Faculty

1. Bachelor of Veterinary Science (B.V.Sc. & A.H.) (2006) Kerala Agricultural University

2. Master of Veterinary Science (M.V.Sc. [Veterinary Microbiology]) (2008) Tamilnadu University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences

3. Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. D. [Veterinary Virology]) (2012) Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Uttar Pradesh 

Molecular diagnosis of viral diseases of livestock with special reference to poultry diseases 

Molecular phylogeny of viral and bacterial diseases 

Development of rapid molecular detection methods

Reverse genetics

Recombinant DNA technology

• Worked as Veterinary Surgeon in the Animal Husbandry Department, Kerala from 2012 to 2013.
• Working as Assistant Professor in the Department of Veterinary Microbiology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pookode from 21/12/2013. Promoted as Assistant Professor (Academic Level 11) on 21.12.2017. 

ICAR- SRF 2009 for Doctoral Research

1. ICAR Sponsored Refresher training on “Advances in Molecular biology for Diagnosis and control of Infectious diseases” by SDAU, Dantiwada

2. Orientation training on "Innovative Pedagogical Strategies" by Academic Staff College, KVASU

3. MOOC on "Theoretical foundation of educational technology" by ICAR-NAARM

4. Training on "Recent approaches in forensic pathology" by CVS & AH, NDVSU, Jabalpur

Patent Granted

Madhusudan Hosamani, Rajasekhar R, Suresh H Basagoudanavar and R. Venkataramanan. Full-Length Infectious CDNA Clone for Indian Vaccine Strain of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Serotype O (Ind-R2/75). Patent Number- 626/DEL/2012

Publications (Selected)

