Prof. (Dr.) Rajendran Kooloth Valappil is a former Principal Scientist & Head, Aquatic Environment & Health Management Division, ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education (a Deemed University under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Mumbai and a former Professor, Department of Zoology, Central University of Kerala. He obtained his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Calicut and entered the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in 1992 and joined ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, Chennai, as Scientist in 1993; moved to ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education as Senior Scientist and, became Principal Scientist in 2006. As a recipient of the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF) post-doctoral fellowship, he worked at Yeosu National University, South Korea (2000-2001); worked as Fish Pathologist at the Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Australia (2003-2006) and under the Fulbright-Nehru Senior Research Fellowship, worked at the Auburn University, USA (2011).

Prof. Rajendran has led various institutional and extramural research projects, including an international collaborative project on different aspects of fish and shellfish diseases, and has published over 130 peer-reviewed articles, besides other publications, including edited books. He has more than 32 years of research experience including ~ 25 years of post-graduate teaching and mentoring, 8 years of administrative experience of heading the Research Division; Served as Dean (Academics), Dean (External relation), Chairman, Board of Studies, Member, Academic Council, Board of Management, Extension Council, Board of Examiners of the Fisheries University, and Member of the Management Committees of three national institutes. Prof. Rajendran serves as one of the Editors of the journal Virus Disease (Springer) and Editorial Board Member, Fish & Shellfish Immunology Reports (Elsevier). Currently, he is an Adjunct Professor at the ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai.