Dr. Kartik Sunagar

Kartik Sunagar is an evolutionary geneticist who studies venomous animals and their venoms as model systems to address various intriguing questions in ecology, evolution and genetics. The major focus of his research in the recent past has been on innovating pan-India efficacious snakebite therapies through the discovery and development of broadly neutralising antibodies. His PhD (University of Porto, Portugal) and postdoctoral research (Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel) have provided fascinating insights into venom ecology and evolution, including the dynamics of venom evolution across large time spans, the evolutionary origin and development of venom-producing cells, coevolutionary arms races, molecular mechanisms of venom action, the genetic basis of venom resistance and the role of environmental and ecological factors in driving the evolution of venom.