About Me

I am Dr. Bevinje Srinivas Kakkilaya, consultant in internal medicine, practicing at Mangaluru,  the coastal city in Karnataka State, South India.

My beloved better half, Dr. Balasaraswathy, is a Dermatologist practicing at Mangaluru and Akshaya is our son. [More about my family here]

We have developed a unique diet and lifestyle programme for the management of metabolic syndrome related disorders, being offered at Spandana Centre for Metabolic Medicine at Light House Hill Road, Mangaluru.

I had been writing fortnightly column on health related issues, titled Arogya Prabha, in Kannada Prabha, the leading Kannada Daily. [Links on the right] Earlier, my fortnightly column titled Arogya Ashaya, was published in Vijaya Karnataka, another leading Kannada Daily. [Links on the right] Compilation of 77 of these articles has been published under the title ‘Arogya Ashaya’ by Navakarnataka Publications, and it has been awarded the Best Writer (Medical) Award by the Karnataka Science and Technology Academy and the Bisaleri Jayanna and Bisaleri Brothers Endowment Award for Medical literature by the Kannada Sahitya Parishat.

Currently, I am also a co-investigator in the project titled Malaria Research Training in South India being conducted by the Kuvempu University Consortium, Shimoga, Karnataka, in collaboration with the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, USA, and funded by the Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health  (NIH), USA. As a part of the project, we presented a poster on Malaria Prevalence in the Urban Areas of Mangaluru at the 65th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, held at Atlanta, Georgia, USA, in November, 2017. [See, p. 290]

More About Me

What’s in my name? Srinivas is the name my parents gave me. Kakkilaya is derived from Kakkolu-illu-aaya – one belonging to Kakkolu, our ancestral home – or illu in Tulu. Bevinje is the village near Cherkala, 8 kms from Kasaragod in northern Kerala, where my paternal family home is now located. It is just adjacent to Kakkolu, our ancestral location.

Born in Mangaluru, I had the first two years of schooling in Mangaluru and then, we moved to Badiadka in Kasaragod Taluk, where I continued my early education for 4 years. We moved back to Mangaluru in 1976-77 and from then on, we have been living here. I passed my M.B.,B.S. from Kasturba Medical College, Mangaluru  in 1987 -88 and then passed my M.D. in General Medicine from Karnatak Medical College, Hubli in 1992. My upbringing and world views have been immensely influenced by my parents – my father Sri B.V. Kakkilaya, a freedom fighter, political activist, former member of Rajya Sabha and Karnataka Vidhana Sabha, award winning writer and well known orator and my mother, late Ahalya, who was ever caring and very passionate about education.

As a student, I was actively involved in progressive and rationalist movements, participating in many programmes that aimed to promote scientific temper. The most memorable was my active participation in the Bharat Jana Vigyan Jatha, held between Oct 2-Nov 7, 1087. [See]

As a post graduate student in Hubli, I was actively involved with the Junior Doctors Association as its founder member and strived to improve the facilities at the medical college and its hospital. I was also the founder executive member of the Karnataka State Junior Doctors’ Association from 1989 to 1992.

After returning to Mangaluru post MD in 1992 , I  joined Padmashree Hospital and Research Centre, a 60 bedded multi-specialty hospital (then affiliated to the A.B. Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences under Nitte Education Trust) as a full time Physician and Lecturer in Medicine. Later I joined the K.S Hegde Medical Academy at Deralakatte as a faculty of Medicine in December 1998 and resigned as Associate Professor from KSHEMA in March 2005 to pursue full time practice.

In July 1995, I, along with experts of Community Medicine from Kasturba Medical College, Mangaluru, initiated the Malaria Control Programme in the city and was appointed as the Secretary of the Malaria Control Action Committee by the then Deputy Commissioner, Mr. Bharathlal Meena. I have since then continued to contribute to the antimalaria campaign in Mangaluru whenever called for. I was a member of the Epidemic Rapid Action Team (E-RAT), constituted to investigate the Leptospirosis epidemic that occurred in and around Surathkal, near Mangaluru, in August – September 1999. I have also assisted the Corporation Health authorities in investigating the suspected outbreak of Chikungunya in Mangaluru in September 2006. I have also been a member of the District Tuberculosis Control Society.

