DR. SANTOSH KUMAR B

MBBS, M.D., FCD(Diabetes)
SCIENTIST-E  
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH NUTRITION


Email:  santosh.kumar@icmr.gov.in
Contact:  +91-40-27197333

Brief Profile

Dr Santosh Kumar B is a Scientist specializing in MD Pharmacology from Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad and MBBS from Government Siddhartha Medical College, Vijayawada, under Dr NTR University of Health Sciences, Andhra Pradesh. He previously served as the Coordinator for the Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring Centre of the Pharmacovigilance Program of India, Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Government of India. Before joining ICMR-NIN in March 2016, he was an Associate Professor of Pharmacology.

At ICMR-NIN, he has been involved in National Health Research Projects (NHRP) on anaemia, childhood stunting, and non-communicable diseases, providing evidence that influences public health policies. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he was part of NIN's Rapid Response Team, working with state health authorities to ensure smooth distribution of testing kits. He also contributed to national serosurveys that shaped the country’s pandemic response and monitored adverse events following Covaxin immunization in Andhra Pradesh.

Dr Santosh has experience in preclinical regulatory toxicology studies, cohort studies, and randomized controlled trials. He excels in community engagement and sharing research outcomes with stakeholders. Beyond research and teaching, he has developed strong administrative skills, holding various committee positions at the institute. He has also contributed to organizations like Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), Committee for Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CCSEA) and Codex Alimentarius Commission (CODEX), playing a key role in capacity building for the Viksit Bharat 2047 initiative.
Selected Publications: 45
  1. Bansal PG, Mazumder S, Sharma N, Kulkarni R, Thankachan P, Prasad P, Panda B, Santosh Kumar Banjara, Kulkarni B, Chowdhury R, Chandiok K, Gonmei ZL, et al. Implementation research to develop and optimize delivery models for evidence-based anemia control interventions in India: Protocol for the precision-driven response for anemia control and sustainable health (PRAKASH) study. PLOS One. 2026;21(6): e0351414.
  2. Palika R, Seeli H, Santosh Kumar Banjara, Dasi T, Pullakhandam R, Kulkarni B, Challa SR. Effect of combined probiotic and iron-folic acid supplementation on iron status and gut inflammation markers: a randomized controlled trial among anaemic children. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2026:1-9.
  3. Undrajavarapu P, Santosh Kumar Banjara, Vadakattu SS, Santhi B, Rao DS. Association of anthropometric and lifestyle factors with cardiovascular disease risk: A Case–Control study in south India amid rising CVD burden. Clinical Nutrition Open Science. 2026; 68:100679.
  4. Boga NS, Banerjee AK, Varma S, Molangiri A, Farhana S, Santosh Kumar Banjara, Bagga N, Duttaroy AK, Basak S. Leptin-specific epigenetic modulation of preterm cord blood serves as a candidate biomarker for obesity. Pediatric Research. 2026:1-11.
  5. Häsler B, Ramachandrappa NK, Rotta S, Konapur A, Ravichandran T, Dominguez-Salas P, Foster D, Claron M, Grace D, Validandi V, Moodley A, Ochieng L, Bosire C, Augustine LF, Heffernan C, Santosh Kumar Banjara, Kulkarni B. Investigating the bovine milk value chain of Hyderabad, India, with a focus on child stunting. Philosophical Transactions B. 2026;381(1950):20250046.
  6. Mallinson PAC, Birk N, Henderson AD, Lewin A, Shah ASV, Mehrkar A, Goldacre B, Babu GR, Santosh Kumar Banjara, Walker AJ, MacKenna B, et al. Ethnic differences in Long COVID diagnosed in primary care in England (2020–2022): an observational cohort study using OpenSAFELY. The Lancet Regional Health – Europe. 2026;63.
  7. Palika R, Dasi T, Parasannanavar DJ, Santosh Kumar Banjara, Kulkarni B, Pullakhandam R. Machine learning-based prediction of inflammation adjusted iron deficiency anaemia using blood cell indices. The Indian Journal of Medical Research. 2026; 163(4):469-476.
