Advances in Cordyceps Research: Prospects and Avenues

About

Prof. Dr. Kandikere R. Sridhar is currently serving as an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Biosciences at Mangalore University. He has served for up to 45 years. His main area of research is Diversity and Ecology of Freshwater Fungi of the Western Ghats and Marine Fungi of the Arabian Sea. Dr. Sridhar was an NSERC postdoctoral fellow and visiting professor at Mount Allison University Canada; The Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) and Martin Luther University Germany; and the Centre of Biology University of Minho Portugal. He was conferred The Shome Memorial Award (2004) Vice President (2013) President (2018) and Lifetime Achievement Award (2019) by the Mycological Society of India. He was awarded a Fellow of The Indian Mycological Society Kolkata (2014). The Asian Mycological Society has conferred on him the title of Distinguished Asian Mycologist (2015). The Association of Agricultural Technology of Southeast Asia Thailand awarded him Outstanding Leader in Education and Research (2016). His contributions over the last 45 years have elevated him to the top 2% of world scientists in the field of mycology according to a Stanford University (USA) survey based on Google Scholar citations. Dr. Sridhar is serving as a visiting professor at the Department of Agricultural Technology King Mongkuts Institute of Technology Bangkok. He has published over 500 research articles reviewed over 170 research articles 25 project proposals and 12 book proposals. He is on the editorial board of several national and international journals. He has edited 14 books published by IK International Publishing House Fungal Diversity Press CRC Press Apple Academic Press and Springer International.Dr. Sunil K. Deshmukh is a Scientific Advisor to Greenvention Biotech Uruli-Kanchan Pune India and Agpharm Bioinnovations LLP Patiala Punjab India. Veteran industrial mycologist spent a substantial part of his career in drug discovery at Hoechst Marion Roussel Limited now Sanofi India Ltd. Mumbai and Piramal Enterprises Limited Mumbai. He has also served TERI-Deaken Nano Biotechnology Centre TERI New Delhi and as an Adjunct Associate Professor at Deakin University Australia. He has to his credit 8 patents 152 publications and 21 books on various aspects of fungi and natural products of microbial origin. He is a president of the Association of Fungal Biologists (AFB) and a past president of the Mycological Society of India (MSI). He is a fellow of the Mycological Society of India the Association of Biotechnology and Pharmacy the Society for Applied Biotechnology and the Maharashtra Academy of Science. He is one of the worlds top 2% scientists in the field of microbiology according to a Stanford University (USA) survey based on Google Scholar citations. He has approximately four decades of research experience in getting bioactive from fungi and various aspects of keratinophilic fungi.Dr. Shin-Yee Fung (FRSB) is a biochemist who received her degree from the Universiti Malaya. She actively pursues her interest in natural compounds focusing on medicinal mushrooms. She leads the Medicinal Mushroom Research Group (MMRG) and has an immense interest in Malaysias National Treasure the Tiger Milk mushrooms (Lignosus sp.) amongst other medicinal mushrooms. Her innovative work with Lignosus sp. has won her several prestigious international and local prizes - including the much-coveted Prix Du Salon International Des Inventions De Geneva and ITEX Gold awards; and several Malaysian patents. Her research endeavours utilize a multidisciplinary approach in her methodology with multiple collaborators both local and international. Her work transcended from bench to bedside - translational research that aims to bring the Malaysian medicinal gem to good use promoting wellness to humankind. Her work has been published in many high-impact articles in international journals and books. She is the Founder and CTO of Essenti Nutrien Sdn. Bhd. who specialises and pioneers the ACE Technology. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology (RSB) United Kingdom and holds various leadership positions locally she is active in the Executive Committee within the Malaysian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (MSBMB) which is an adhering body to the Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists and Molecular Biologists (FAOBMB) and The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB). She is also involved in the Malaysia National Chapter (MNC) of The Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) UNESCO program unit.Dr. Mahadevakumar S. is Scientist C working at the Botanical Survey of India Andaman and Nicobar Regional Centre Port Blair Ministry of Environment Forests and Climate Change Government of India. He has expertise in mycology and plant pathology with a primary focus on fungal systematics and new emerging diseases. He has developed an interest in studying the macrofungi of India including Andamans. Described many new species of microfungi and macrofungi new to science and new disease records to India. Dr. Mahadevakumar served as Scientist B at the Forest Pathology Department Kerala State Council for Science Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) Kerala Forest Research Institute Kerala and Assistant Professor of Microbiology at Karnataka State Open University Mysore. He is the recipient of: The Department of Science and Technology INSPIRE Fellowship; The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Research Associateship; Keladi Shivappa Nayaka University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences (KSNUAHS) Post-Doctoral Fellowship; Department of Science and Technology (DST) SERB National Post-Doctoral Fellowship. He is an Associate Fellow of the Karnataka Science and Technology Academy (KSTA) and an Associate Editor of MycoIndia the Journal of Indian Fungi. He has published over 60 research publications in reputed journals and 18 book chapters. He is a life member of several botanical as well as mycological associations.