Honorary Professors

Prof. T.V. Ramakrishnan

Emeritus Professor, Department of Physics, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.

Prof Ramakrishnan, is one of the best-known Physicists of India, who has made remarkable contributions ranging from the leadership of the Indian Academy of Sciences, building of world-class group in condensed matter physics at IISc to mentoring a number of researchers across the world. He has been closely associated with JNCASR since inception.

Dr. Uma Nambiar

Chief Executive Officer, IISc Medical School Foundation and Chairperson, DH India Association.

Dr. Uma Nambiar, an accomplished neurosurgeon and healthcare strategist, combines clinical expertise with leadership in hospital management, digital health, and healthcare policy across India and abroad.

Prof. Mewa Singh

Life-Long Distinguished Professor of ecology and animal behaviour at University of Mysore.

Prof. Singh is a globally recognized primatologist with pioneering contributions to ecology, behavior, and conservation of primates and several other wildlife species. A Fellow of all three Science Academies of India and recipient of major international honours, he has over 200 publications and continues active research as Life-Long Distinguished Professor after retiring from the University of Mysore.

Prof. G D Yadav

Emeritus Professor of Eminence, Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of (ICT), Mumbai, R. T. Mody Distinguished Professor and J. C. Bose National Fellow (DST-GoI).

He has an extensive record of translational research impacting both academia and industry. He stands out as a leader in integrating fundamental science with industrial application, including the development of pollution-free and energy-efficient technologies.

Prof. T Pradeep

Professor, Indian Institute of Technology Madras Chennai

He is an Institute Professor at IIT Madras. He has made pioneering contributions to areas such as clean water, clusters, droplets and ices. His drinking water purification technologies have reached over 14 million people. He has co-founded several companies in the area and has established the International Centre for Clean Water. He is a recipient of several awards including the TWAS prize, Padma Shri, Vigyan Shri, Nikkei Asia Prize, Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water, VinFuture Prize and ENI award. He is a fellow of all the major science and engineering academies of India and several global academies including TWAS, African Academy of Sciences, US National Academy of Engineering and Academia Europaea.

Prof. V. Kumaran

Department of Chemical Engineering,
IISc, Bengaluru

Chemical Engineer, Rheologist and a Professor at Dept of Chemical Engg, IISc. Well known for his studies on stability off low past flexible surfaces INSA Young Scientist; Recipient of SSB (Engg. Sciences), TWAS Prize and Infosys Prize in Engg and Computer Science category

Prof. Ashok Kumar Ganguli

Director, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Berhampur, Odisha

Prof. Ganguli was holding the Prof N K Jha Chair in the Dept. of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, London, the Indian Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences, India and the Asia–Pacific Association of Materials. He is currently an Associate Editor of the Bulletin of Material Science and a Member of, the Editorial Board, of J. Ind. chem. Soc., ACS Mater Letts and Chem Phys. Letts.

Prof. S. Sivaram

Emeritus Professor at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune

Prof. Sivaram, as Director of CSIR-NCL, established strong public–private collaborations, founded the NCL Innovation Park and Venture Center, and mentored numerous young scientists, nurturing an environment of innovation and entrepreneurship. His vision for sustainable technologies and vast experience in guiding cutting-edge research and capacity building would be beneficial, enhancing the Centre’s translational outcomes in materials and chemical sciences.

Prof. Russel Foster

Professor of Circadian Neuroscience Head of Department of Ophthalmology,
University of Oxford

He is credited with the discovery of intrinsically photo sensitive retinal ganglion cells. Recently, his research has also unveiled the connections between sleep and neurological conditions including depression. He delivered the Darwin lecture at JNCASR several years ago.

Prof. Shekhar Mande

Distinguished Professor, Bioinformatics Centre, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune

Prof. Mande is well known for his outstanding interdisciplinary leadership, demonstrated during his tenure as Director General of CSIR, where he fostered pan-institutional collaboration, innovation, and global partnerships. His expertise in molecular biophysics and structural biology, combined with experience in science policy, technology management, and inclusive leadership, can help JNCASR initiate high-impact research programs and strengthen industry and international networks.

Prof. V. Nagaraja

Honorary Professor, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore

Prof. Nagaraja is a Professor from the Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, where he also served as the department chairman. He has also served as the President of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru.

Prof. Nagaraja's work has advanced the understanding of fundamental biological processes and has led to the development of potential new therapeutic targets for infectious diseases. 

Prof. Jayawant H. Arakeri

Department of Mechanical Engineering,
IISc, Bengaluru

Prof. Arakeri, one of the leading Mechanical Engineer IISc, Bengaluru. Completed his Ph.D., from Caltech (Aeronautics) in 1987. He has contributed to Indian science both in an editorial capacity (Sadhana), and as chair of multiple scientific/steering committees. His research on transition and turbulence, and propulsion mechanisms in the context of bio-locomotion, is well known. He recently spent a part of his sabbatical at EMU, having taught ‘Fluid Mechanics through pictures’ during this period.

Prof. Raghavendra Gadagkar

DST Year of Science Chair Professor, Centre for Ecological Sciences,
IISc, Bengaluru

A distinguished Evolutionary and Organismal Biology researcher; renowned expert on the evolution of social behaviour; Former President, INSA; Founder President, ISEB, Foreign Assoc. USNAS

Prof. Ashok Misra

A distinguished engineer and scientist, Prof Misra has for more than three decades served in the field of education as a teacher and a researcher. Prof Misra obtained his BTech (Chemical Engineering) from IIT Kanpur in 1968, an MS (Chemical Engineering) from Tufts University in 1969 and PhD in Polymer Science & Engineering from the University of Massachusetts in 1974. He also completed the Executive Development Program at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois in 1999.

Prof. Ashutosh Sharma

Ashutosh Sharma has been a professor, an Institute Chair Professor and the Head of Chemical Engineering, and the founding Coordinator of Nanosciences Center and Advanced Imaging Center at the Indian Institute of Technology at Kanpur. Ashutosh received his PhD from the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNYAB; 1988) working with Prof. Eli Ruckenstein—a recipient of the US Medal of Science, his MS 
from the Pennsylvania State University (1984) and B.Tech. from IIT Kanpur (1982). He was heading Department of Science and Technology, Government of India as its Secretary during 2015-2021, while being on deputation from IITK. 

Prof. D D Sarma

Solid State & Structural Chemistry Dept IISc, Bengaluru

Prof. Sarma is a structural chemist, known for his research in the fields of Solid State Chemistry, Spectroscopy, Condensed Matter Physics, Materials Science, and Nanoscience. He is a former MLS Chair Professor of Physics and Chairman of the Centre for Advanced Materials and the GAST Professor of Uppsala University, Sweden, A recipient of TWAS Physics Prize and the UNESCO Biennial Javed Husain Prize, Sarma was honored by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Government of India, in 1994, with the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology.

Prof. A.K. Sood

Principal Scientific Advisor, Govt. of India

Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood is an eminent Indian physicist and researcher. He is widely recognized for his significant contributions to condensed matter physics, with a focus on nanosystems and soft matter. His research interests cover a wide range, including Raman spectroscopy, the physics of quantum materials, graphene, carbon nanotubes, and soft condensed matter.

Prof. Gagandeep Kang

Prof. Kang is a distinguished Indian microbiologist and physician-scientist at the Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore, known for her groundbreaking work on enteric infections and vaccine development, particularly for rotavirus and typhoid. She is the first Indian woman elected to the Royal Society and has made significant contributions to public health through her research, which spans from basic science to clinical application. Her career is highlighted by numerous accolades, including the Infosys Prize in Life Sciences, and her leadership roles on major national and international scientific committees.