Professor Madan Rao is a Senior Professor at the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bangalore. Prof. Rao began his association with NCBS in December 1999, when he joined the Raman Research Institute as an Associate Professor. He has worked on a variety of projects involving the physics of active, evolving systems across scales – from biomolecules and sub-cellular structures to cells and tissues. His forte lies in the theoretical approaches he takes to understand the physical and chemical principles underlying biological organisation. Prof. Rao was the founding member of the Theory group, currently the Simon’s Centre for the Study of Living Machines at NCBS, where he has been instrumental in mentoring younger colleagues and advising students in theoretical approaches to studying biological phenomena.nn