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Tara Rajendran, MBBS, MFA

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Physician-Musician-TEDx speaker-Author

Interests: Lymphoma, Music-based interventions in Integrative Oncology

Tara Rajendran is a physician-classical musician-author and a TEDx speaker. Dr. Rajendran is currently the leading advocate for inculcating music into the palliative oncology infrastructure. Her advocacy program is named 'Oncology and Strings'. She was in 2020, listed among the '20 Brilliant Indians in their 20s' by 'LinkTheDots Foundation. Dr. Rajendran was also featured by 'Million women in STEM' in 2021.

Dr. Rajendran graduated out of the nation's one of only 6 'Institutes of Eminence' - Manipal University, standing as the top 1.2 percentile of students in the country (top 15 national finalists) for the world's most prestigious and the most expensive scholarships - The Rhodes scholarship '18 for her academic brilliance, outstanding extracurricular achievements and leadership qualities. She was also the Oxford University DPhil Oncology program top finalists '18.
'Oncology and Strings'

As an avid researcher in clinical oncology, she received various grants including the one from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and presented posters & abstracts in AACR, ASCO, and ASH. 

Also a professional musician, Tara was deemed as a child prodigy in the Saraswati Veena, the national instrument of India. She maintains an unrivaled record of playing her signature style 'Tanam', an Indian classical music improvisation. Recipient of several accolades and merit scholarships in the 'Veena', Tara has also been invited to perform at prestigious national music festivals. She holds a master's degree in the ‘Veena’. Tara was awarded the proficiency badge as ‘Musician’ in the year 2007 Scout and Guides and received the highest attainable award from the Hon. President of India on 02/08. Her first All India Radio ( The national public radio broadcaster - India) broadcast was in 2010.


‘Oncology & Strings’ is the 1st ever lecture-concert series launched for advocating instrumental music therapy. The debut event was at the Stanford University campus. At 25, Tara delivered her invited lecture-recitals at TEDx, the prestigious Manipal University, and at India's Premier cancer center since its establishment - Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai as a chief guest of the World Mental Health Day Program 2019. She was the youngest invited speaker at the 27th International Conference of the Indian Association of Palliative Care, 2020. Apart from the advocacy lecture-concerts, through 'Oncology and Strings’, Dr. Rajendran lends free copyright-free music recorded by her on the ‘Veena’ and her music has reached out to over 10,000 patients at palliative care centers and NGOs across India. Oncology and Strings

Chordae tendineae- Solo classical album 

Dr. Rajendran vehemently raises her voice against domestic violence. She has performed Veena recital to raise funds for the acid attack victim rehabilitation. Dr. Rajendran has release solo musical pieces ('Transcend') and short stories spreading awareness against domestic violence (International human rights arts festival-New York).

She is a published short story writer. Her works have appeared in Blood and Thunder (University of Oklahoma College of Medicine's medicine-themed arts journal), Nymphs publications (London), Active muse among others. Dr. Rajendran enjoys writing, parallel cinema, and Biriyani. 

Education

Kasturba Medical College
Mangalore, India
MBBS, 2019
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery
2012 To 2019

Annamalai University
Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India
Ph. D., 2024
Indian Classical Music
2019 To 2022
Dissertation: Evolution of the use of south Indian classical music in medicine: A psycosocial study
Advisor: Dr. N. Venkatesh

Annamalai University
India
Master of Fine arts (MFA)
Saraswati Veena (National Musical Instrument of India)
2016 To 2018

Annamalai University
India
Bachelor of Arts (Music)
Saraswati Veena (National Musical Instrument of India), Indian Classical Music-Vocal
2013 To 2016

Areas of Concentration/Research

Advocacy, Clinical Research, Patient Care