Dinakar Mashnu Salunke
{{short description|Indian immunologist and structural biologist}}
{{third-party|date=December 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2018}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = Dinakar M. Salunke
| image = Dinakar M. Salunke.jpg
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Belgaum, Karnataka, India
| death_date =
| death_place =
| citizenship =
| nationality = Indian
| field = Biological Sciences
| work_institution = International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, National Institute of Immunology (NII)
| alma_mater = Indian Institute of Science
| doctoral_advisor = Prof. M. Vijayan
| doctoral_students =
| known_for = Immunology and Structural biology
| author_abbrev_bot =
| author_abbrev_zoo =
| influences =
| influenced =
| prizes = Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology(2000)
| footnotes =
| signature =
}}
Dinakar Masanu Salunke is an immunologist and structural biologist.{{cite web|title=Dr. Dinkar M. Salunke, Immunologist at National Institute of Immunology, Delhi|url=http://www.nii.res.in/faculty-06/DSalunke.htm|access-date=29 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061022051507/http://www.nii.res.in/faculty-06/DSalunke.htm|archive-date=22 October 2006|url-status=dead}} Presently, he is the Director of International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) New Delhi. Earlier he was the Executive Director{{cite web|title=Dr. Dinkar M. Salunke, Executive Director, Regional Centre for Biotechnology|url=http://www.rcb.res.in/dmsalunke.html|access-date=29 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111120145843/http://rcb.res.in/dmsalunke.html|archive-date=20 November 2011|url-status=dead}} of newly established Regional Centre for Biotechnology (RCB), an institution jointly set up by Department of Biotechnology (India) and UNESCO at Faridabad. He is the recipient of Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology in the category of biological sciences (year 2000) and Fellow of all major science academies in India.
Education and personal life
Salunke was born and brought up at Belgaum, Karnataka, India. He earned his B.Sc. in Physics, Mathematics and Statistics (1976), and M.Sc. in Physics (1978) from Karnataka University, Dharwad. After completion of his M.Sc. with first class distinction, he joined Prof. M. Vijayan for his Ph.D.{{cite web|title=Dr. Dinkar M. Salunke, Alumni of Prof. M. Vijayan Lab, MBU, IISc, Bangalore|url=http://mbu.iisc.ernet.in/~mv/mv_students.html|access-date=1 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324131835/http://mbu.iisc.ernet.in/~mv/mv_students.html|archive-date=24 March 2012|url-status=dead}} degree at Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He did his postdoctoral research at Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts, United States (year 1985–88).
Salunke is married to Madhuri and the couple has one daughter. They live in Delhi.
Professional career
Salunke joined the National Institute of Immunology (NII), Delhi in 1988 as a staff scientist and worked there until 2015{{cite web|title=Dr. Dinkar M. Salunke, Scientist, NII, Delhi|url=http://202.54.226.233/jsp/faculty.jsp|access-date=29 December 2011|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120708025722/http://202.54.226.233/jsp/faculty.jsp|archive-date=8 July 2012|url-status=dead}} at (NII), Delhi.{{cite web|url=http://www1.nii.res.in/people/scientific-staff-core-infrastructure-scientists|title=Scientific Staff (Core & Infrastructure Scientists)|publisher=National Institute of Immunology|access-date=29 November 2013|archive-date=13 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513143231/http://www1.nii.res.in/people/scientific-staff-core-infrastructure-scientists|url-status=dead}} From Nov 2015 onwards, Dr. Salunke nurtured the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology as its first director. Previously, he headed the newly established Regional Centre for Biotechnology, an institution of education, training and research, as its first executive director (years 2010–2015). He has also served as the executive director of the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Delhi (years 2010–2011).
For more than 3 decades, he has extensively worked in the field of immunology involving structural biology of immune recognition, molecular mimicry and allergy.
Awards and recognitions
Salunke has been awarded Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology (Category –Biological Sciences,{{cite web|title=Dr. Dinkar M. Salunke, recipient of S.S. Bhatnagar Award, year 2000|url=http://www.nii.res.in/faculty-06/DSalunke.htm|access-date=29 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061022051507/http://www.nii.res.in/faculty-06/DSalunke.htm|archive-date=22 October 2006|url-status=dead}} Year 2000) from Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). He is fellow{{cite web|title=Dr. Dinkar M. Salunke, Fellow of science academies in India|url=http://www.nii.res.in/~dinakar/|access-date=29 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227062017/http://www.nii.res.in/~dinakar/|archive-date=27 December 2013|url-status=dead}} of all the 3 major science academies in India e.g. Indian Academy of Sciences (IAS), Bangalore; Indian National Science Academy (INSA), Delhi; National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI), Allahabad. He was recently elected as Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS).
Other achievements include the GN Ramachandran Gold Medal for Excellence in Biological Science & Technology from Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India (2011) {{cite web|title=Dr. Dinakar M. Salunke, recipient of GN Ramachandran Gold Medal for Excellency in Biological sciences and Technology|url=http://www.rcb.res.in/news_g_n_ramachandran.html|access-date=29 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110921004450/http://www.rcb.res.in/news_g_n_ramachandran.html|archive-date=21 September 2011|url-status=dead}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{SSBPST recipients in Biological Science}}
{{Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Laureates of Karnataka}}
{{N-BIOS Laureates 1999–2009}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Salunke, Dinakar Mashnu}}
Category:Scientists from Karnataka
Category:Recipients of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology
Category:Indian Institute of Science alumni
Category:N-BIOS Prize recipients
Category:20th-century Indian biologists
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Recipients of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in Biological Science