  8. Aramrat C, Mallinson PAC, Inkaew P, Seepheung P, Wiwatkunupakarn N, Buawangpong N, Birk N, Lieber J, Bhogadi S, Mahajan H, Santosh Kumar Banjara, Kulkarni B, Kinra S, Angkurawaranon C. Video-Based Gait Assessment Using Machine Learning to Classify Age and Sex in Low-Resource Settings: Cross-Sectional Study. JMIR Formative Research. 2026;10(1): e76755.
  9. Kalantre S, Suthar SB, Ramesh NB, Sarin P, Rai S, Santosh Kumar Banjara, Ananthan R, Sharma P, Sengupta S, Desai S, Parasannanavar D. A review of role and applications of adjuvants in enhancing bioaccessibility of mineral in cereals. Food Science and Biotechnology. 2026:1-22.
  10. Mahajan H, Mallinson PAC, Lieber J, Bhogadi S, Santosh Kumar Banjara, Shah A, Gupta V, Walia GK, Kulkarni B, Kinra S. Comparison of laboratory-based and non-laboratory-based WHO and GLOBORISK CVD risk scores: A cross-sectional analysis of the APCAPS cohort. PLOS One. 2026;21(2): e0342471.
  11. Gomez de Gracia E, Häsler B, Rotta S, Konapur A, Ravichandran T, Dominguez-Salas P, Hennessey M, Randolph D, Augustine LF, Ramachandrappa NK, Heffernan C, Santosh Kumar Banjara , Kulkarni B. Hyderabad's egg value chain: investigating potential influences on childhood stunting. Food Security. 2026; 18:483-494
  12. Sharma C, Kulkarni B, Byrne NM, Bhogadi S, Mallinson PAC, Lieber J, Birk N, Sarma KVR, Radha Krishna KV, Kuper H, Prabhakaran P, Gupta V, Walia GK, Wilson RT, Jagadeesh A, Santosh Kumar Banjara, Mahajan H, Kinra S, Ahuja KDK, Hills AP. Pathway for life course research in low-income and middle-income countries: Andhra Pradesh Children and Parents Study (APCAPS) 1994-2023. AJE Advances: Research in Epidemiology. 2026;2(1): uuag001.
  13. Sharma C, Soares AG, Kulkarni B, Byrne NM, Bhogadi S, Mallinson PAC, Lieber J, Sarma KVR, Radha Krishna KV, Kuper H, Gupta R, Prabhakaran P, Gupta V, Walia GK, Aggarwal A, Banjara SK, Mahajan H, Kinra S, Ahuja KDK, Hills AP. Life course trajectories of cardiovascular disease risk factors in rural India: Andhra Pradesh Children and Parents Study (APCAPS) 2003-2023. International Journal of Epidemiology. 2026;55(4): dyag080.
  14. Pullakhandam R, Augustine LF, Santosh Kumar Banjara, Dasi T, Palika R, Majumder R, Ghosh S, Sinha A, Kulkarni B. Impact evaluation of a population-based ‘Screen and Treat for Anaemia Reduction (STAR)’ strategy: a cluster randomised trial in rural Telangana, India. BMJ Global Health. 2025;10(12): e020633.
  15. Mallinson P, Bhogadi S, Lieber J, Mahajan H, Santosh Kumar Banjara, Kinra S. Influence of muscle mass and function in early-mid adulthood on incident diabetes: A 12-year longitudinal study in India. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice. 2025;230.
  16. Boda NR, Kadri AS, Rajendran A, Santosh Kumar Banjara, Sengupta S, Sharma P. Unlocking the Potential of Finger Millet in Child Nutrition: An Overview of Nutritional Power, Processing Methods and Policy Frameworks for Strategic Interventions. Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science Journal. 2025;13(3):1106-1126.
  17. Jagadeesh A, Aramrat C, Rai S, Maqsood FH, Madhukeshwar AK, Bhogadi S, Lieber J, Mahajan H, Santosh Kumar Banjara, Lewin A, Kinra S, Mallinson P. Diagnostic accuracy of convolutional neural networks in classifying hepatic steatosis from B-mode ultrasound images: a systematic review with meta-analysis and novel validation in a community setting in Telangana, India. The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia. 2025; 40:100644.
  18. Mallinson PAC, Dasi T, Santosh Kumar Banjara, Lieber J, Bhogadi S, Addanki S, Undrajavarapu P, Masapeta S, Mahajan H, Kulkarni B, Kinra S. Impact of distribution of facemasks on community incidence and outcomes of COVID-19: A cluster randomised trial in India. Journal of Infection. 2025;106557.
  19. Gogoi P, Sharma P, Goudar G, Mahajan A, Santosh Kumar Banjara. Phenolic composition and antioxidant potential of Indian pigmented rice landraces cultivated under identical agro-climatic conditions. Journal of Cereal Science. 2025; 122:104120.
