Dr. Krishnaswamy VijayRaghavan is a distinguished professor and former director of the National Centre for Biological Sciences, and former Principal Scientific Advisor of the Government of India. His research interests are in the fields of developmental biology, genetics and neurogenetics, and on the important principles and mechanisms that control the nervous system and muscles during development and how these neuromuscular systems direct specific locomotor behaviours. In 2012, Dr. VijayRaghavan was elected a fellow of The Royal Society and was conferred upon the Padma Shri in 2013 by the Government of India.

Dr. VijayRaghavan graduated with a B.Tech degree in 1975 and a master’s in 1977 in Chemical Engineering from IIT Kanpur. He completed his doctoral research from Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in 1983 in the field of molecular biology. During his postdoctoral work from 1984 to 1985, he was a research fellow and then, from 1986 to 1988, a senior research fellow at the California Institute of Technology.

Prof. VijayRaghavan is a member of the board of governors of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, and a senior editor of the journal eLife. He also served as the secretary of Department of Biotechnology (DBT), India. Dr. VijayRaghavan was conferred upon Distinguished Alumnus Award, 2003 by IIT Kanpur.

Achievements and Honors

Appointed as Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, 2018. New species of gecko was named after him, Hemidactylus vijayraghavani, 2018. Foreign Associate of the US National Academy of Sciences, 2014. Padma Shri by the President of India, 2013. H K Firodia Award for his original contributions to the field of life sciences, particularly to developmental biology, genetics and neurogenetics, 2012. Fellow, Royal Society, 2012. Fellow, The World Academy of Sciences, 2010. J.C.Bose Fellowship, 2006. Recipient of Distinguished Alumnus Award, 2003 by IIT Kanpur. Member, editorial board of Journal of Genetics, 2000. Member, Asia-Pacific International Molecular Biology Network, 2001. Fellow, Indian National Science Academy, 1999. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, 1998. Fellow, Indian Academy of Sciences, 1997.