Shyamala received her PhD in Genetics from the University of Mysore, India.  She joined the NIAAA as a Research Collaborator in August 2020. During her PhD, she has identified the Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms and haplotypes in candidate genes of Developmental Dyslexia in Indian population. Her current research focuses on investigating the influence of genetic variation and smoking behavior on alcohol-related phenotypes and neuroimaging responses. She is interested in working on pharmacogenomics approaches and personalized medicine for alcohol addiction in the future.