  20. Dasi T, Augustine LF, Santosh Kumar Banjara, Challa SR, Palika R. Unpacking the Perceptions on Take Home Rations for Under-3 Children in Telangana State: Insights from the STAR Trial. Indian Pediatrics. 2025;62(3):217-219.
  21. DM DY, Tata DT, Jobarteh ML, Ndolo RN, Santosh Kumar Banjara, Augustine LF, Manne M, Kulkarni B, Diop A, Tairou F, Diop CF. Monitoring the progress and impact of a multicountry, interdisciplinary research project on childhood stunting: the UKRI GCRF Action Against Stunting Hub MEL protocol. BMJ Paediatrics Open. 2024 Jul 20;8(Suppl 1).
  22. Santosh Kumar Banjara, Challa SR, Augustine LF, Dasi T, Madhari R, Rao SF, Palika R, Pullakhandam R, Kalashikam RR, Kumar RN, Palepu DP. Eggs for Improving Nutrition, cognitive development and reducing linear growth retardation among Infants and young Children (ENRICH): protocol of an egg supplementation trial among children aged 9–18 months in Hyderabad, India. BMJ paediatrics open. 2024;8(Suppl 1).,
  23. Mahajan H, Lieber J, Mallinson PA, Bhogadi S, Santosh Kumar Banjara, Kinra S, Kulkarni B. The higher dietary inflammation is associated with a higher burden of multimorbidty of cardio-metabolic and mental health disorders in an urbanizing community of southern India: A cross-sectional analysis for the APCAPS cohort. Human Nutrition & Metabolism. 2024 Feb 15:200254.
  24. Augustine LF, Dasi T, Palika R, Kulkarni B, Pullakhandam R, Pasupuleti DT, Banjara SK. A Point-of-Care Method with Integrated Decision Support Tool to Estimate Anemia at Population Level. Journal of Visualized Experiments: Jove. 2024 Jan 19(203).
  25. Archita Ningoo, Santosh Kumar B, Reactions of ASHAs to a Decision Support Tool to Support Population Level Distribution of Iron and Folic Acid Supplements, Indian Pediatrics, Volume 61__April 15, 2024
  26. Jobarteh ML, Saxena DB, Kulkarni B, Shah K, Santosh Kumar Banjara, Shah PA, Memon F, Chilumula M, Palepu DP, Selvaraj K, Dasi T. Impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection and mitigation strategy during pregnancy on prenatal outcome, growth and development in early childhood in India: a UKRI GCRF Action Against Stunting Hub protocol paper. BMJ Paediatrics Open. 2024;8(Suppl 1).
  27. Dominguez-Salas P, Waddington HS, Grace D, Bosire C, Moodley A, Kulkarni B, Dasi T, Santosh Kumar Banjara, Kumar RN, Fahmida U, Htet MK. Understanding the role of household hygiene practices and foodborne disease risks in child stunting: a UKRI GCRF Action Against Stunting Hub protocol paper. BMJ Paediatrics Open. 2024;8(Suppl 1).
  28. Davies-Kershaw H, Fahmida U, Htet MK, Kulkarni B, Faye B, Yanti D, Shinta D, Zahra NL, Angelin TC, Madhari R, Pullakhandam R, Santosh Kumar Banjara. Anthropometric, biochemical, dietary, morbidity and well-being assessments in women and children in Indonesia, India and Senegal: a UKRI GCRF Action Against Stunting Hub protocol paper. BMJ paediatrics open. 2024;8(Suppl 1).
  29. Mahajan H, Mallinson PA, Lieber J, Bhogadi S, Santosh Kumar Banjara, Reddy VS, Reddy GB, Kulkarni B, Kinra S. The Association of Total Meat Intake with Cardio-Metabolic Disease Risk Factors and Measures of Sub-Clinical Atherosclerosis in an Urbanising Community of Southern India: A Cross-Sectional Analysis for the APCAPS Cohort. Nutrients. 2024 Mar 5;16(5):746.
  30. Lieber J, Santosh Kumar Banjara, Mallinson PA, Mahajan H, Bhogadi S, Addanki S, Birk N, Song W, Shah AS, Kurmi O, Iyer G. Protocol: Burden, determinants, consequences and care of multimorbidity in rural and urbanising Telangana, India: protocol for a mixed-methods study within the APCAPS cohort. BMJ Open. 2023;13(11).
  31. Ghosh S, Palika R, Dasi T, Varshney RK, Parasannanavar DJ, Sen Gupta S, Chitikineni A, Santosh Kumar Banjara, Pullakhandam R, Thomas T, Sachdev HS. Haemoglobin diagnostic cut-offs for anaemia in Indian women of reproductive age. European journal of clinical nutrition. 2023 Oct;77(10):966-71.
