Our Research Focus Areas đź“‘

Our work drives regulatory innovation and is centered on developing robust, evidence-based policy inputs for the rapidly evolving biotech landscape.

Research Themes

  • Regulatory Science & Biosafety Frameworks: Developing best practices for institutional and national biosafety and biosecurity.
  • Global Health Security: Researching regulatory preparedness and response to emerging biological threats.
  • Industrial Biotech Compliance and Process Risk: Analyzing compliance standards and process risk management in biomanufacturing.
  • Food & Feed Safety & Novel Ingredient Evaluation: Evaluating regulatory pathways for new food technologies and ingredients.
  • Export Control & Dual-Use Policy Analysis: Policy research on the secure trade and transfer of sensitive biotechnologies.

Collaborations & Funding Opportunities 🤝

We invite academic, industry, and governmental partners to collaborate on research that shapes regulatory outcomes and policy implementation.

Collaborate on Research

Our Full Research Output 📚

Our research is disseminated across journal articles, policy briefs, foundational books, and practical case studies.

Books & Book Chapters

Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers: Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, Management, and Preparedness

Agiesh Kumar Balakrishna Pillai, Sunil V Manjila, S R Rao

1st Edition - June 1, 2025

Biotechnology and Development: Challenges and Opportunities for Asia

Sachin Chaturvedi and S.R. Rao (eds)

Academic Foundation, New Delhi and ISEAS, Singapore. 2004

Animal Biotechnology: Vaccines and Diagnostics – Markets and Investment opportunities

Dinaker Raj, S.R.Rao and S.Tilagar

Astral Publications Delhi, 300pp

Bioefficacy and biosafety of GE crops…

Rao S. R. & Chaudhary V.

in Environmental Safety of Biotech and IPM Technologies, CABI. 2012

Regulatory systems for GE cotton…

Tripathi K. K. & Rao S. R.

in Cotton, Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry, Springer. 2010


Journal Articles & Policy Papers

Biotechnology

AI-powered mHealth Apps for Skin Cancer Detection…

Mukherjee S., Rao S. R., & Poddar A.*

Melanoma Research (Accepted). [Q2, IF 1.9]

2025 View Paper
Biosecurity

Social, mental and behavioral considerations in Mpox…

Chakraborty S., Rao S. R., & Poddar A.*

Nat. HSS Communications (Accepted). [Q1, IF 3.7]

2025 View Paper
Regulatory

Parasitic diagnosis…

Parija S. C. & Poddar A.

Tropical Parasitology, 15(2): 71–80. [Q3, IF 1.0]

2025 View Paper
Biosecurity

Mpox as Two Global Health Emergencies…

Chakraborty S., Rao S. R., & Poddar A.*

Infectious Microbes & Diseases, 10-1097. [Q3, IF 1.8]

2025 View Paper
Biotechnology

The synthetic turn in healthcare AI…

Poddar A. & Rao S. R.*

Int. J. Medical Informatics, 205:10611. [Q1, IF 4.0]

2025 View Paper
Biosecurity

Enhancing India's health security…

Poddar A.*, Mukherjee M., & Rao S. R.

Health Security, 23(4):230–241. [Q1, IF 2.1]

2025 View Paper
Biosecurity

The consequences of US retreat…

Poddar A. & Rao S. R.*

Health Security, 23(4):282–288. [Q1, IF 2.1]

2025 View Paper
Biotechnology

Emerging Zoonotic Bird Flu (H5N1)…

Poddar A. & Rao S. R.*

Tropical Animal Health & Production, 57(6). [Q2, IF 1.7]

2025 View Paper
Biotechnology

Nanobiosensors for COVID-19 Detection…

Poddar A. & Rao S. R.*

3 Biotech, 15:170. [Q1, IF 2.9]

2025 View Paper
Regulatory

Mothers deserve better…

Poddar A.*

The Lancet Global Health, 13(7):e1170–e1171. [Q1, IF 19.9]

2025 View Paper
Regulatory

India's plan for free healthcare…

Poddar A.*

The Lancet Global Health, 13(6):e986–e987. [Q1, IF 19.9]

2025 View Paper
Biotechnology

TB elimination strategies…

Poddar A. & Rao S. R.*

Nature Pediatric Research. [Q1, IF 4.0]

2025 View Paper
Biotechnology

Cervical cancer elimination barriers…

Poddar A. & Rao S. R.*

Journal of Cancer Policy, 43:100521. [Q2, IF 2.0]

2025 View Paper
Biosecurity

IP landscape for AI-driven biomedical innovations…

Poddar A. & Rao S. R.*

Frontiers in AI, 7:1372161. [Q2, IF 3.0]

2024 View Paper
Biotechnology

Biomarkers for Cardiovascular diseases

Agiesh kumar Balakrishna Pillai, Vignesh Mariappan and S R Rao

Pharma focus Asia Issue 54 pages 13

2024 View Paper
Biosecurity

Pseudovirus technology in global health: A critical need for robust biosecurity measures

