After receiving her Bachelor degree from Gandhigram Rural Institute, she got her graduate and doctoral degree from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Food Science and Nutrition. She has recieved the Doctoral Research Fellow award from University of Saskatchewan, Canada.

Prior to join IICPT, Hema serves as a Women Scientist under the Women Scientist Scholarship Scheme for Societal Programme (WOS-B) sponsored by Department of Science and Technology at Post Harvest Technology Centre, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. Earlier, Hema has been a Food Researcher at College of Agricultural Engineering and College of Horticulture, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University for 6 years. She is also an alumna of the Department of Fruit Crops and Home Science College and Research Institute.

She began her career in IICPT as a Senior Researcher with specialization in functional food product development at Food Processing Business Incubation Centre. Later on she joined as a Scientist at Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology in August, 2010. Hema is a member of the Food Processing Business Incubation Center. In this position, her duties include teaching, research and consultancy for the food industry clients.

Hema?s academic career mainly focused on non-thermal processing and post harvest principles of millets, pulses, nuts, fruits and vegetables.