  32. Chathyushya KB, Hemalatha R, Ananthan R, Devraj JP, Santosh Kumar Banjara, Alimelu M, Reddy P, Nitasha B. Macronutrient composition of term and preterm human milk of different socio economic groups. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids. 2023 May 1;192:102571.
  33. Sagar P, Azeem A, Santosh Kumar Banjara, Veleri S. The role of food chain in antimicrobial resistance spread and One Health approach to reduce risks. International Journal of Food Microbiology. 2023 Feb 24:110148.
  34. Palika R, Dasi T, Santosh Kumar Banjara, Pullakhandam R, Kulkarni B. Anaemia and iron nutrition in India: insights from recent research studies. NFI Bulletin (2023): 1-12.
  35. Mamidi RS, Santosh Kumar Banjara, Manchala S, Babu CK, Geddam JB, Boiroju NK, Varanasi B, Neeraja G, Reddy GV, Ramalakshmi BA, Hemalatha R. Maternal Nutrition, Body Composition and Gestational Weight Gain on Low Birth Weight and Small for Gestational Age—A Cohort Study in an Indian Urban Slum. Children. 2022 Sep 23;9(10):1460.
  36. Avula R, Nguyen PH, Ashok S, Bajaj S, Kachwaha S, Pant A, Walia M, Singh A, Paul A, Singh A, Kulkarni B, Santosh Kumar Banjara..., Disruptions, restorations and adaptations to health and nutrition service delivery in multiple states across India over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020: an observational study. PLoS One. 2022 Jul 27;17(7):e0269674.
  37. Kulkarni B, Augustine LF, Pullakhandam R, Pradhan AS, Dasi T, Palika R, Santosh Kumar Banjara, Sachdev HS. ‘Screen and Treat for Anaemia Reduction (STAR)’strategy: study protocol of a cluster randomised trial in rural Telangana, India. BMJ Open. 2021 Dec 1;11(12):e052238.
  38. Parasannanavar D, Gaddam I, Bukya T, Santosh Kumar Banjara, Salvadi BP, Kumar N, Rao SF, Geddam JB, Rajkumar H. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake and plasma fatty acids of school going Indian children-a cross-sectional study. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids. 2021 Jul 1; 170:102294.
  39. Laxmaiah A, Rao NM, Arlappa N, Babu J, Kumar PU, Singh P, Sharma D, Anumalla VM, Kumar TS, Sabarinathan R, Kumar MS, B. Santosh Kumar. SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in the city of Hyderabad, India in early 2021. IJID Regions. 2022 Mar 1;2:1-7.
  40. Devraj JP, B. Santosh Kumar, Raja Sriswan M, Jagdish B, Priya BS, Neelu SB, Desai Rao V, Kumar M, Geddam JJ, Hemalatha R. Effect of yoganidra on blood pressure, Hs-CRP, and lipid profile of hypertensive subjects: A pilot study. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2021 Dec 30;2021.
  41. Murhekar MV, Bhatnagar T, Thangaraj JW, Saravanakumar V, Kumar MS, Selvaraju S, Rade K, Kumar CG, Sabarinathan R, Turuk A, Asthana S. SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among the general population and healthcare workers in India, December 2020–January 2021. International Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2021 Jul 1; 108:145-55. (Santosh Kumar Banjara -acknowledged in the paper).
  42. Kumar M, Sarma DK, Shubham S, Kumawat M, Verma V, Nina PB, Jp D, Santosh Kumar, Singh B, Tiwari RR. Futuristic non-antibiotic therapies to combat antibiotic resistance: A review. Frontiers in microbiology. 2021 Jan 26; 12:609459.
  43. Murhekar MV, Bhatnagar T, Selvaraju S, Saravanakumar V, Thangaraj JW, Shah N, Kumar MS, Rade K, Sabarinathan R, Asthana S, Balachandar R. SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroprevalence in India, August–September, 2020: findings from the second nationwide household serosurvey. The Lancet Global Health. 2021 Mar 1;9(3):e257-66. (Santosh Kumar Banjara acknowledged in the paper).
  44. Murhekar MV, Bhatnagar T, Selvaraju S, Rade K, Saravanakumar V, Thangaraj JW, Kumar MS, Shah N, Sabarinathan R, Turuk A, Anand PK. Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in India: Findings from the national serosurvey, May-June 2020. The Indian journal of medical research. 2020 Jul;152(1-2):48. (B Santosh Kumar acknowledged in the paper).
  45. Resu NR, Manju MS, Kondaveti S, SB Kumar. Nutraceuticals and Nutri vigilance–Present scenario in India. Int J Food Biosci. 2019;2(1):35-40.


