Prof. Sandeep Verma is currently heading the Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology (GSMST) at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. His academic training has been achieved at University of Illinois (PhD) and postdoctoral training at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions and Max-Planck-Institute for Experimental Medicine. With over two hundred forty publications, several book chapters, multiple patents, and a biotechnology start-up to his credit, his work has been recognized by top scientific awards that include Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, Gold Medal (SMC-BARC), Swarnajayanti Fellowship, and Distinguished Alumnus Award of Banaras Hindu University, to name a few. Prof Verma is also an elected Fellow of all four academies of science and engineering of India: INSA, INAE, IASc, and NASI. At the international level, Prof. Verma holds Honorary Professorships at two Australian universities and is currently providing leadership as a Member, Executive Board, Commonwealth Chemistry, Federation of Commonwealth Chemical Societies, UK.
One of his most significant and relevant past roles was as Secretary of the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) at the Department of Science and Technology, India, from 2019-2022. It involved planning, promotion, funding, and support of internationally competitive research in emerging areas of science and engineering. Prof Verma was a Member of Prime Minister Office’ Taskforce for SARS Cov-2 Vaccine, DST sub-committee on SARS diagnostics, and Empowered Group-1 on Emergency Management Plan and Strategy for COVID-19. He has also been actively engaged as a Governing Board member of IISER Bhopal and Behrampur, Indo-US Science and Technology Forum and Indo-German Science and Technology Center, New Delhi.