Staff Profile

Dr Sriram Selvaraju

Designation: Scientist E

Division/Unit: Epidemiology

Email: selvaraju[dot]s[at]icmr[dot]gov[dot]in

Educational Qualification

MBBS, MPH,

Personal Statement

As a physician, epidemiologist, and public health researcher, my work is driven by a singular goal: to contribute to the elimination of tuberculosis in India and globally. I focus on advancing understanding of the natural history and disease spectrum of TB, particularly the often-overlooked stages of incipient and subclinical disease that are critical to interrupting transmission. I have been actively involved in large-scale national initiatives, including tuberculosis prevalence surveys and implementation research, generating evidence to inform policy and practice. My vision is to enable earlier detection, effective treatment, and strengthened public health strategies to ultimately eliminate tuberculosis as a major public health threat.

Research Focus

• Epidemiology of tuberculosis across the disease spectrum, including TB infection, subclinical disease, progression to active disease and recurrence at population level
• Tuberculosis mortality and survival analysis in population-based and clinical cohorts
• Design and implementation of national TB prevalence surveys and studies in vulnerable and high-risk populations
• Development and evaluation of novel diagnostics and screening strategies, including multi-omics, AI-based tools, and early detection approaches
• Implementation research and policy translation to strengthen India’s National TB Elimination Program

Ongoing projects as Principal investigator

Strengthening the monitoring of TB Elimination in India

Effectiveness of adult BCG vaccination using Test Negative matched case control Study in India

Significant Publications

1. Selvaraju, S., Velayutham, B., Rao, R., Rade, K., Thiruvengadam, K., Asthana, S., Balachandar, R., Bangar, S.D., Bansal, A.K., Bhat, J. and Chopra, V., 2023. Prevalence and factors associated with tuberculosis infection in India. Journal of Infection and Public Health, 16(12), pp.2058-2065.

2. Selvaraju, S., Kumar, M.S., Thangaraj, J.W.V., Bhatnagar, T., Saravanakumar, V., Kumar, C.P.G., Sekar, K., Ilayaperumal, E., Sabarinathan, R., Jagadeesan, M. and Hemalatha, M.S., 2021. Population-based serosurvey for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 transmission, Chennai, India. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 27(2), p.586.

3. Selvaraju, S., Thiruvengadam, K., Watson, B., Thirumalai, N., Malaisamy, M., Vedachalam, C., Swaminathan, S. and Padmapriyadarsini, C., 2021. Long-term survival of treated tuberculosis patients in comparison to a general population in South India: a matched cohort study. International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 110, pp.385-393.

4. Selvaraju, S., Malaisamy, M., Dolla, C.K., Murali, L., Karikalan, N., Saravanan, B., Tholkappian, A.S. and Tripathy, S.P., 2022. Application of mobile phone technology as intervention for the management of tuberculosis patients diagnosed through community survey. Indian Journal of Medical Research, 155(2), pp.301-305.

5. Murhekar, M.V., Bhatnagar, T., Selvaraju, S., Rade, K., Saravanakumar, V., Thangaraj, J.W.V., Kumar, M.S., Shah, N., Sabarinathan, R., Turuk, A. and Anand, P.K., 2020. Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in India: Findings from the national serosurvey, May-June 2020. Indian Journal of Medical Research, 152(1-2), pp.48-60.

6. Murhekar, M.V., Bhatnagar, T., Selvaraju, S., Saravanakumar, V., Thangaraj, J.W.V., Shah, N., Kumar, M.S., Rade, K., Sabarinathan, R., Asthana, S. and Balachandar, R., 2021. SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroprevalence in India, August–September, 2020: findings from the second nationwide household serosurvey. The Lancet Global Health, 9(3), pp.e257-e266.

7. Murhekar, M.V., Bhatnagar, T., Thangaraj, J.W.V., Saravanakumar, V., Kumar, M.S., Selvaraju, S., Rade, K., Kumar, C.G., Sabarinathan, R., Turuk, A. and Asthana, S., 2021. SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among the general population and healthcare workers in India, December 2020–January 2021. International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 108, pp.145-155.

8. Giridharan, P., Selvaraju, S., Rao, R., Rade, K., Thiruvengadam, K., Asthana, S., Balachandar, R., Dipak Bangar, S., Bansal, A.K., Bhat, J. and Chakraborty, D., 2023. Recurrence of pulmonary tuberculosis in India: findings from the 2019–2021 nationwide community-based TB prevalence survey.

PLoS One, 18(12), p.e0294254.

9. Gupte, A.N., Selvaraju, S., Gaikwad, S., Mave, V., Kumar, P., Babu, S., Andrade, B.B., Checkley, W., Bollinger, R. and Gupta, A., 2020. Higher IL-6 levels and changes in TGF-β are associated with lung impairment in pulmonary tuberculosis. ERJ Open Research.

10. Surie, D., Sathyanarayanan, M.K., Lavanya, J., Smith, J.P., Shanmugam, S.K., Tamilzhalagan, S., Selvaraj, A., Ramesh, G., Tripathy, S., Khaparde, S.D. and Ho, C.S., 2024. Long-term follow-up of persons diagnosed with multidrug-resistant TB in Chennai, India, 2013–2020. The international journal of tuberculosis and lung disease: the official journal of the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, 28(1), p.54.