Total number of book chapters : 01
  1. ICMR‐National Institute of Nutrition. Recommended Dietary Allowances and Estimated Average Requirements., Nutrient Requirements for Indians‐2020: A Report of the Expert Group, Indian Council of Medical Research National Institute of Nutrition. Santosh Kumar Banjara -Resource person
Awards and Honours/Recognitions
  1. Represented India:
    1. As an Indian delegation attended the 43rd Codex Alimentarius Commission held virtually on 24-26 September, 12th October 2020 and 19th October 2020., Geneva.
    2. As an Indian delegation attended 40th session of Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU), November 26-30, 2018 at Berlin, Germany.
    3. As an Indian delegation attended 12th Session of Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (CCCF), March 12-16, 2018 at Utrecht, Netherlands.
    4. As an Indian delegation attended virtually the 28th Session of the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (CCRVDF), held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America (USA), from **23–27 March 2026.

  2. Telangana State Advisory Board on Disability – Member (two years).

  3. Membership in Professional Bodies:
    1. Forum for Ethics Review Committees in India ( FERCI)
    2. Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA)
    3. Association of Food Scientist and Technologist (India)(AFSTI)
    4. Nutrition Society of India (NSI)
    5. Indian Pharmacological Society (IPS)
    6. Indian Society for Clinical Research (ISCR)
    7. Indian Society for Rational Pharmaco-Therapeutics (ISRPT)
    8. Indian Medical Association (IMA)
    9. Indian Medical Association College of General Practitioners (IMACGP)