Nellore’s 75-Year-Old Nano Scientist Gets Global Stanford Recognition
Dr Varada Rajulu is named in Stanford’s Top 2% Scientists list for the fifth year
Nellore: At an age when most people prefer slowing down, 75-year-old retired professor Dr. Anumukonda Varada Rajulu of Nellore has made remarkable scientific achievements that have brought him world recognition.
Stanford University in the USA has included him in its prestigious list of Top 2% Scientists Globally for Five Consecutive Years (2021–2025), recognising both the consistency and impact of his research.
Supporting this global acclaim are multiple international and Indian patents that Dr. Varada Rajulu possesses for his pioneering work in eco-friendly nano-composites and nano-medicine.
Over the years after completing his schooling at R.S.R. Municipal School and a degree from V.R. College in Nellore, apart from M.Sc. and PhD from Sri Venkateswara University, Dr Varada Rajulu has served as a teacher and researcher at Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Anantapur, until his retirement in 2010.
Retirement for him proved only a milestone—not a finishing line. Over the decades, his research has focused on environmentally safe plastics and, more recently, on transforming Indian traditional materials into advanced nano-composites. His work has resulted in multiple Indian government patents and two patents in Thailand.
These include antibacterial nano-composites developed using turmeric and cow urine, suitable for applications, such as hospital bed linens, that can actively reduce bacterial infections.
One of Dr. Varada Rajulu’s most striking recent breakthroughs involves a turmeric-based nano-composite that, in laboratory studies, has demonstrated its ability to destroy 77–80 per cent of human liver cancer (HepG2) cells within 24 hours at very low doses. According to the nano-scientist, the exceptionally high surface area of nanoparticles allows for greater medicinal effectiveness with minimal dosage, potentially reducing side effects. This innovation has earned him an Indian government patent with animal studies. Clinical trials are planned in future.
Dr. Varada Rajulu has published over 250 research papers in international journals and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (London) as well as a Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv).
His expertise has taken him across the globe—working with scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, involving 18 visits, and teaching nano-composite fabrication at King Mongkut’s University in Thailand.
Honoured earlier with the Best Teacher Award of United Andhra Pradesh (2003), his journey today stands as a powerful example of lifelong learning and innovation.
Looking ahead, Dr. Varada Rajulu says his mission is clear: to convert India’s traditional medicinal materials into next-generation nano-medicines that can treat serious diseases and benefit society at large.
Whether in Nellore of India, or far beyond, his story proves that curiosity, commitment, and science know no age limit.
