Academic Positions
2017–Present
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
Associate Professor
2026–Present
Venomics AI, AI-Accelerated Biodiscovery from Venoms
Founder Director
2022–Present
VISHAM: Venom Institute for Snakebite Health and Advanced
Medicine
Founder, Director
2022–Present
Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology,
Bangalore, India
Adjunct Faculty
2015–2017
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
Guest Scientist
Education
Doctor of Philosophy
Evolutionary Biology
University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
Distinction · Equivalent to Summa cum laude
Master of Science
Applied Genetics
Karnataka University, Karnataka, India
Distinction · 1st Rank
Bachelor of Science
Genetics, Chemistry & Zoology
Karnataka University, Karnataka, India
Distinction · 1st Rank (Genetics)
Awards & Fellowships
2019
India Alliance/DBT Wellcome Fellow, Intermediate Fellowship
India
2023
Professor Har Swarup Memorial Award, Indian National Science Academy
India
2018
Ramanujan Fellowship, Science and Engineering Research Board
India
2020
INSA Medal for Young Scientist, Indian National Science Academy
India
2017
INSPIRE Faculty Award, Department of Science and Technology
India
2026
Deccan Herald Changemaker, Deccan Herald
India
2021
Merck Young Scientist Award, Merck
India
2015
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship, European Commission
EU
2015
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award, Australian Research Council
Australia
2018
Gyandeep Award for excellence in scientific research, Department of Forest for the
Maharashtra State
India
2016
Toxins Travel Award, MDPI
2014
PBC Fellowship for Outstanding Postdoctoral Researchers from India, The Hebrew
University of Jerusalem
Israel
2014
Lady Davis Postdoctoral Fellowship, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Israel
2014
Postdoctoral Fellowship, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Israel
2014
BIOL external Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) travel grant,
University of Queensland
Australia
2016
Young Investigators Registration Reimbursement Award, The Society for Molecular
Biology and Evolution
2014
Postdoctoral fellowship, Foundation for Science and Technology
(PTDC/MAR/115199/2009)
Portugal
2014
Postdoctoral fellowship, Foundation for Science and Technology
(PTDC/AAC-AMB/121301/2010)
Portugal
2010
Doctoral fellowship, Foundation for Science and Technology
Portugal
Recognition
Advisory & Committee Roles
- 2024 Expert Committee, National Programme for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming in India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India
- 2023 Expert Advisory Committee, National Action Plan for prevention and control of snakebite envenoming (NAP-SE), National Centre for Disease Control, Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India
- 2022 Special Technical Advisory Committee, Aquaculture and Marine Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology
- 2022 Advisory Committee, Department of Atomic Energy and Maharashtra Government to develop Haffkine Institute
- 2022 Expert Advisory Committee, ICMR Centre for Advance Research of Excellence on Snakebite
- 2022 Expert Advisory Committee, National Task Force for Research on Snakebite in India, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
- 2024–Present Key Opinion Leader on snakebite and antivenom, George Clinical
- 2018 Technical Advisory Committee, Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission
Editorial Roles
- 2021–2023 Deputy Editor, PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
- 2021–Present Guest Associate Editor, Frontiers in Tropical Diseases
- 2021–Present Guest Editor, Journal of Biosciences
- 2021 Guest Editor, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
- 2022 Guest Associate Editor, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution (Chemical Ecology section)
- 2022 Review Editor, Frontiers in Tropical Diseases: Neglected Tropical Diseases
- 2021–Present Steering Committee, The Snakebite Research Network
- 2019–Present Executive Board Member, Indian Society for Toxinology and Snakebite Mitigation
- 2015–2021 Editorial Board Member, Toxins MDPI
- 2015–2020 Editorial Board Member, Toxins (Animal Venoms section)
- 2018 Advisory Board, Snakebite Healing and Education Society
- 2018 Advisory Board, ToxiVen Biotech Pvt. Ltd
Plenary / Keynote Talks & Chair
Gordon Research Conference (2023, 2024) · World Congress of the International Toxinology Society (2015, 2022, 2024) · Annual Meeting of Proteomics Society of India (2023)
Contribution to Academia
Manuscript Review
Science, Nature, Nature Communications, PNAS, Molecular Biology and Evolution, GigaScience, Genome Biology and Evolution, Frontiers in Immunology, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Scientific Reports, BMC Evolutionary Biology, BMC Genomics, G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics, Current Medicinal Chemistry, Journal of Proteomics, Toxins, Toxicon, FEBS Letters, Biochemie, Molecules, Theoretical Ecology, Journal of Molecular Evolution, PLoS One, Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C, MDPI Insects, Current Science, and Herpetological Journal.