1. R Rajasekhar, Parimal Roy (2014). Recombinant hexon antigen based single serum dilution ELISA for rapid serological profiling against fowl adenovirus-4 causing hydropericardium syndrome in chickens. Journal of Virological Methods, 207. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jviromet.2014.06.017
2. R Rajasekhar, Madhusudan Hosamani, Suresh H Basagoudanavar, BP Sreenivasa, RP Tamil Selvan, Paramasivam Saravanan, Ramamurthy Venkataramanan (2012). Rescue of infective virus from a genome-length cDNA clone of the FMDV serotype O (IND-R2/75) vaccine strain and its characterization. Research in Veterinary Science, 95(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2013.01.026 
3. Nimisha Bhaskar, Chintu Ravishankar, R Rajasekhar, K Sumod, TG Sumithra, Koshy John, M Mini, Reghu Ravindran, Shiju Shaji, J Aishwarya (2015). Molecular typing and phylogenetic analysis of classical swine fever virus isolates from Kerala, India. VirusDisease, 26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13337-015-0271-y
4. J Aishwarya, Chintu Ravishankar, R Rajasekhar, K Sumod, Nimisha Bhaskar, Shiju Shaji, Koshy John, M Mini (2016). First report of detection and molecular characterization of porcine parvovirus in domestic and wild pigs in Kerala, India. VirusDisease, 27(3). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13337-016-0330-z
5. Sushila Maan, Sunil K Mor, Naresh Jindal, Vinay G Joshi, Chintu Ravishankar, Vikash K Singh, Rajasekhar Ravindran, Niranjana Sahoo, Jessica Radzio-Basu, Megan A Schilling, Walter R McVey Jr, Nand K Mahajan, Vivek Kapur, Sagar M Goyal. Complete genome sequences of Newcastle disease virus isolates from backyard chickens in northern India. Microbiology Resource Announcements, 8(27). https://doi.org/10.1128/mra.00467-19
6. D Nandhakumar, R Rajasekhar, G Logeshwaran, Chintu Ravishankar, Stephy Rose Sebastian, R Anoopraj, K Sumod, Binu K Mani, G Chaithra, Chandankar Vaidehi Deorao, Koshy John (2020). Identification and genetic analysis of infectious bursal disease viruses from field outbreaks in Kerala, India. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 52(3). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-019-02084-w
7. G Chaithra, Chintu Ravishankar, Stephy Rose Sebastian, R Rajasekhar, R Anoopraj, Binu K Mani, K Sumod, Chandankar Vaidehi Deorao, G Logeshwaran, D Nandhakumar, Koshy John (2020). Molecular characterisation of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus from pigs in Kerala. VirusDisease, 31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13337-020-00634-7
8. Chandankar Vaidehi Deorao, R Rajasekhar, Chintu Ravishankar, D Nandhakumar, K Sumod, Hamza Palekkodan, Koshy John, G Chaithra (2021). Genetic variability in VP1 gene of infectious bursal disease virus from the field outbreaks of Kerala, India. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 53(3). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-021-02852-7
9. Niranjana Sahoo, Kashyap Bhuyan, Biswaranjan Panda, Nrushingha Charan Behura, Sangram Biswal, Lipismita Samal, Deepika Chaudhary, Nitish Bansal, Renu Singh, Vinay G Joshi, Naresh Jindal, Nand K Mahajan, Sushila Maan, Chintu Ravishankar, Ravindran Rajasekhar, Jessica Radzio-Basu, Catherine M Herzog, Vivek Kapur, Sunil K Mor, Sagar M Goyal (2022). Prevalence of Newcastle disease and associated risk factors in domestic chickens in the Indian state of Odisha. PLoSOne, 17(2). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0264028
10. Chintu Ravishankar, Rajasekhar Ravindran, Anneth Alice John, Nithin Divakar, George Chandy, Vinay Joshi, Deepika Chaudhary, Nitish Bansal, Renu Singh, Niranjana Sahoo, Sunil K Mor, Nand K Mahajan, Sushila Maan, Naresh Jindal, Megan A Schilling, Catherine M Herzog, Saurabh Basu, Jessica Radzio‐Basu, Vivek Kapur, Sagar M Goyal (2022). Detection of Newcastle disease virus and assessment of associated relative risk in backyard and commercial poultry in Kerala, India. Veterinary Medicine and Science, 8(3). https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.747
11. Anusree Thenissery, Rithu Chandran, Rajasekhar Ravindran, Chintu Ravishankar, Jishnu Haridas Piriyath (2022). Isolation and identification of emergent multidrug‐resistant Stenotrophomonas maltophilia from skin ulcers of Sarcoptes‐infested pigs. Veterinary Record Case Reports, 10(2). https://doi.org/10.1002/vrc2.312
12. G Logeshwaran, Chintu Ravishankar, D Nandhakumar, Stephy Rose Sebastian, R Rajasekhar, K Sumod, Binu K Mani, ED Benjamin, TR Jayakrishnan, Koshy John, M Mini (2020). Detection and molecular characterization of rotavirus of pigs in Kerala, India. VirusDisease, 31(4). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13337-020-00621-y
13. Shaji Syamily, R Rajasekhar, R Anoopraj, Chintu Ravishankar, Haridas Piriyath Jishnu (2023). Detection and molecular characterisation of canine adenovirus type 1 from a fatal case of infectious canine hepatitis from India. Veterinary Record Case Reports, 11(4). https://doi.org/10.1002/vrc2.698
14. Shashank Somashekara, Chintu Ravishankar, Rajasekhar Ravindran, Anoopraj Rajappan, Sumod Kanjirakkuzhiyil, Arun Paravalappil Muraleedharan, Maneesh Kanjully Vadukoottayil, Aishwarya Janardhan, Koshy John (2023). Molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of porcine circovirus 2 from Kerala, India. VirusDisease, 34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13337-023-00814-1
15. PM Arun, R Rajasekhar, Chintu Ravishankar, Hamza Palekkodan, K Sumod, Koshy John, Athira P Nair, KM Maneesh, S Shashank (2024). Detection and genetic analysis of poxviruses of goats from field outbreaks of Kerala, India. The Indian Journal of Small Ruminants, 30(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.5958/0973-9718.2024.00005.9
16. Other Significant Professional Contributions
17. GenBank Nucleotide Accession numbers: 154