Poddar A and Rao SR

Journal of Biosafety and Biosecurity 6 (2024) 223–224

2024 View Paper
Biotechnology

Exposure to polyethylene microplastics exacerbate inflammatory bowel disease

Souvik Ghosal, Sagar Bag, S. R. Rao and Sudipta Bhowmik

Royal Society of Chemists (RSC Adv.), 2024, 14, 25130-25148

2024 View Paper
COVID-19

Grappling Covishield fear in India: the urgent need for strong countermeasures to build vaccine confidence

Poddar A and Rao SR

The Lancet Regional Health - Southeast Asia, (2024) Volume 27, 100447

2024 View Paper
COVID-19

Neutralizing the free radicals could alleviate the disease severity following an infection by positive strand RNA viruses

Balakrishna Pillai A, JeanPierre AR, Mariappan V, Ranganadin P, S R Rao

Cell Stress Chaperones. 2022 May;27(3):189-195. (IF:3.7)

2022 View Paper
COVID-19

An Overview Of Potential Biomarkers For The Early Prediction Of Sars-Cov-2 Disease Outcome

Vignesh M, Manoharan PS, Pajanivel R, Lokesh S, Rao S.R, Agieshkumar B Pillai

Microbial Pathogenesis 158: 105057, 2021 Jun 18 (IF: 3.8)

2021 View Paper
COVID-19

COVID 19 Pandemic – Frontline Experiences And Lessons Learnt From A Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital

V Nirmal Coumare, Swati Jayant Pawar, PS Manoharan, R Pajanivel, Lokesh Shanmugam, Hemanth Kumar, Abhijit V Boratne, Balanehru Subramanian, Joshy M Easow, B Sivaprakash, R Kalaivani, K, Renuka, S Prabavathy, Kripa Angeline, Agieshkumar Balakrishna Pillai, SR Rao

Frontiers Public Health 9:673536. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2021.673536 (IF: 3.5)

2021 View Paper
COVID-19

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (Ace2): A Protective Factor In Regulating Disease Virulence Of Sars-Cov-2?

Vignesh M, Rao SR, Agiesh Kumar.B

IUBMB Life, 2020; 72(12):2533-2545. (IF: 3.9, 12 Citations)

2020 View Paper

Strategic Case Studies

Clinical Trials

COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Trial Support

Regulatory support for ICMR sponsored clinical trial - Event-Driven, Phase 3, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Multicenter Study to Evaluate the Efficacy, Safety, Immunogenicity, and Lot-to-Lot consistency of BBV152, a Whole virion Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine in Adults greater than or equal to 18 Years of Age.

2020-2021 ICMR Sponsored
Clinical Trials

CORBEVAX Vaccine Clinical Study

A Prospective, multicentre, Phase II Seamlessly Followed by Phase III Clinical Study to Evaluate the Immunogenicity and Safety of Biological E's CORBEVAX Vaccine for Protection Against COVID-19 Disease When Administered to COVID-19-Negative Adult Subjects.

2021-2022 Biological E Limited
Biotechnology

CAR-T Cell Therapy Regulatory Support

Regulatory support for CAR-T Cell therapy to M/s Immuneel Therapeutics Private Limited for guidance on documents, filings from licenses to IND applications/approvals.

2021-2023 Immuneel Therapeutics
Biotechnology

Cell and Gene Therapy Business Plan

Agreement between Genomeks, a Genomics Division of Enviromax LLP, Hyderabad for Analyzing and preparing of Detailed Project Report (DPR) on the Emerging Cell and gene therapy business plan Landscape in India.

2020-2021 Genomeks
Collaborations

India Biosecurity Fellow Program

Collaboration with Deloitte USA with support from Department of State, USA, to host an event called "The India Biosecurity Fellow Program, a collaborative capacity building initiative. This three-day program marked a significant milestone as the first of its kind in India, training 15 young professionals.

September 2024 Deloitte USA
Collaborations

Cybersecurity for Indian Biotechnology Sector

Collaboration with Gryphon Scientific LLC, a US-based research consultancy organization working on global health and security to host an event called "Cybersecurity Needs for the Indian Biotechnology Sector" (In-person workshop) With funding from US Department of State Cooperative Threat Reduction Office.

February 2023 Gryphon Scientific LLC
Training

MGM Clinical Trial & Training Centre

Established MGM Clinical Trial & Training Centre (MGM-CTC) with infrastructure, human resource and data center. Coordinate the sponsored clinical trials both at MGMCRI and SSMCRI and other constituent college and centers.

Ongoing MGM Institutions
Training

Biosecurity Training Programs

Comprehensive training programs covering risk assessment, containment, decontamination, security protocols, and incident reporting for biological agents handling.

Ongoing Multiple Organizations

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