Veena Nair, PhD joined the Clinical Imaging Physics section as a professor (CHS) in 2025. Prior to her faculty appointment, she worked in the department as a scientist for a decade.
Dr. Nair attended Old Dominion University for her master’s in psychology and University of South Carolina for her graduate fellowship and doctorate in experimental psychology. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship with the American Heart Association.
Where are you from?
I am from Pune, India. A fun fact about Pune is that it used to be known as the Oxford of the East because of its numerous educational institutions.
Why did you choose radiology?
After my training in Cognitive Neuroscience, I wanted to apply my skills in functional imaging to patient populations. At the same time Dr. Vivek Prabhakaran, as new faculty in radiology, was recruiting postdocs and I applied and secured a position and moved to Madison!
What are your professional interests?
I subscribe to the motto of Healthcare and Technology in the service of people. I hope that the work I do here, especially as part of the neuroradiology section, in some small way makes a difference in people’s lives.
Why did you choose to work at UW–Madison?
I love Madison. Someone rightly said that Madison is a small town with the flavor of a big city. I love that we are just a few miles away from a local or state park, we are so close to nature. Madison also has people of many faiths and spiritual flavors, and I love that.
What are your hobbies?
I love reading, spending time in Nature, and volunteering time and energy to the activities led by the Embracing the World initiative.