Challa Kumar is currently the Group Leader of Nanofabrication at the Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices (CAMD), Baton Rouge, USA. His research interests are in developing novel synthetic methods for functional nanomaterials and innovative therapeutic, diagnostic and sensory tools based on nanotechnology. Prior to eight years of industrial R&D with ICI and United Breweries, he researched at the Max Planck Institutes for Biochemistry in Munich and for Carbon Research in Mülheim, both Germany. He obtained his Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry from Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Prashanti Nilayam, India.