The winner of the Dr. Arundhati Tambwekar award for Excellence in Pathology at CMC, Vellore, for the year 2026 is Dr. Abirami R. K.
Dr. Abirami specializes in Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion (MD) and is a Senior Resident in the Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion at Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore. Her choice of Transfusion Medicine is deeply personal: she experienced the loss of a family member when blood was unavailable at a critical moment, and later saw another family member recover through a life-saving transfusion. These experiences shaped her commitment to safe, timely transfusion support and to a specialty where scientific precision and compassionate care save lives.
Her academic record includes being the second school topper in the Class X board examination, earning Honours in Anatomy and Ophthalmology during her MBBS at Karpagam Faculty of Medical Sciences and Research, Coimbatore, and distinctions in all other professional MBBS examinations. She also achieved the highest marks in her MD University Examination for which she received the Dr. Arundathi Tambwekar Award for Excellence in Pathology, instituted by The Arundhati Foundation in June 2026.
Her experience includes blood bank operations, component preparation, immunohematological investigations, apheresis, hemovigilance, and HLA and coagulation laboratory services. She is especially interested in coagulation and haemostasis, laboratory diagnostics, and the investigation of bleeding and thrombotic disorders. She hopes to establish a well-equipped, reliable diagnostic laboratory in her home district, where access to specialized healthcare is limited, helping make quality testing and timely diagnosis more accessible.
Outside medicine, she enjoys drawing, painting, poetry, craftwork, architecture and planning. She also values music, yoga, teaching, and time with her family. These interests bring creativity and balance to her professional life and reflect her appreciation for careful observation, thoughtful design, and lifelong learning.
We wish Dr. Abirami the very best for her future endeavours and efforts to make quality testing and diagnosis more accessible.
