Chief Diagnostics & Research Officer and
Laboratory Director,
Karkinos Healthcare Pvt Ltd, India
Adjunct Professor,
Dr. DY Patil Medical College, Hospital & Research Center, Pune
Adjunct Faculty,
Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, India
Senior Consultant,
Vishwanath Cancer Care Foundation, India
Chief Scientist (Ex),
CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi, India
Biosketch
Scientist, Passionate about improving human health by unlocking the power of the genome.
Dr. Sivasubbu is the Chief Diagnostics & Research Officer and Laboratory Director at Karkinos Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., India. In this role, he leads a multidisciplinary team dedicated to delivering advanced genome diagnostics and research solutions in oncology and precision medicine.
Dr Sivasubbu blends deep genomic sciences with real-world applications. His interests are focused on sequencing human genomes for adoption and benefit in healthcare. He spearheaded India’s first whole human genome sequencing initiative, which was later expanded to encompass thousands of genomes representing diverse ethnic groups across the country. His international collaborations include sequencing the first human genomes from Malaysia and Sri Lanka. He co-founded a clinical collaborative network - Genomics for Understanding Rare Disease: India Alliance Network (GUaRDIAN), which was one of the largest precision medicine ecosystem in India working on genetic diseases. His pioneering work in genomics has significantly advanced the diagnosis and management of genetic disorders in India. He has played a vital role in making genetic testing more affordable, accessible, and equitable in India, impacting a broad range of stakeholders including clinicians, hospitals, research institutions, diagnostic labs, and the biotech industry.
His group develops zebrafish models for application in precision medicine in humans. His team uses multiomics based approaches to explores non-coding RNA mediated regulation of vascular development and diseases, wherein his group is credited with the discovery of a number of non-coding RNAs.
Dr. Sivasubbu is recognized for leading the global field validation of the Illumina COVIDSeq NGS assay. The success of this work became the basis for adoption of COVIDSeq in over 210 countries for genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV2. His team’s work on developing “Accelerated Genome Sequencing” on bench-top NGS platforms was adopted by WHO-SEARO for genome surveillance of SARS-CoV2.
A prolific researcher, Dr. Sivasubbu has authored over 180 peer-reviewed publications in the fields of basic and clinical genomics. His group has developed multiple genomics tests which have been transferred to various healthcare companies. Dr. Sivasubbu serves as an Adjunct Professor at the Dr. DY Patil Medical College, Hospital & Research Center, Pune. Prior to his current role, Dr Sivasubbu was a Chief Scientist at the CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB), Delhi, India. He also served as the Head of “Genomics and Molecular Medicine Unit” and the Head of “Business Development” at CSIR-IGIB. Dr. Sivasubbu also served as the chief scientific officer at The Center for Genomic Application, Delhi. Dr. Sivasubbu holds a Ph.D. from M.S. University and has completed advanced training in genetics and genomics from the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, India, and the University of Minnesota, USA.