I was the Secretary of the Dakshina Kannada Chapter of Association of Physicians of India in 1993 and during that period organised a C.M.E. Programme on Sexual Medicine, first such programme in API, Mangaluru. In 1994 I was the editor of Lions Roar, the house magazine of Lions Club of Mangalore and won the best editor award. In 1994 and 1995, I was the founder editor of Medilore, the bi-monthly newsletter of the Dakshina Kannada Chapter of Indian Medical Association.

I have organised several Continuing Medical Education (CME) Programmes under the auspices of Padmashree Hospital in 1992 and 1993 and at KSHEMA between 1999 and 2002. While at KSHEMA I also started the Clinical Society and was its first Secretary in 1999-2000; started and edited the College Bulletin KSHEMA for two years, from January 1999 to December 2000; developed the web sites for the institution, namely, www.nittetrust.org and www.kshema.edu; initiated Sahara health check programme for the elderly and Akshaya programme for the treatment of tuberculosis patients.

I visited the University of Texas Medical School, Houston, Texas, U.S.A., in February 2000 for discussions on setting up collaborative research in malaria and other communicable diseases and as a result, a Regional Research Centre for Communicable Diseases was set up at K.S. Hegde Medical Academy in August, 2000. I also presented posters, on the malaria control initiative in Mangaluru and on the investigation into leptospirosis outbreak in Suratkal, at the New Challenges in Tropical Medicine and Parasitology conference held at Oxford, UK on Sep 18-22, 2000.

I have also collaborated with the researchers at the ID-FISH, Inc., Palo Alto, California, USA in developing a novel FISH assay for the diagnosis of malaria on thin smears. The results have now been published in Plos ONE dated Sep 2, 2015 [See] and the test has recently been approved by US FDA.

I have developed a comprehensive web site on malaria, first such from India, that provides detailed information on the aetiology, clinical features, diagnosis, treatment, complications, control measures and prophylaxis of malaria, malaria in children and pregnancy and malaria in Mangalooru. The site can be accessed at http://www.malariasite.com

I am also the Chief Editor of the Online Journal of Health and Allied Sciences (www.ojhas.org), the first peer-reviewed, online only biomedical journal of India being published since 2002, that is now archived in Open Access archives like Cogprints, HINARI, Open Med, Scopus, DOAJ etc.

I have also developed a website for promotion of Rational Medical Practice. It can be accessed at http://www.rationalmedicine.org

I am also the webmaster of the family web site of Kakkilayas of Bevinje, at http://www.kakkilaya.com

A documentary on filariasis scripted by me has been telecast on the UGC channel of Doordarshan.

I have scripted radio features too. The first one was titled Vaidyanobbana Aatma Nivedane and was broadcast in Aug-Sep 1987. It was followed by another feature titled Namma Deha, on the complex functions of the human body. A 13 part feature Aarogya Sampada scripted by me was aired on All India Radio, Mangalore in 2001 and later from AIR, Madikeri. Hridaya Koogutide KeLuvira, a feature on heart diseases scripted by me, was produced by AIR, Mangaluru and broadcast from all the statitions of AIR in Karnataka on Sep 27, 2015 [Audio here].

I am the Secretary of Dhrithi Foundation, a charitable Trust established to support the cause of education. Under the guidance of Vidyaposhak, Dharwad and with the help of donors such as the Prerana Trust of Infosys, Mangalore, Dhrithi Foundation has extended support to the tune of nearly 60 lakh rupees to more than 2000 students since 2006.

I have translated eight books from English to Kannada and these have been published by Navakarnataka Publications (Pvt.) Ltd., Bangalore. First one, titled Vijnanadalli Vinoda, was my translation of the book titled Amusing Experiments, which I did after my 10th grade exams, and it has been reprinted 20 times.

My first book, Flu Endu Hedaruvireke, (Why fear the Flu?) has seen two prints and has been awarded the first Dr. Chandrappa Gowda Prize for Best Medical Literature 2010 by the Karnataka Sangha, Shivamogga.

My articles have also been published in Complete Wellbeing, a health magazine published from Mumbai.

