Biography

Dr. Ravindar Kontham

Dr Ravindar Kontham received his BSc from Kakatiya University, Warangal, India, MSc from Osmania University, Hyderabad, India, and Ph. D. from the CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, India under the supervision of Dr J. S. Yadav (former Director, CSIR-IICT) in 2008. Subsequently, he has been a post-doctoral fellow with Prof. Pierre Deslongchamps at Université de Sherbrooke (for two years) and Université Laval, Québec, Canada (for three years). After a short-term stay (9 months) at Toronto Research Chemicals, Toronto, Canada, he returned to India. He took up a Senior Scientist position at the Division of Organic Chemistry, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory-Pune, India, in September 2014. Currently, he is a Principal Scientist-CSIR, India/Associate Professor-AcSIR, India at the Division of Organic Chemistry, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory-Pune. His current research topics include the development of novel cascade/domino reactions involving main group and transition metal catalysis and their application in the total synthesis of bioactive natural products, design and synthesis of new chemical entities for drug discovery applications and process development for APIs and API intermediates.

Positions

September-2019 to Till Date: Principal Scientist-CSIR/Associate Professor-AcSIR, Organic Chemistry Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India.

September-2014 to September-2019: Senior Scientist-CSIR/Assistant Professor-ACSIR, Organic Chemistry Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India.
December-2013 to September-2014: Senior Research Scientist, Toronto Research Chemicals Inc (TRC). Toronto, Canada (A Premier Contract Research Organization in Canada).
July-2010 to November-2013: Post-Doctoral Fellow (NSERC Canada), with Prof. Pierre Deslongchamps, Department of Chemistry, UNIVERSITÉ LAVAL, Québec (Québec), Canada.
December-2008 to June-2010: Post-Doctoral Fellow (NSERC Canada), with Prof. Pierre Deslongchamps, Department of Chemistry, UNIVERSITÉ DE SHERBROOKE, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.
April-2003 to November-2008: Junior Research Fellow & Senior Research Fellow-CSIR, India, under the supervision of Dr. J. S. Yadav, Former Director, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, India.

Awards

Scientist of the Year Award: Awarded NCL-Research Foundation's Scientist of the Year (2022-2023).
Post-doctoral Fellowship: UNIVERSITÉ DE SHERBROOKE, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada and Department of Chemistry, UNIVERSITÉ LAVAL, Québec (Québec), Canada. supported by NSERCC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Dec. 2008-Nov 2013), with Prof. Pierre Deslongchamps,
Senior Research Fellowship (SRF) and Junior Research Fellowship (JRF): Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi, India (2003-2008).
Dr. Sadashiv Devidas Thatte Memorial Gold Medal: Awarded for highest marks in M. Sc. Chemistry (P)-(01-54-053/2002) from Osmania University, Hyderabad, India (2002).
Dr. K. Anji Reddy Gold Medal: Founder of Dr. Reddy's Laboratories) awarded in M. Sc. (01-54-053/2002) for highest marks in M. Sc. Chemistry (P)-(01-54-053/2002) from Osmania University, Hyderabad, India (2002).

Funding

Dec- 2020 to Dec-2023 (DST-SERB): Development of enantioselective s-electrophilic cascade annulation reactions using iron Lewis-acid catalysis: Application to the synthesis of scaffolds related to bioactive natural products.
July-2020 to June-2023 (CSIR): The potential use of eugenol and its derivatives in diabetic management and glycation inhibition.
2021-2024 (CSIR): Discovery and Pre-Clinical Development of Antivirals for COVID-19 & other Diseases
April-2021 to March-2025 (CSIR): Development of novel cascade annulation reactions and their application in total synthesis of bioactive natural products.
July-2020 to March-2021 (CSIR): Development of processes for active pharmaceutical ingredients towards COVID 19.
14-Nov-2018 to 13-Nov-2021 (SERB-TARE): Development of practical synthetic approaches to Dragmacidins G, H, and their analogues: Studies toward the finding of highly potent antimicrobial and anticancer agents.
12-Feb-2018 to11-Feb-2020 (CSIR, India (Mission Mode Project): Innovative Processes and Technologies for Indian Pharmaceutical and Agrochemical Sector Industries (INPROTICS).
4-Feb-2016 to 3-Feb-2019 (SERB-INDIA): Stereoselective total synthesis of medicinally important natural products related to spiroketals and spirolactones.
25-Feb-2016 to 24-Feb-2018 (SERB-NPDF): Total synthesis of Nannocystin A: A potent antiproliferative macrocyclic metabolite from Myxobacteria.
19-Nov-2014 to 18-Nov-2016 (CSIR): Start Up Grant-Development of novel synthetic methodologies for saturated and unsaturated bis-spiroketals via cycloisomerization of internal diyne-diols and triols.