Mangaluru’s Prof. Charishma D’Silva Receives Prestigious Global Young Investigator Award

Mangaluru’s Prof. Charishma D’Silva Receives Prestigious Global Young Investigator Award

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, July 12, 2026: Prof. Charishma D’Silva, Principal of Father Muller Physiotherapy College, Mangaluru, has brought international recognition to the city after receiving the prestigious Young Investigator Award 2026 for her pioneering research in cancer rehabilitation. The award was presented at the joint annual conference of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) and the International Society of Oral Oncology (ISOO) held recently in Melbourne, Australia.

Considered one of the world’s foremost scientific gatherings on supportive cancer care, the conference honours young researchers whose work ranks among the best submitted globally. Prof. D’Silva’s research was selected from over 3,000 scientific papers, making her only the fifth Indian to receive the coveted award in the past two decades.

Breakthrough in Cancer Rehabilitation:
Prof. D’Silva was recognised for her research titled "Long-term Impact of an Exercise Oncology Programme on Chemoradiotherapy-Induced Complications in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer." The study demonstrated that structured exercise-based interventions can significantly reduce treatment-related complications and improve the quality of life of patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy for head and neck cancer.

The recognition is being viewed as a major milestone for Indian physiotherapy and cancer rehabilitation research, highlighting the growing global contribution of Indian researchers in supportive oncology.

Journey of Academic Excellence:
An alumna of Father Muller Physiotherapy College (2003 batch), Prof. D’Silva completed her undergraduate studies at Kasturba Medical College (KMC), Mangaluru, before earning a Master’s degree in Physiotherapy (Cardiopulmonary Sciences).

She began her academic career as a lecturer at Father Muller Institutions in 2010 and steadily rose through the ranks to become Head of the Department. In August 2023, she was appointed the founding Principal of Father Muller Physiotherapy College.

She is currently pursuing her PhD in Onco-Rehabilitation at Nitte (Deemed to be University), further strengthening her expertise in cancer rehabilitation.

Research and Leadership:
Prof. D’Silva has authored several research papers published in internationally reputed journals. She has earlier received the ICMR Young Scientist Travel Grant and a scholarship to attend a scientific conference in Seattle, USA.

In addition to her academic and research achievements, she has served as a member of the Academic Council of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS). She was also recently appointed as the Karnataka State Nodal Officer by the Karnataka Allied and Healthcare Professions Commission.

Her latest international recognition not only celebrates her individual achievement but also underscores the growing global reputation of Mangaluru’s medical and physiotherapy institutions in advancing healthcare research.