I have been a speaker at several CME and other programs on healthcare and rationalism in different parts of Karnataka and Kerala.

  • AMBKCC on Sep 19, 2018

    September 19, 2018: 5th State level Conference of Association of Medical Biochemists Karnataka Chapter, at K.S. Hegde Medical Academy, Derlakatte, Mangalore: Lecture on EFGHI of Diabesity

  • April 18, 2018: Lecture on Gut Microbiome – Life Within Life at Indian Academy of Paediatrics and Association of Physicians of India joint meeting, Kasaragod
  • April 1, 2018: Lecture on Gut Feelings at Indian Academy of Paediatrics, Udupi Chapter at Udupi
  • February 24, 2018: National symposium on Recent advances in malarial research, K.S. Hegde Medical Academy, Derlakatte, Mangalore: Lecture on Progress of malarial control in Dakshina Kannada
  • January 1, 2018: Chief Guest at Alcohol Abstinence Camp, AV Baliga Memorial Hosiptal, Udupi
  • September 16, 2017, National Health Summit, Organised by IMA, PHANA and FHA, Bengaluru: Moderator for Panel Discussion on Healthcare Ethics and Governance; panelist on Healthcare Costs: Myth and Reality
  • April 23, 2017, KPMEA State Conference 2017, Shimoga: Introspection or Self-Deceit
  • March 17, 2017, International conference on Malaria in Global Health, K.S Hegde Medical Academy, Nitte University, Deralakatte, Mangalore: Lecture on Current Clinical & Lab approach to Malaria
  • September 20, 2015: International Cardio Diabetology Conference, Fr. Muller’s Medical College, Mangalore: Lecture on Cardio Diabetic Diet: Turning on its Head
  • May 2, 2015, KMC, Manipal: CME on Parasitic Diseases in India – Diagnosis and Prevention : Lecture on Challenges in the management of malaria in India
  • January 24, 2015, Srinivas Medical College, Mukka, Biochemistry CME: Lecture on Gut Feelings
  • December 21, 2014, KMC, Manipal, CME on Antimicrobial Resistance: Lecture on Emerging Drug resistance in Malaria
  • November 9, 2014, FOGSI-JOGI-PICSEP Scientific Programme: Lecture on Vested interests, Misdeeds and Misconduct in Scientific Research, Art of presenting at a conference, judging a paper at conference
  • March 23, 2014, IMA Shimoga: CME lecture on Devil in the Drugs
  • October 2013, API – MERT CME Programme at Bangalore: Lecture on Acute Severe Malaria
  • June 4, 2013, Yenepoya Medical College, Deralakatte, Biochemistry CME: Lecture on Nutrient Keys to Modern Diseases
  • August 7, 2011, API, IMA Shimoga: CME lecture on Malaria – Current status of management
  • April 21, 2012, KMC, Manipal, ICMR Symposium on Infectious Diseases: Lecture on Current Challenges in the treatment of malaria
  • Others: CMEs and Lectures at KMC, Mangalore, IMA Kasaragod, IMA Udupi, IMA Mangaluru, IMA Kanhangad, IMA Suratkal, IMA Puttur, IMA Buntwal, IMA Moodabidare, IMA Bellary, IMA Hubballi, API Mangaluru, Fr Muller’s Medical College, Mangalore, KS Hegde Medical Academy, AJ Hosiptal and Research Centre, Padmashree Hospital, and elsewhere

My academic publications/presentations are listed below:

