Thirumalai Venky Venkatesan is inventor of the pulsed laser deposition process and is a pioneer in its application to thin films of complex oxides and related multi component materials, which has transformed research on films/ heterostructures globally. Starting with high-quality films of high-temperature cuprate superconductors, he used this for magneto-resistive manganites, ferroelectrics, dilute magnetic oxides, oxide-photocatalysts, bioactive substrates and multiferroic heterostructures that can be integrated with silicon electronics. More recently, his work has extended to ultra-low energy memories and brain -like electronics based on organic molecular systems.

More recently, he catalyzed the development of nanoscience in Singapore, where he directed the NUS Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Institute. He is currently Director of the Center for Quantum Research and Technology at University of Oklahoma.

He is winner of the George E. Pake prize of the American Physical Society and is a Fellow of the American Physical and Materials Research Societies. He is an outstanding Alumnus award winner at IIT Kharagpur and Kanpur. He is also responsible for several startup companies, Neocera, Neocera Magma, Blue Wave Semiconductors, Breathonix, Cellivate and Azometrix.