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Kartik Sunagar

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Science · Evolution · Venom

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Associate Professor at IISc. Evolutionary venomics, snakebite therapy, molecular toxinology — where science meets urgency.

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The Detective

Scientist, naturalist, photographer

Kartik Sunagar
95Files
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I am an Associate Professor of Evolutionary Biology at the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, where I lead the Evolutionary Venomics Lab. My lab investigates how ecology and evolution shape animal venoms across 100+ lineages, from snakes and spiders to cnidarians and cephalopods.

My work translates venom biology into urgent therapeutic solutions for snakebite envenoming. I am a DBT/India Alliance Wellcome Fellow, and recipient of the Ramanujan Fellowship, INSA Medal for Young Scientist, Professor Har Swarup Memorial Award, Inspire Faculty Award and Deccan Herald Changemaker. I have also held the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship and the Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA). I have secured over ₹67 crore in competitive research funding.

I founded VISHAM, the Venom Institute for Snakebite Health and Advanced Medicine, and Venomics AI, an AI-accelerated biodiscovery platform. When I'm not in the lab, or on the cricket field, I'm in the remotest corners of the world with a camera.

2026
Venomics AI — Founder Director
Launched Venomics AI, an AI-accelerated biodiscovery platform harnessing venom biology for next-generation drug discovery, backed by a ₹27.5 crore initiative.
2022
VISHAM — Venom Institute for Snakebite Health and Advanced Medicine
Founded VISHAM to bridge cutting-edge venom science with clinical snakebite solutions. Secured Karnataka Government and ICMR grants totalling over ₹14 crore for the Indian Venom Research Unit.
2019 – 2020
DBT/Wellcome India Alliance Fellow · INSA Young Scientist Medal
Awarded the Wellcome Trust/DBT India Alliance Intermediate Fellowship for translational snakebite research. Recognised with the INSA Medal for Young Scientist (2020).
2017 · IISc Bangalore
Evolutionary Venomics Lab — Founded
Established an independent research group at IISc's Centre for Ecological Sciences, studying venom evolution across 100+ animal lineages with a DST INSPIRE Faculty Award.
2014 – 2017 · Hebrew University & EU
Postdoctoral Fellow — Marie Skłodowska-Curie & ARC DECRA
Worked with Prof. Yehu Moran on venom systems. Awarded the European Commission Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship and the Australian Research Council DECRA.
2013 · University of Porto
PhD in Evolutionary Biology — Summa cum laude
Doctoral research in Portugal on the molecular evolution of animal venoms, awarded with distinction equivalent to Summa cum laude.
2006 – 2008 · Karnataka University
BSc & MSc in Genetics — 1st Rank
Completed a BSc in Genetics, Chemistry & Zoology and an MSc in Applied Genetics at Karnataka University, graduating 1st in class with distinction in both degrees.
Curriculum Vitae
BSc, Genetics, Chemistry & Zoology — 1st Rank in Genetics
Karnataka University, Dharwad
2006
MSc, Applied Genetics — 1st Rank with Distinction
Karnataka University, Dharwad
2008
PhD, Evolutionary Biology — Distinction (Summa cum laude)
University of Porto, Portugal
December 2013
Guest Scientist | Postdoctoral Fellow
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel — Prof. Yehu Moran's Lab
2014 – 2017
Associate Professor
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
2023–Present
Founder, Director
Venomics AI, AI-Accelerated Biodiscovery from Venoms
2026–Present
Founder, Director
VISHAM: Venom Institute for Snakebite Health and Advanced Medicine
2022–Present
Adjunct Faculty
Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Bangalore, India
2022–Present
Assistant Professor
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
2017–2023
Guest Scientist
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
2015–2017
AI-Accelerated Biodiscovery from Venoms
Venomics AI Pvt. Ltd., India · 2026–Present
₹27.5 cr
Discovery and Expression of Recombinant Camelid Antibodies against 'Big Four' Indian Snakes
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) · 2025–2029
₹7 cr
Detection of Biting Snake Species from Clinical Samples
The Hamish Ogston Foundation, UK · 2022–2023
₹78 lakh
Production of India's First Regional Antivenom
Bharat Serums Ltd., India · 2022–2023
₹15 lakh
Venomics and Antivenomics of Medically Important African Snakes
VINS Bio Products Ltd., India · 2021–2022
₹15.5 lakh
Cross-Neutralisation Potential of Pan-African Antivenoms
Premium Serums, India · 2021–2022
₹9 lakh
SRPNTS Continuation Grant
Wellcome Trust, UK · 2021–2023
₹2 cr
Capacity Development Grant
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), UK · 2021–2023
₹1.75 cr
The Indian Venom Research Unit
Government of Karnataka, India · 2021–2026
₹7 cr
Anti-Necrosis Grant
Wellcome Trust, UK · 2021–2025
₹8.94 cr
Antibody Discovery and Development against Non-Immunogenic Snake Venom Toxins
Wellcome Trust, UK · 2021–2024
₹1.42 cr
Wellcome Trust DBT India Alliance Intermediate Fellowship
Wellcome Trust DBT India Alliance, UK–India · 2020–2025
₹3.6 cr
Establishing Quality Analyses Protocols for Indian and African Snake Venoms
VINS Bio Products Ltd., India · 2020–2021
₹10 lakh
Fangs in the Ghats
The Hamish Ogston Foundation & Global Snakebite Initiative · 2020–2021
₹4.67 lakh
SRPNTS Program
Department for International Development (DFID), UK · 2018–2021
₹4.5 cr
INSPIRE Faculty Award
Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India · 2018–2021
₹35 lakh
Formulation and Preclinical Evaluation of the Second-Generation Indian Antivenom
Serum Institute of India · 2019–2021
₹20 lakh
Biological Science Interdisciplinary Proposal
Indian Institute of Science · 2019
₹3 lakh
Ramanujan Fellowship
Science & Engineering Research Board (SERB), India
₹35 lakh
Venom Research — Madras Crocodile Bank Trust
USV Private Ltd., India · 2018–2019
₹4.75 lakh
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship
European Commission · 2015–2017
₹1.42 cr
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA)
Australian Research Council
₹1.93 cr
Total Competitive Funding
22 grants across DST, SERB, ICMR, Wellcome Trust, DFID, FCDO, EU, ARC & Government of Karnataka
~₹67 cr
Evolutionary Venomics Lab
Principal Investigator
Since 2017
VISHAM — Venom Institute for Snakebite Health and Advanced Medicine
Founder Director — bridging venom science with clinical snakebite solutions
Since 2022
Venomics AI
Founder Director — AI-accelerated biodiscovery platform for venom-based drug discovery
2026 – Present
Deccan Herald Changemaker Award
Deccan Herald, India
2026
Professor Har Swarup Memorial Award
Indian National Science Academy, India
2023
Merck Young Scientist Award
Merck India
2021
INSA Medal for Young Scientist
Indian National Science Academy, India
2020
India Alliance / DBT Wellcome Fellow — Intermediate Fellowship
Wellcome Trust DBT India Alliance, UK–India
2019
Ramanujan Fellowship
Science & Engineering Research Board (SERB), India
2018
Gyandeep Award
Department of Forest, Maharashtra, India
2018
INSPIRE Faculty Award
Department of Science & Technology (DST), India
2017
Toxins Travel Award
MDPI
2016
Young Investigators Registration Reimbursement
Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution (SMBE)
2016
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship
European Commission
2015
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA)
Australian Research Council (ARC)
2015
PBC Outstanding Post-Doctoral Researcher Fellowship
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
2014
Lady Davis Postdoctoral Fellowship
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
2014
Hebrew University Postdoctoral Fellowship
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
2014
DECRA Travel Grant
University of Queensland, Australia
2014
FCT Postdoctoral Fellowship (PTDC/MAR/115199/2009)
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal
2014
FCT Postdoctoral Fellowship (PTDC/AAC-AMB/121301/2010)
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal
2014
Doctoral Fellowship
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal
2010

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Decoding the evolutionary, ecological, and biochemical foundations of animal venoms across biodiversity.

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Kartik Sunagar

Associate Professor, Centre for Ecological Sciences
Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
Bangalore 560012, India

✉️ksunagar [at] iisc [dot] ac [dot] in