  1. Acquired antibody responses against merozoite surface protein-119 antigen during Plasmodium falciparum and P.vivax infections in South Indian city of Mangaluru. Kishore Punnath, Kiran K. Dayanand, Vishal Midya, Valleesha N. Chandrashekar, Rajeshwara N. Achur, Srinivas B. Kakkilaya, Susanta K. Ghosh, Suchetha N. Kumari, D. Channe Gowda.  J Parasit Dis. 2021;45:176–190. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12639-020-01288-4 Available at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12639-020-01288-4
  2. Palmar Erythema as the Sole Manifestation of COVID-19. Panambur Balasaraswathy, Kakkilaya Srinivas B. Cureus. November 02, 2020;12(11): e11291. doi:10.7759/cureus.11291. Available at https://www.cureus.com/articles/44181-palmar-erythema-as-the-sole-manifestation-of-covid-19
  3. Clinical Features and Haematological Parameters among Malaria Patients in Mangaluru City Area in the Southwestern Coastal Region of India. Kishore Punnath, Kiran K. Dayanand, Valleesha N. Chandrashekar, Rajeshwara N. Achur, Srinivas B. Kakkilaya, Susanta K. Ghosh, Benudhar Mukhi, Vishal Midya, Suchetha N. Kumari, D. Channe Gowda. Parasitology Research 2020 Mar;119(3):1043-1056. doi:10.1007/S00436-019-06540-2. Available at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00436-019-06540-2
  4. Association between Inflammatory Cytokine Levels and Thrombocytopenia during Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax Infections in South-Western Coastal Region of India. Kishore Punnath, Kiran K. Dayanand, Valleesha N. Chandrashekar, Rajeshwara N. Achur, Srinivas B. Kakkilaya, Susanta K. Ghosh, Suchetha N. Kumari, D. Channe Gowda. Malaria Research and Treatment. Vol. 2019, Article ID 4296523, 10 pages, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/4296523 Available at https://www.hindawi.com/journals/mrt/2019/4296523/
  5. Malarial anemia among pregnant women in the south-westerncoastal city of Mangaluru in India. Chandrashekar, Valleesha N., Kishore Punnath, Kiran K. Dayanand, Rajeshwara N. Achur, Srinivas B. Kakkilaya, Poornima Jayadev, Suchetha N. Kumari, D. Channe Gowda.  Informatics in Medicine Unlocked Feb 2019. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.imu.2019.02.003.
  6. Malaria Severity in Mangaluru City in the Southwestern Coastal Region of India. Kiran K. Dayanand, Punnath Kishore, Valleesha Chandrashekar, Rajeshwara N. Achur, Susanta K. Ghosh, Srinivas B. Kakkilaya, Suchetha N. Kumari, Satyanarayan Tiwari, Archith Boloor, Rajeshwari Devi, D. Channe Gowda. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Feb 2019;100(2):275-279. Abstract
  7. Malaria prevalence in Mangaluru city area in the southwestern coastal region of India. Kiran K. Dayanand, Kishore Punnath, Valleesha Chandrashekar, Rajeshwara N. Achur, Srinivas B. Kakkilaya, Susanta K. Ghosh, Suchetha Kumari, D. Channe Gowda. Malaria Journal. 2017;16:492 Published: 19 December 2017. Full Text | PDF | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-017-2141-0
  8. A rare cause for a common symptom. Breathe. M. Vishnu Sharma, B. Srinivas Kakkilaya, Irfan A. Shekh, Alka C. Bhat, D.S. Harsha. 2016 12: e64-e74; DOI: 10.1183/20734735.006716. Full Text at http://breathe.ersjournals.com/content/12/3/e64
  9. Malaria Prevalence in The Urban Areas of Mangaluru in South India. Srinivasa B. Kakkilaya, Kiran K. Dayanand, Kishore Punnath, Valleesha N. Chandrashekar, Rajeshwara N. Achur, Channe D. Gowda. Poster No. 923. American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 65th Annual Meeting, November 13–17, 2016, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Abstract Book. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. November 2016;95(5):Supplement. p 290. Available at https://www.astmh.org/ASTMH/media/Documents/ASTMH-2016-Annual-Meeting-Abstract-Book.pdf
