Professional Experience
Head, Extension and Training Division
KFRI, Peechi (2024 - Present)
Scientist in Charge
KFRI Field Research Centre, Palappally (2016-2024)
Senior Scientist
Centre for Medicinal Plants Research (CMPR), AVS, Kottakkal (2003-2010)
Education
Nature-based Solutions for Disaster and Climate Resilience
2021
UNEP, PEDRR, European Union, SDG Academy
Certificate course on 2D Cartoon Animation
2020
Kerala State Rutronix, Govt of Kerala
Training Need Analysis (TNA)
2017
Institute of Management in Government (IMG), Govt of Kerala
Ph.D. Botany
2006
University of Calicut
M.Sc. Botany
2000
Department of Botany, University of Calicut
B.Sc. Botany
2008
SNGS College, Pattambi
Other Information
Academic Honors
- Member, State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) Committee (2018 – 2024)
- Member, Research Advisory Committee of R&D, Oushadhi (Since 2023)
- Editorial board member of Sasthra (A newsletter of KSCSTE) (Since 2020)
- Editor, Evergreen (A newsletter of KFRI) (2018-24)
- Editorial Board Member, Jour of Bamboo and Rattan
- Chairman, Board of Studies (Forestry), University of Kannur (2018-20)
- Member, State Academic Committee (SAC), National Children Science Congress (Since 2018)
- Member, Board of Studies (Genetics), (Single Board) under Faculty of Science, University of Calicut (2023-26).
- Co-Chairperson - Working group of Forests and Environment, Fourteenth Five Year Plan (2022-27), State Planning Board, Govt. of Kerala.
- Member - Publication Committee, Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University.
- Member, Board of Studies (B.Voc Agriculture), (Single Board) under Faculty of Science, University of Calicut (2023-26).
- Member, Board of Studies (Botany), St Joseph’s College Devagiri, Calicut (2025-28).
- Panel Member for evaluation - Evaluation of One District - One Idea (ODOI) Projects by Kerala Development and Innovation Strategy Council (K-DISC) for the MSME Innovation Cluster by Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), (Kerala office), Govt of India.
- Member, Executive Committee, Sophisticated Testing and Instrumentation Centre (STIC), CUSAT.
- Member - Sree Sankara College, Kalady - Academic Committee Constitution with respect to MG University FYUGP implementation by Sree Sankara College, Kalady
- Convener - Golden Jubilee Celebrations Committee of KFRI, Director, KFRI
Awards
- Best Poster Award in 38th Kerala Science Congress, 30 Jan - 02 Feb 2026, Ernakulam, KSCSTE, Govt. Of Kerala.
- Best Paper Award in Three-Day International Conference on “Libraries for Sustainable Futures: Collaboration, Technology and Knowledge Sharing”. 09–11 March 2026, organised by the Department of Library and Information Science, University of Kerala.
- Best Poster Award in 37th Kerala Science Congress, 10-14 February, 202., KSCSTE, Govt. Of Kerala.
- Best paper award in National seminar on advances in Biotechnology and bio prospecting organized by St. Joseph College, Devagiri, Kozhikode. Sponsored by UGC on Feb 07 2019.
- Best paper award in National seminar on forestry, plant genetics and improvements organized by KSCSTE-KFRI and Gregor Mendel Foundation on Dec 03-04, 2019.
- International Travel Grant (2007), TATA Trust, Mumbai.
- Award for the best paper presentation of young scientists at the international symposium “Recent Advances in Plant Biotechnology” which was held on June 10-16, 2007 in Stara Lesna, Slovak Republic.
Patents
- Kannadippaya (GI Registration)- Served as a facilitator and Principal Investigator for the successful registration of the traditional tribal handicraft, Kannadippaya.
Memberships
- Executive member, Gregor Mendel Foundation (GMF), Calicut University, Kerala, India
- Life Member, International society of Extension Education (INSEE), Department of Extension Education, College of Agriculture, Maharajbagh, Nagpur-440 001 (M.S.) India
- Life Member, Kerala Academy of Sciences, University of Kerala, Kerala, India
- Life Member – Bamboo Society of India
Professional Contributions/Roles
- Pioneer of the VCSMPP (Voluntary Certification Scheme for Medicinal Plant Produce) implementation in Kerala, providing lead technical expertise for the State’s first successful society –level certification in Palakkad (Received letter of appreciation from QCI, Govt of India). Serves as a Technical Expert for the PADD of the Quality Council of India, contributing to the strategic implementation of GAP across multiple national projects.
- Contributed to Geographical Indication (GI) initiatives, specializing in the documentation, technical defense, and conservation of unique tribal art forms and traditional knowledge systems. This includes Kerala’s first GI Tag tribal craft, ‘Kannadippaya’. These efforts have earned distinguished appreciation from the Tribal Department of the Government of Kerala for bridging scientific documentation with community-level heritage conservation.
- Commended by MoEF & CC Govt of India through a formal letter of appreciation for directing a large-scale environment protection (Beach Cleaning) extension campaign during Nipah outbreak.
- Subject matter Expert for the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA), responsible for developing the specialized curriculum on Medicinal Plant Conservation and Equitable Benefit Sharing for Forestry Officers.
