Assistant Professor
Biology and Performing Arts (Theatre)
vasudev.menon@ssla.edu.in
In my classroom, my fellow students and I become co-investigators of the living world. Together, we explore how discourse and understanding in biology is shaped by cultural, historical, social and philosophical paradigms. The ultimate aim is to construct a fluid dialogical space where explanations in the sciences are not treated as static monolithic facts, existing in vacuum to be memorized, but are deeply human, perspectival, constantly evolving and entangled within webs of historical narratives. I am of the view that biological literacy, acquired this way, is transformative and ushers in individual intellectual liberation, civic agency, and a more equitable society….and somewhere along the way you may encounter terms like critical thinking, inter/cross disciplinarity, problem solving, transferable skills, workforce competencies, employment readiness etc.
I completed my doctoral degree in Molecular Medicine at the University of Glasgow, UK and a Research Assistantship at the MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, UK. My training and work there were broadly in the area of immunology/infectious disease, and specifically in the role of macrophages in the inflammatory pathogenesis and resolution in acute and chronic renal injury models. From here on, I developed an interest in what would broadly be in the area of history, philosophy and public understanding of immunology/infection biology and process ontology driven explanations to biological individuality.
I have been teaching at SSLA in various capacities since 2015. In addition to this, I have taught courses at the Symbiosis Centre for Liberal Arts with foci on public understanding of science and performing arts.
Outside of work, you may find me plying my trade in writing, directing or performing in theatre and film, having trained (albeit not as much as one would have liked) as an actor at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and a cinematographer at the L.V.Prasad Film and TV Institute, Chennai. I have directed and mentored student productions at the Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce and the St. Mary’s School, Pune
