Board of Management

Dr. P B Kavi Kishor obtained Ph.D. degree in Botany in the year 1981 from the Maharaja Sayaji Rao University of Baroda, Vadodara, Gujarat. He joined the Department of Genetics in the year 1981 and initiated the work on Plant Biotechnology. He visited the Biotechnology Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA (1992-1994) under the Rockefeller Foundation program and carried out post-doctoral research there. He was a Visiting Professor at the Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA in 2000; Visiting Professor at the Linkoping University, Linkoping, Sweden (2004); and a Visiting Scientist at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research, Gatersleben, Germany (2012). Prof. Kavi Kishor was a UGC-BSR Fellow (New Delhi) from 2011 till 2014. He served as a CSIR, New Delhi, Emeritus Scientist from 2014 till 2019, at Osmania University. From 2020, he has been working as a Research Advisor at the Vignan’s Foundation for Science, Technology and Research Deemed to be University, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh till date.

Academic and Research Achievements

After becoming Professor of Genetics, Osmania University, Hyderabad in 1994, he served the Department and Osmania University in several capacities. Started an Advanced Diploma in Bioinformatics, Osmania University in 2001 and established the facilities. Initiated a P.G. Diploma in Bioinformatics in Osmania University, in the year 2006. Worked as Coordinator, UGC-SAP (Phase II & III), Coordinator, DST-FIST Program, Chairman, BOS in Biotechnology (Osmania University) and as Course Coordinator, Advanced Diploma in Bioinformatics. He was instrumental in getting DBT-BUILDER Program to the Osmania University and served as a Co-Coordinator for that grant of Rs. 10.60 crores. He contributed for procuring the Universities with Potential for Excellence Status from the UGC, New Delhi to the Osmania University (OU received Rs. 35 crores). Published 290 papers including two papers in high impact factor Journals like Nature Genetics, edited/written seven books, conducted several National and International symposia and workshops and visited 18 countries. He was Head, Department of Genetics from 2004 till 2006 and Chairman, Board of Studies in Genetics from 2006 till 2008. Mentored several graduate and post-graduate students, supervised 51 Ph.D.s. Served as Expert Committee Member of the Institutional Biosafety Committees for several Universities and Private Organizations. He is an expert committee member of UGC, New Delhi, CSIR, New Delhi, ICAR, New Delhi, and AICTE, New Delhi, DST-PAC committee member, member of DBT-BIRAC, ember of North-East Ecosystem Board, BIRAC. Served as a member of the Academic Senate, Osmania University from 2006 till 2011.

Dr. P B Kavi Kishor has been working on Proline Biosynthetic Pathway Genes in higher plants and the regulation of proline metabolism during plant salt and drought stress tolerance. He isolated several genes implicated in plant abiotic stress and validated them in crop plant systems. He down regulated several lignin biosynthetic pathway genes and shown that lignin biosynthesis can be effectively modulated without impacting the phenotype. Such plants have an impact in the paper industry. He was associated with sequencing of several varieties of groundnut and chickpea and found out the genes associated with biotic and abiotic stress tolerance. Currently concentrating on uncovering the mechanisms associated with drought and salt stress tolerance aside the effect of high day/night temperatures on grain quality in plants.

Awards and Honours

• Received Professor Hiralal Chakravarthy Award in the year 1990.

• Received the best teacher award from A.P. State Government for the year 2008.

• Received a Gold Medal from the Association of Biotechnology and Pharmacy in 2010.

• Received a Gold Medal from the Academy of Plant Sciences in 2012.

• Received Prof. P. Maheswari Gold Medal and a citation from the Indian Botanical Society in 2014.

• Received Life-time Achievement Gold Medal and a Citation, from the Association of Biotechnology and Pharmacy in 2014.

• Delivered Dr. V.N. Gadgil Memorial Lecture at the PTCA meeting held in Ahmedabad, 2012.

• Delivered Dr. Diwakar Patel Memorial Lecture at Anand Agricultural University, Gujarat, 2016.

Academy Fellow

• He is an Elected Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, Allahabad (FNASc)

• Elected Fellow of National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (FNAAS)

• Fellow of the Indian Botanical Society

• Elected Fellow of the Indian Association of Biotechnology and Pharmacy

• Elected Fellow of the A.P. Akademi of Sciences, Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh

• Elected Fellow of the Telangana Academy of Sciences, Hyderabad

• Elected Fellow of the Academy of Plant Sciences, India.