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Tara Rajendran, MBBS, Ph.D., MFA

Also known as: Oncology and Strings

Kasturba Medical College Mangalore, Annamalai University

ORCID iD 0000-0002-9615-4025
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About

Winner of the “SEMPRE ‘Making a Difference’ Award” for her research capacity-building work in Tanzania, Africa, and “The Arnold Bentley New Initiatives Award” for her Ph.D. research projects from the Society for Education and Music Psychology Research, UK (2025–2026), Dr. Rajendran is one of the most influential #PhysicianMusicians, leading conversations globally on integrating RCT/meta-analysis-based music-based interventions (MBIs) into clinical infrastructures as an adjunct to standard care through clinician education and research mentorship. 'Oncology and Strings' is her pioneering lecture-concert advocacy program through which she aims to train physicians for MBI research. She has spoken and performed on the 'Saraswati Veena' in Africa, Asia, the US, and also at the United Nations Tanzania. Through 'Oncology and Strings', Tara lends free 'Veena' recordings ('Chordae Tendineae') and performs free music concerts at cancer/hospice/palliative care centers (Tata Memorial Hospital & Adayar Cancer Institute—premier government cancer programs of India, and Pallium India (a WHO Collaborative Center).

Dr. Rajendran graduated from one of India's 6 'Institutes of Eminence' ('Manipal Academy of Higher Education’), standing in the top 1.2 percentile of undergraduate students in India (Top 15 national Rhodes finalists) for the world's most prestigious & expensive scholarships - The Rhodes scholarship '18 for her academic brilliance, outstanding extracurricular achievements, & leadership potential. In 2020, ’LinktheDots’ named Tara as one of the '20 brilliant Indians in their 20s’.

Dr. Rajendran's academic focus in medicine is lymphoma. She has received various research grants, including the Indian Council of Medical Research-STS, and has presented posters/abstracts at the AACR & ASCO. Her research has been published in prestigious journals.

Tara was deemed a child prodigy and an internationally acclaimed classical ’Saraswati Veena’ musician. Recipient of several accolades & merit scholarships, Tara received the highest attainable award for Girl Guiding from the Hon. President of India in 2008, along with the ’Musician’ proficiency badge. Her first AIR (national radio broadcaster) performance was in 2010. She also holds a BA and MFA in Veena and is a GRAMMY U Recording Academy member.

Her short stories have appeared in Indian Literature (Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters), Blood and Thunder (University of Oklahoma College of Medicine), and the International Human Rights Arts Festival, among others.

Employment

  • Kasturba Medical College Mangalore Compulsory Rotatory Residential Intern (CRRI)
    2018 - 2019

Education

  • Annamalai University Ph.D in Music
    2019 - 2025
  • Annamalai University MFA (Master of Fine arts) in Veena
    2016 - 2019
  • Annamalai University Bachelor in Music in Veena
    2013 - 2016
  • Kasturba Medical College Mangalore MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery)
    2012 - 2019

Projects & Funding

Projects & funding information is unavailable.

Publications (20)