- Coordinated the KSCSTE and KFRI exhibition stalls at national and State Science programmes including Indian Science Congress.
- Worked as a Consultant at Kerala Legislative Assembly as a part of the works related to Green Assembly initiative by Hon Speaker of KLA (2017-21)
- Nominated as a member in Haritha Protocol Committee of Kerala Legislative Assembly by Hon. Speaker of Kerala Legislative Assembly (2017-21)
Research Area
Conservation of Medicinal and Forestry Species, Phytochemistry and Metabolomics, Plant Tissue Culture,
Community Based Natural Resource Management, Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) interventions for Tribal Empowerment, Sustainable Product Value Chains and Geographical Indication Tag (GI) initiatives,
Extension, Outreach and Livelihood Generation, Training Need Analysis and Training Methodologies.
Most Cited Total Publications: 65
Dataset on exoskeleton chemistry and surface morphology of the pill millipede, Arthrosphaera lutescens.
Palakkaparambil P, Venugopal V, Sujith A, Augustine C, Kuriadom ST, Vardhanan YS, Raghu AV, Gouthami V, Narayanan JK, Ajaykumar AP. Sci data (NATURE)(2026)
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-026-07171-w
Nepenthes pitcher fluid for the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles with biofilm inhibition, anticancer and antioxidant properties
Sabira O, KN Jayaraj, Ajaykumar AP, Varma SR, Vaikkathillam P, Kotakonda M, Kumar P, Raghu AV, Zeena KV NATURE Scientific Reports(2025)
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-89212-9
Exploring the Hemolymph of the Pill Millipede Arthrosphaera lutescens (Butler, 1872): Chemical Composition, Bioactive Properties, and Computational Studies
Palakkaparambil P., Venugopal V., Vijayan G., Alsaegh M. A., Kundil V. T., Gangadharan A. K., Sabira O., Aswathi, A. V. Raghu, K N Jayaraj and A. P. Ajaykumar. Current Issues in Molecular Biology, 47,434:2-23.(2025)
Exploring the Role of Wilderness Medicine in Undergraduate Medical Education in India: Impact on Student Motivation and Self-Directed Learning
Siju V. A, Aravind S., Suseel A., Mathew D., Rajeev PC, George CR, Chammanam SS, Vijay CA, Bharathan, Raghu A V, Antony J, Sunny AE, and Kandiyil C K Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, 1-13(2025)
Ethnographic exploration and documentation of Kannadippaya (Bamboo reed mat) weaving among tribal communities in Kerala
N Anjana, K Pranav, V B Sreekumar, A. V Raghu, Syam Viswanath J. Bamboo Rattan (2024) 23(3): -80(2024)
Green synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles using Oroxylum indicium leaf extract and its elicitation activity in tissue culture
Sreeja CS and Raghu A V African journal of Biomedical Research 27(3):5260-5267(2024)
In Vitro Conservation of Rare, Endangered, and Threatened Plants, In S. T. Sukumaran, K. T R (eds.), Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Bioresources, Sustainable Development and Biodiversity
Sangeeth Chandran, A. V. Raghu, and K. V. Mohanan Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.(2023)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-5841-0_16
Embelin: an HPTLC method for quantitative estimation in five species of genus Embelia Burm. f.
K. P. Rini Vijayan & A. V. Raghu Future Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 7:55(2021)
https://doi.org/10.1186/s43094-021-00210-w
‘Kannadipaya’ – role of geographical indication in brand-making and conservation
Raghu A. V. and Syam Viswanath CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 121, NO. 1, 10: 19-20(2021)
COVID-19: should forestry extension pay attention to new emerging threats?
Raghu A. V., M. Amruth and Syam Viswanath CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 119, NO. 8, 25: 1244-1245(2020)
Polyphenolic profiling of two Embelia spp. endemic to South Western Ghats of India by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry analysis
K. P. Rini Vijayan & A. V. Raghu Natural Product Research(2019)
https://doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2019.1687475
Tentative characterization of phenolic compounds in three species of the genus Embelia by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry analysis
K. P. Rini Vijayan, A. V. Raghu Spectroscopy Letters(2019)
https://doi.org/10.1080/00387010.2019.1682013
Team Members
Sreeja C.S.
Junior Research Fellow
UOC (From 2018)
Effect of elicitation and precursor feeding on the production of Oroxylin A, Chrysin and Baicalein in in vitro cultures of Oroxylum indicum (L.) Kurz.
Sangeeth Chandran.
Junior Research Fellow
UOC (From 2020)
Investigation on application of nanobionics on accumulation of biomass and biosynthesis of compounds in Holostemma adakodien K. Schum in in-vitro.
Anjana N.
Junior Research Fellow
UOC (From 2021)
Investigation on physio-chemical, microstructure properties and molecular characterization of special bamboos used in weaving by tribal communities in Idukki district, Kerala.
Alumni - Research Scholars
| # |
Name |
Research Work |
Current Position |
| 1 |
Rini Vijayan K P |
In vitro studies for production of secondary metabolites and phytochemical characterization in medicinally important genus Embelia Brum. F., [UOC, 2022] |
|
