Published on 07/10/202507/10/2025 by Health Scientists Dr. Veena Kumari HB | Medical Microbiology | Best Researcher Award Professor | National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences | India Dr. Veena Kumari HB is a distinguished Professor in the Department of Neuromicrobiology at NIMHANS, Bangalore, with extensive expertise in the diagnosis, management, and research of central nervous system (CNS) infections. She completed her Doctorate in Microbiology and has since established herself as a leading clinician-scientist, combining rigorous laboratory research with translational clinical studies. Her key research areas encompass bacterial and fungal brain infections, ventriculitis, meningitis, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Cryptococcus species, and COVID-19-associated neurological complications, with a strong focus on molecular characterization, epidemiology, and infection control strategies. Dr. Veena Kumari has an impressive publication record, including high-impact contributions such as her multivariate biomarker study in ventriculitis (Scientific Reports, 2025), investigations into device-associated meningitis and linezolid-resistant pathogens, and extensive analyses of CNS cryptococcosis across pre- and post-HIV eras. She has also led and contributed to several major research projects funded by ICMR, SERB, and institutional grants, exploring diagnostic innovations, antifungal susceptibility, and microbial population dynamics. In recognition of her scientific excellence, she has received numerous honors for her contributions to medical microbiology and neurology, and she actively serves as a reviewer and editorial board member for prominent journals in infectious diseases and microbiology. Dr. Veena Kumari HB’s career reflects a rare integration of clinical acumen, research rigor, and mentorship, positioning her as a transformative leader in the field of neuromicrobiology and infectious disease research in India and globally. Profile: Google Scholar Publications 1. Kumari, H. B. V., Nagarathna, S., & Chandramuki, A. (2007). Antimicrobial resistance pattern among aerobic gram-negative bacilli of lower respiratory tract specimens of intensive care unit patients in a neurocentre. 2. Srinivas, D., HB, V. K., Somanna, S., Bhagavatula, I., & Anandappa, C. B. (2011). The incidence of postoperative meningitis in neurosurgery: An institutional experience. Neurology India. 3. Chandramuki, A., Lyashchenko, K., Kumari, H. B. V., Khanna, N., Brusasca, P. N., … (2002). Detection of antibody to Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein antigens in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with tuberculous meningitis. 4. Kulkarni, G. B., Pal, P. K., Kumari, H. B. V., Goyal, M., Kovoor, J. M. E., Nadig, S., … (2009). Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus pyomyositis with myelitis: A rare occurrence with diverse presentation. 5. Dhandapani, S., Rajshekar, D., Priyadarshi, K., Krishnamoorthi, S., … (2023). Comparison of hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers in intensive care units and wards of COVID-19: A large-scale multicentric study in India. Veena Kumari HB | Medical Microbiology | Best Researcher Award
Dr. Veena Kumari HB is a distinguished Professor in the Department of Neuromicrobiology at NIMHANS, Bangalore, with extensive expertise in the diagnosis, management, and research of central nervous system (CNS) infections. She completed her Doctorate in Microbiology and has since established herself as a leading clinician-scientist, combining rigorous laboratory research with translational clinical studies. Her key research areas encompass bacterial and fungal brain infections, ventriculitis, meningitis, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Cryptococcus species, and COVID-19-associated neurological complications, with a strong focus on molecular characterization, epidemiology, and infection control strategies. Dr. Veena Kumari has an impressive publication record, including high-impact contributions such as her multivariate biomarker study in ventriculitis (Scientific Reports, 2025), investigations into device-associated meningitis and linezolid-resistant pathogens, and extensive analyses of CNS cryptococcosis across pre- and post-HIV eras. She has also led and contributed to several major research projects funded by ICMR, SERB, and institutional grants, exploring diagnostic innovations, antifungal susceptibility, and microbial population dynamics. In recognition of her scientific excellence, she has received numerous honors for her contributions to medical microbiology and neurology, and she actively serves as a reviewer and editorial board member for prominent journals in infectious diseases and microbiology. Dr. Veena Kumari HB’s career reflects a rare integration of clinical acumen, research rigor, and mentorship, positioning her as a transformative leader in the field of neuromicrobiology and infectious disease research in India and globally. Profile: Google Scholar Publications 1. Kumari, H. B. V., Nagarathna, S., & Chandramuki, A. (2007). Antimicrobial resistance pattern among aerobic gram-negative bacilli of lower respiratory tract specimens of intensive care unit patients in a neurocentre. 2. Srinivas, D., HB, V. K., Somanna, S., Bhagavatula, I., & Anandappa, C. B. (2011). The incidence of postoperative meningitis in neurosurgery: An institutional experience. Neurology India. 3. Chandramuki, A., Lyashchenko, K., Kumari, H. B. V., Khanna, N., Brusasca, P. N., … (2002). Detection of antibody to Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein antigens in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with tuberculous meningitis. 4. Kulkarni, G. B., Pal, P. K., Kumari, H. B. V., Goyal, M., Kovoor, J. M. E., Nadig, S., … (2009). Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus pyomyositis with myelitis: A rare occurrence with diverse presentation. 5. Dhandapani, S., Rajshekar, D., Priyadarshi, K., Krishnamoorthi, S., … (2023). Comparison of hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers in intensive care units and wards of COVID-19: A large-scale multicentric study in India.