Grant Review
European Research Council, National Science Foundation (USA), Wellcome Trust, The Natural Environment Research Council (UK), Wellcome Trust DBT India Alliance, Australian Research Council, The Science Foundation Ireland, Department of Biotechnology, Department of Science and Technology, Rufford Small Grants Foundation.
Research Funding
Total Research Funding Rs. 66,95,49,187
| # | Grant | Funding | Duration | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
AI-Accelerated Biodiscovery from Venoms.
Venomics AI Pvt. Ltd., India
|
Rs.27,50,00,000 | 2026 – Present | Founder and Director |
| 2 |
Discovery and expression of recombinant camelid antibodies against 'Big Four'
Indian snakes for snakebite diagnosis and treatment.
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), India
|
Rs.7,00,00,000 | 01.11.2025 – 01.11.2029 | Principal Investigator |
| 3 |
Production of India's first regional antivenom.
Bharat Serums Ltd., India
|
Rs.14,96,940 | 01.08.2022 – 01.08.2023 | Principal Investigator |
| 4 |
Cross-neutralisation potential of PANF African 14 antivenoms.
Premium Serums, India
|
Rs.9,07,029 | 01.12.2021 – 01.12.2022 | Principal Investigator |
| 5 |
Venomics and antivenomics of medically important African snakes.
VINS Bio Products Ltd., India
|
Rs.15,53,420 | 01.11.2021 – 01.11.2022 | Principal Investigator |
| 6 |
Detection of biting snake species from clinical samples.
The Hamish Ogston Foundation, UK
|
Rs.78,00,000 | 01.02.2022 – 31.01.2023 | Principal Investigator |
| 7 |
SRPNTS continuation grant.
Wellcome Trust, UK
|
Rs.1,99,67,674 | 01.04.2021 – 30.03.2023 | Co-Investigator |
| 8 |
Capacity development grant.
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, UK
|
Rs.1,74,60,488 | 01.04.2021 – 30.03.2023 | Co-Investigator |
| 9 |
The Indian Venom Research Unit.
Government of Karnataka, India
|
Rs.7,00,00,000 | 01.05.2021 – 01.04.2026 | Principal Investigator |
| 10 |
Anti-necrosis grant.
Wellcome Trust, UK
|
Rs.8,93,85,347 | 01.04.2021 – 31.12.2025 | Co-investigator |
| 11 |
Antibody Discovery and Development Against Non-Immunogenic Snake Venom
Toxins.
Wellcome Trust, UK
|
Rs.1,42,11,219 | 01.07.2021 – 31.12.2024 | Co-investigator |
| 12 |
Wellcome Trust DBT India Alliance Intermediate Fellowship.
Wellcome Trust DBT India Alliance, UK-India
|
Rs.3,60,00,000 | 01.09.2020 – 31.08.2025 | Principal Investigator |
| 13 |
Establishing quality analyses protocols for Indian and African snake
venoms.
VINS Bio Products Ltd., India
|
Rs.10,00,000 | 01.07.2020 – 31.04.2021 | Principal Investigator |
| 14 |
Fangs in the Ghats.
The Hamish Ogston Foundation & Global Snakebite Initiative, UK-Global
|
Rs.4,67,070 | 01.03.2020 – 31.12.2021 | Principal Investigator |
| 15 |
SRPNTS program.
Department for International Development, UK
|
Rs.4,50,00,000 | 01.08.2018 – 31.03.2021 | Co-Investigator |
| 16 |
INSPIRE Faculty Award.
Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India
|
Rs.35,00,000 | 01.08.2018 – 31.03.2021 | Principal Investigator |
| 17 |
Formulation and preclinical evaluation of the second-generation Indian
antivenom.
Serum Institute of India
|
Rs.20,00,000 | 01.04.2019 – 31.12.2021 | Principal Investigator |
| 18 |
Biological Science Interdisciplinary Proposal.
Indian Institute of Science
|
Rs.3,00,000 | 01.04.2019 | Principal Investigator |
| 19 |
Ramanujan Fellowship.
Science and Engineering Research Board, India
|
Rs.35,00,000 | Not taken | Principal Investigator |
| 20 |
Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Centre for Herpetology.
USV Private Ltd., India
|
Rs.4,75,000 | 26.02.2018 – 31.05.2019 | Principal Investigator |
| 21 |
Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship.
European Commission
|
Rs.1,42,00,000 | 01.05.2015 – 30.04.2017 | Principal Investigator |
| 22 |
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award.
Australian Research Council
|
Rs.1,93,00,000 | Not taken | Principal Investigator |
Publications
* Equal contribution @ Corresponding author