The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for the year 2015 in Medical Sciences has been awarded to Dr. Vidita Ashok Vaidya of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, for her outstanding contributions in identifying specific norepinephrine and thyroid hormone receptors as targets for rapid-action antidepressants. She has also demonstrated the role of serotonin 2A receptors and histone deacetylase 4 in anxiety and depression.
The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology (SSB) is a science award given by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for notable and outstanding research, applied or fundamental, in biology, chemistry, environmental science, engineering, mathematics, medicine and physics. This is a much sought-after Indian award in multidisciplinary science and is named after the founder Director of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar. It is awarded to an Indian citizen up to the age of 45 years who is engaged in research in any field of science and technology. The prize comprises a citation, a plaque, and a cash award of ₹5 lakh.
Dr. Vidita Vaidya is also an adjunct visiting faculty at Medical Research Centre-Kasturba Health Society.
Prime Minister Shree Narendra Modi along with Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar & CSIR Prize awardees at the award function held in September 2016 at New Delhi. Dr. Vidita Vaidya seated 4th from left.