Dr E Sreekumar

Dr Sreekumar is a graduate in Veterinary Medicine with post-graduate and doctoral training in immunology, biotechnology and virology. He is a senior level scientist at the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology under the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. He initiated chikungunya and dengue research in RGCB during the explosive outbreaks in Kerala in 2006. He established diagnostic tests as well as molecular assays and animal models to test antiviral compounds and vaccines against these viruses. Using a newly established small animal model for dengue shock syndrome his team identified multiple FDA-approved drugs with significant potential to be re-purposed for clinical use in severe dengue.

He is the former Director of Institute of Advanced Virology and during the tenure from 2021 to 2026 he made significant contributions in operationalizing the center, supported establishment of an NABL-accredited molecular diagnostic facility, the first one under Government of Kerala; as well as established bioassay platforms for studying emerging viruses as well one health pathogens. His team has recently developed novel assays on Rabies and Nipah viruses that can significantly support epidemiological studies of these infections in Kerala. The scientific team at Institute of Advanced Virology, under his leadership, initiated a collective vision to enhance local capacity building towards pandemic preparedness initiating research activities in various domains of virology. This was achieved through infrastructure augmentation such as a BSL-3 facility; as well as through translational research, industry partnerships, and national and international collaborations to develop diagnostics, drugs and vaccines against emerging pathogens.

Dr Sreekumar has mentored 12 doctoral students and several Master’s students; and has more than 60 manuscripts published in International journals of repute in his 22 years of scientific career. He is a Fulbright-Nehru fellow and was a visiting faculty in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA (2015-2016). He served as a member of the Diagnostic and Technical Advisory Group (WHO-DTAG) on Neglected tropical diseases, WHO, Geneva; and was an active member in the state expert group on COVID-19. Along with his active research on developing tools and countermeasures to tackle emerging viruses, he currently serves in various national and state scientific expert committees and advisory bodies to support virology research in the country.