Dr. Pushya A Gautama (MD) is currently a Doctoral Scholar at the Consciousness Studies Programme, School of Humanities, National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Indian Institute of Science campus, Bengaluru (October 2020 – present). Her doctoral advisor is Prof. Sangeetha Menon, Dean, School of Humanities. Her doctoral thesis is focused on understanding the notion of well-being in Ayurvedic thought, through the concepts of self, consciousness and life-purpose. Her research interests include indigenous healing traditions, well-being studies, indigenous approaches to knowledge and knowing, integrative medicine, and clinical research on holistic healing traditions.

Educational Background –

PhD – October 2020 – present

Thesis – Situating the Correlates of well-being through an Āyurvedic approach to the concepts of consciousness, self and life-purpose.

Thesis Advisor – Prof. Sangeetha Menon, Dean, School of Humanities, and Head, Consciousness Studies Programme

Doctor of Medicine (M.D) – November 2015 – February 2019, SDM College of Ayurveda and Hospital, Hassan

Bachelors degree (BAMS) – July 2009 – November 2009, SDM College of Ayurveda and Hospital, Hassan

Āyurvedā is an Indian healing tradition that is at least 3000 years old, and is associated with diverse and evolving paradigms of praxis. In Āyurvedic thought, there is an intrinsic link between the mind (manas) and the body (śarīra). A perpetual awareness of such interconnectedness, not only between the body and mind, but between the self and the world forms one of the foundations of Āyurvedic thought. A dynamic harmony established between the mind, the body and the world constitutes a unique, personal well-being benchmark in Ayurvedic thought. In this context, the research work attempts to understand the networked notion of well-being in the Āyurvedic tradition, and also critically examines the concepts of consciousness, self and life-purpose in the context of wellbeing as they inform Āyurvedic thought and praxis.

1. Journal Publication: Pushya A Gautama. RCTs and other clinical trial designs in Ayurveda: A review of challenges and opportunities. Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine. (2021). 12(3):556-561. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaim.2021.06.012
2. Book Chapter: Sangeetha Menon, Pushya A Gautama, Saurabh Todariya. “Post-Covid world and new Humanism” (2021). COVID-19 Pandemic, History, Science & Society. Kant, R (Ed.). Published by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) publications. Pp.140-151. (ISBN : 978-93-5409-175-9)
3. Book Chapter: GG Gangadharan, Pushya A Gautama. “COVID-19 and Integrative Medicine: Ayurveda perspective” (2021). COVID-19: Many Facets and Dimensions: A multi-disciplinary compendium of current evidence and experience. Special issue published by the Ramaiah Group of Institutions in collaboration with the Center for Global Health, University of Illinois, USA and the International Infectious Disease and Global Health Training Program, University of Manitoba, Canada. Pp. 467-477.
4. Book Chapter: GG Gangadharan, Pushya A Gautama. “Ayurveda: A Lived Science” (2020). Two futures of Food, Health and Humanity: A civlizational dialogue. V Shiva, GG Gangadharan (Eds.) Navdhanya&CISSA. Pp. 29-43. (ISBN : 978-81-948175-4-3)
5. Book Chapter: GG Gangadharan, Pushya A Gautama. “Understanding the Interconnectedness of Man and Nature in the context of Ahara (food)” (2020). Two futures of Food, Health and Humanity: A civlizational dialogue. V Shiva, GG Gangadharan (Eds.) Navdhanya&CISSA. Pp. 45-62. (ISBN : 978-81-948175-4-3)

1. Conference Presentation: Presented a paper (online) titled “as” in the panel “Ways of Healing: Exploring non-Biomedical Cures as Emancipatory and Biopolitical Knowledge-Practices – I: Pluralism and difference in non-biomedical healing and wellbeing” organized by the Society for the social studies of Science, Toronto Canada, on 8th October, 2021.
2. Invited Talk: Delivered a talk (online) titled “Understanding consciousness in Ayurveda” at the Conference “Sadhana: Ayurveda in the 4th Dimension” organized by the Arya Vaidya Pharmacy Coimbatore and the Center for Soft Power, on 8th Dec., 2020.
3. Course Lecture: Delivered a lecture (online) titled “The Self and Experience in Ayurveda Clinical Practice” as a part of the course “Philosophy, Self and Consciousness” organized by the NIAS Consciousness Studies Programme on 8th March, 2021.
4. Course Lecture: Delivered a lecture (online) titled “How does Ayurveda Understand Existence and Being” as a part of the course “Quintessence of Being” organized by the NIAS Consciousness Studies Programme on 8th October, 2021
5. Course Lecture: Delivered a lecture (online) titled “The Balanced Self” as a part of the course “Nine dimensions of the the Lockdown Experience” organized by the NIAS Consciousness Studies Programme on 23rd June, 2020.
6. Others: Delivered a lecture (online) titled “Lessons Learnt from Traditional Indian Health Systems: A Case Study on Ayurveda” as a part of the Friday Lecture Series organized by the NIAS Consciousness Studies Programme on 10th July, 2020.

Coordinated the course titled “Philosophy, Self and Consciousness” NIAS-CSP from February-June 2021.

Academic Awards:

1. MD – University Gold Medal for final year MD Examinations conducted by the Rajeev Gandhi University of Health Sciences, March, 2019
2. BAMS – University record for highest marks scored ever (82.19%) in the final year BAMS examinations conducted by the Rajeev Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bengaluru, achieved on November 2014 (record unbroken till date).
3. Best Outgoing Student Award from SDM College of Ayurveda and Hospital, Hassan, November, 2015.

Some others:

1. Winner – ‘Hridayamritam’: National Level Ashtanga Hridayam competition conducted by Amrita School of Ayurveda, Kollam, Kerala on December, 2015.
2. Best Paper Award for presentation on ‘Holistic approach to the management of Diabetes’ at National Level Seminar ‘Ayurvision 2016’ conducted by Centre for Integrated Medicine and Research (CIMR), Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka on December, 2016.