Rishi ShankerProfessor Rishi Shanker, currently serves as Consultant to Center for Innovation & Translational Research (CITAR), CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow and also Advisor to ABC Genomics (India) Private Ltd, Biotechnology Park, Luckno, India. He has served as Professor & Associate Dean at the School of Arts & Sciences, Ahmedabad University, Gujarat, India (2014-16). Prior to joining Ahmedabad University, he served as Chief Scientist and Area Coordinator – Environmental & Nanomaterial Toxicology Groups at CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow (2001-2013). He also served as Principal Scientist at CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur (1991-2001). He obtained his Masters in Biochemistry from University of Lucknow and a PhD in Environmental Microbiology & Toxicology from CSIR-IITR & CSJM University(1985). Dr Shankers’ post-doctoral research addressed methanogen microbiology, deep subsurface microbiology and protein engineering at University of London and Pennsylvania State University, USA (1987-1990).

Dr. Shanker’s research contributions range from genetically engineered bacteria for bioremediation and molecular probes for pathogen detection to alternate models in toxicity assessment of chemicals and engineered nanomaterials. He has successfully steered over 34 national and international research projects including Indo-US program: Common Agenda for Environment, Indo-Swiss Program in Biotechnology, Indo-German, EU FP7, EU New Indigo & Inno Indigo program and Unilever. He has more than 80 publications and 20 reviews/book chapters to his credit in aforesaid areas. He has mentored 11 PhD students and 20 research projects of Masters’ students in life sciences.

His work on ‘pathogen detection and water quality’ received recognition in form of ‘Vigyan Ratna’, conferred by the Government of Uttar Pradesh, India. He was awarded the Visiting Research Fellowship of Society for General Microbiology, UK at the Anaerobic Microbiology Laboratory, Queen Mary College, University of London. He has served as Visiting Scientist and Visiting Professor at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA; Pasteur Institute & CEA, France; and Pohang University of Science & Technology, Republic of Korea. He is founder fellow of Indian Nanoscience Society and Fellow of Society of Toxicology, India. Read More Read Less