She is former Professor & Head, Department of Clinical Psychology at NIMHANS, Bangalore. She has over thirty years of clinical, teaching and research experience. Her research interests, with an emphasis on gender issues, are in the area of stress management, psychological interventions and psychosocial rehabilitation. She has functioned as a mental health expert for several organizations, including the WHO and the National Human Rights Commission, India. Dr. Rao has mentored several students at the M.Phil and Doctoral level, has over 80 publications, several chapters in books and 3 edited books to her credit and serves on the editorial board of many International and National Journals.