Understanding the complement system's role in various physiological processes, particularly in lung injury, has been a long-standing passion for Dr. Kulkarni. His research journey began in Mumbai, India, and continued under the guidance of Dr. John Atkinson at Washington University in St. Louis in the US. Driven by the desire to unravel the mysteries of the immune system, he focused on the overlooked aspect of the complement system’s involvement in lung injury.
Moreover, inspired by the mentorship he received, Dr. Kulkarni prioritizes mentoring trainees at all stages. He is the Associate Program Director for Research for their Divisional fellowship program, where he engages and supports physicians-in-training, allowing them to explore a career in research as a part of an NIH-funded “Principles in Pulmonary Research” training grant. His individual research program aims to create an inclusive and supportive scientific environment by recruiting trainees from diverse backgrounds. At the heart of Dr. Kulkarni's research group lies the question of reducing the burden of lung injury, with the hypothesis that locally derived immune proteins, such as complement proteins, can be modulated to mitigate disease severity.
In this article, Dr. Kulkarni discusses the role of context-dependent local complement activation in lung injury, specifically in response to infections, lung transplantation, and the role of complement in COVID-19.
Understanding the complement system's role in various physiological processes, particularly in lung injury, has been a long-standing passion for Dr. Kulkarni. His research journey began in Mumbai, India, and continued under the guidance of Dr. John Atkinson at Washington University in St. Louis in the US. Driven by the desire to unravel the mysteries of the immune system, he focused on the overlooked aspect of the complement system’s involvement in lung injury.
Moreover, inspired by the mentorship he received, Dr. Kulkarni prioritizes mentoring trainees at all stages. He is the Associate Program Director for Research for their Divisional fellowship program, where he engages and supports physicians-in-training, allowing them to explore a career in research as a part of an NIH-funded “Principles in Pulmonary Research” training grant. His individual research program aims to create an inclusive and supportive scientific environment by recruiting trainees from diverse backgrounds. At the heart of Dr. Kulkarni's research group lies the question of reducing the burden of lung injury, with the hypothesis that locally derived immune proteins, such as complement proteins, can be modulated to mitigate disease severity.
In this article, Dr. Kulkarni discusses the role of context-dependent local complement activation in lung injury, specifically in response to infections, lung transplantation, and the role of complement in COVID-19.
"The Svar Complement Award represents a significant milestone in my career. It is an honor to be recognized for our work in complement and lung diseases. This award not only acknowledges the hard work of our lab members but also provides an opportunity to showcase the vital role of complement in lung diseases. This recognition will allow us to perform daring experiments that are not possible with other funds." Dr. Hrishikesh S. Kulkarni
The Svar Complement Excellence Award is distributed annually to individuals who have greatly contributed to the complement field.
The awards are intended as grants for two recipients, each worth €20.000. The awards will be used to support the projects the recipients are working on within the complement field.
The committee consists of members of the International Complement Society (ICS) and the European Complement Network (ECN), as well as last year's awardees and one pharma representative.