Dr. Ravindran C | Microbiology | Research Excellence Award

Dr. Chinnarajan Ravindran is a distinguished marine-microbial ecologist and oceanographer with advanced training in botany and mycology (Ph.D., M.Phil., M.Sc., B.Sc.). He has forged a prolific scientific career at a leading national oceanographic institute, holding successive research positions including his current role as Senior Principal Scientist, and has accrued extensive international research exposure through post-doctoral appointments and visiting scientist fellowships. Over his career, he has authored 29 peer-reviewed documents, which collectively have been cited 381 times, yielding an h-index of 12. His research spans microbial biodiversity in extreme marine environments (such as hydrothermal vents), coral-microbe interactions, coral health and disease ecology, mangrove-estuarine microbial dynamics, and the use of zebrafish as a model for viral pathogenesis and drug screening. His work has led significant insights into coral mucus biochemistry and microbial community dynamics, the role of ciliates and beneficial bacteria in coral resilience, and microbial adaptations to environmental stress. Recognized with prestigious national awards and fellowships for his contributions, he has also mentored numerous postgraduate researchers and Ph.D. scholars. His sustained efforts advance our understanding of marine microbial ecology and hold promise for conservation and biotechnology applications.