India’s highest research fellowship for doctoral candidates.

Bahrain connection

Proud parents Mohammed Kutty Karuvanthodikayil and Babitha P.C. said her success reflects the strong academic foundation she gained in Bahrain. Her siblings, Ameena Rena and Rishal Mohammed, were also students of the Asian School.

Dr. Fathima’s rapid rise in academia, from Bahrain’s classrooms to India’s premier institute, has been hailed as an inspiration for the next generation of scientists.