Dr. V. Rao Mundlapati is a Senior Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at KIIT Deemed to be University. He obtained his PhD from the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar, in 2018. With a diverse research background, Dr. Mundlapati has expertise in several areas including Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, conformational studies of peptide foldamers, non-covalent interactions, laser spectroscopy, astrochemistry, and environmental chemistry.
Dr. Mundlapati brings over six years of postdoctoral experience, having worked in prestigious research institutions across Europe. At CEA, CNRS, and the University of Paris-Saclay, France, he conducted laser spectroscopic studies of sulfur-containing peptides. He further contributed to the field of astrochemistry by studying the spectroscopic properties of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) cations and their derivatives under astrophysical conditions at the Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP), CNRS, and CNES in Toulouse, France. Additionally, he has collaborated on environmental chemistry research at Université de Lille, CNRS, PhLAM - Laboratoire de Physique des Lasers, Atomes et Molécules, Lille, France.
At present, Dr. Mundlapati is actively involved in both teaching and research. His current research focuses on the role of non-covalent interactions in stabilizing biomolecules and materials, computational studies using DFT, and spectroscopic investigations of astrochemical environments. He is also dedicated to advancing knowledge in environmental chemistry, with an emphasis on understanding molecular interactions and their implications in both natural and synthetic systems.