She received her PhD in behavior genetics in 1991 from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai, India.
[2] Balakrishnan's current research is aimed at understanding the causes and consequences of animal behavior using acoustic communication.
[10] In addition to research, she is also interested in developing and validating databases of acoustic signals of various species to facilitate identification.
This enables periodic biodiversity monitoring using an automated recorder installed in an environment allowing for non-invasive sampling.
[7][8] Two species of cricket discovered in Mexico and in Kerala, India have been named Oecanthus rohiniae and Teleogryllus rohini in her honor.