Father Muller Principal Wins Prestigious Global Young Investigator Award at MASCC/ISOO Congress in Australia
Mangaluru: In a moment of immense pride for the nation and the physiotherapy fraternity, Prof. Cherishma D’Silva, Principal of Father Muller College of Physiotherapy, has been conferred the prestigious Young Investigator Award 2026 at the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) and the International Society of Oral Oncology (ISOO) Annual Meeting held in Melbourne, Australia, on June 25–26, 2026.
The MASCC/ISOO Annual Meeting is one of the world’s leading scientific congresses dedicated to supportive cancer care. It brings together oncologists, physicians, dentists, physiotherapists, nurses, rehabilitation specialists, psychologists, pharmacists, researchers, and allied healthcare professionals from across the globe. The congress serves as a premier platform for presenting cutting-edge research, fostering multidisciplinary collaboration, and advancing evidence-based supportive care to improve the quality of life of people living with and beyond cancer.
The Young Investigator Award is among the highest honours presented at the international congress. It is bestowed upon the first authors of the highest-ranked scientific abstracts submitted by outstanding junior investigators, selected through a rigorous peer-review process from thousands of submissions worldwide.
Prof. D’Silva received the honour for her research titled “A Longitudinal Randomized Controlled Trial of an Exercise Oncology Program on Chemoradiotherapy-Induced Complications in Head and Neck Cancer.” Her pioneering study highlights the transformative role of Exercise Oncology in reducing treatment-related complications and improving functional outcomes among patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy for head and neck cancers.
Her research was selected from more than 3,000 scientific abstracts submitted by researchers worldwide, underscoring its scientific rigour, innovation, and clinical relevance. Significantly, Prof. D’Silva has become only the fifth Indian in more than two decades to receive this distinguished international honour, marking a major milestone for Indian physiotherapy and supportive cancer care research.
Congratulating Prof. D’Silva on her remarkable achievement, Rev. Fr. Faustine Lucas Lobo, Director of Father Muller Charitable Institutions (FMCI), expressed immense pride on behalf of the management and the entire Father Muller family.
“This outstanding international recognition reflects Prof. Cherishma D’Silva’s unwavering dedication to scientific excellence, innovation, and patient-centred research. Her achievement brings immense honour not only to Father Muller Charitable Institutions but also to the nation. We extend our heartfelt congratulations and wish her continued success as she advances the frontiers of research and continues to bring laurels to our institution and the physiotherapy profession.”
An accomplished academician, clinician, researcher, and administrator, Prof. D’Silva is an alumna of Father Muller College of Physiotherapy (BPT Batch of 2003). She completed her Master of Physiotherapy (MPT) in Cardiopulmonary Sciences from Kasturba Medical College (KMC), Mangaluru, before joining Father Muller Institutions as a Lecturer in 2010.
Her academic journey has been marked by steady progression through several leadership roles. She became the Unit Head of Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapy in 2015 and was appointed Head of the Department of Physiotherapy in 2021. In August 2023, she created history by becoming the founding Principal of Father Muller College of Physiotherapy, where she continues to provide visionary leadership with a strong focus on academic excellence, research, innovation, and professional development.
Currently pursuing her PhD in Onco-Rehabilitation at NITTE (Deemed to be University), Prof. D’Silva’s doctoral research focuses on exercise-based rehabilitation for patients with head and neck cancer. She has authored numerous research publications in reputed Scopus-indexed journals, including PeerJ, secured competitive research funding in physiotherapy, and presented scientific papers at several national and international conferences. She is also a sought-after speaker at professional forums across the country.
Her growing international reputation has earned her several distinguished honours, including the ICMR Young Scientist Travel Grant (2024) and the MASCC Conference Scholarship Award (2025), which enabled her to present her research at the MASCC/ISOO Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington, USA. The MASCC Young Investigator Award 2026 now stands as the crowning achievement of her contributions to supportive cancer care research.
Beyond her research accomplishments, Prof. D’Silva has made significant contributions to academic governance and professional development. She has served as a member of the Academic Council of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) and was recently appointed Nodal Officer for the State of Karnataka by the Karnataka State Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions, reflecting her commitment to strengthening physiotherapy education and advancing allied healthcare professions.
Prof. D’Silva’s remarkable achievement is a celebration of perseverance, scientific excellence, and global leadership in physiotherapy research. Her success further reinforces Father Muller Charitable Institutions’ enduring commitment to nurturing world-class healthcare professionals and promoting impactful research that contributes meaningfully to global cancer care.