  10. Malaria Transmission Under an Unusual Circumstance Causing Death in Two Siblings. Kiran K. Dayanand, Kishore Punnath, Valleesha N. Chandrashekar, Srinivas B. Kakkilaya, Susanta K. Ghosh, Sathyanarayan N. Tiwari, Rajeshwara N. Achur, Sudarshan S. Kadambi and D. Channe Gowda. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2016;16-0082 Published online May 2, 2016, doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.16-0082. Available at http://www.ajtmh.org/content/early/2016/04/28/ajtmh.16-0082.abstract
  11. Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) Assays for Diagnosing Malaria in Endemic Areas. Jyotsna Shah, Olivia Mark, Helena Weltman, Nicolas Barcelo, Wai Lo, Danuta Wronska, Srinivas Kakkilaya, Aravinda Rao, Shalia T. Bhat, Ruchi Sinha, Sabah Omar, Peter O’bare, Manuel Moro, Robert H. Gilman, Nick Harris. PLOS One. September 2, 2015. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0136726. Full Text at http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0136726
  12. Headscarf (hijab) pin aspiration: effects of fashion phenomenon in Islam girls. Kakunje A, Angri SB, Kakkilaya BS, Puthran SS. AP J Psychological Medicine July-Dec 2014;15(2):179-80. At http://www.apjpm.org/images/thumbs/apjpm-july-dec-2014.pdf [See]
  13. Control Measures and Malaria Persistence in Mangalore City in South-Western India. Padukone S, Devaraju PB, Puttaswamy R, Kakkilaya BS, Ghosh SK, Gowda CD, Achur RN. In Proceedings of Advances in Plasmodium vivax Malaria Research, At CosmoCaixa, Barcelona, Spain [See]
  14. Epidemiology of Malaria in South-Western Region of India. Devaraju PB, Padukone S, Puttaswamy R, Kakkilaya BS, Ghosh SK, Gowda CD, Achur RN. In Proceedings of Advances in Plasmodium vivax Malaria Research, At CosmoCaixa, Barcelona, Spain [See]
  15. Fluorescent In-Situ Hybridizations Assays (P-Genus and PFV- FISH) for Detection and Differentiation of Plasmodium Species Directly on Blood Smears.Shah JS, Weltman H, Mark O, Barcelo N, Harris N, Caoili E, Kakkilaya S, Kedige AR, Gilman R.  Abstract 3207. Am Soc Trop Med Hyg. Annual Meet Nov 18–22, 2009. Washington. [List of Abstracts]
  16. Insulin Resistance: From theory to practice. Kakkilaya BS. Online J Health Allied Scs.2006;1:1 [Full Text Online]
  17. Rational Medicine. Kakkilaya BS. Physician’s Digest. Apr-May 2006;15(1):87-91
  18. Rational Medicine: Need of the hour. Kakkilaya BS. Calicut Medical Journal. 2004;2(3):e(1) [Full text Online]
  19. Rapid Diagnosis of Malaria. Kakkilaya BS. Lab Medicine. 2003 Aug;8(34):602-608 [Full Text Online]
  20. Two cases of hereditary fructose intolerance. Ananth N, Praveenkumar GS, Rao AK, Vasanthi, Kakkilaya BS. Ind Journal Clin Biochem. 2003;18(2):87-92 [Full Text Online]
  21. A case of diabetes mellitus with xanthoma disseminatum. Balasaraswathy P, Kakkilaya BS, Shetty KM, Parameshwaraiah S. Ind J Dermatol. 2002;47(1):29-31. [Full Text Online]
  22. Leptospirosis and Ground Itch. Kakkilaya BS, Balasaraswathy P, Motha B. Tropical Doctor. 2001 October 31;252
  23. Investigation of a leptospirosis outbreak in Surathkal. Kakkilaya BS, Rao R, Motha B, Venugopalan PP, Karunasagar I. Ind Journal Comm Health. 2001;7(1&2):1-11
  24. Methemoglobinemia due to p-chloroaniline. Kakkilaya BS. J Forensic Med Toxicol. 2001 Jan-Jun;18(1):4-5
  25. Effect of a community centered voluntary initiative for malaria control in Mangalore. Kakkilaya BS, Motha B, Rajeev, Venugopalan PP, Karunasagar I. In Bundy D, Warrel D, Co-Chairman, Scientific committee. Final programme and abstract book, Oxford 2000, New Challenges in tropical medicine and parasitology, 2000 Sep 18-22; Oxford. Cheshire: Complete Congress Services Ltd; 2000. p. 159
  26. Investigation of a leptospirosis outbreak in Surathkal. Kakkilaya BS, Motha B, Rajeev, Venugopalan PP, Karunasagar I. In Bundy D, Warrel D, Co-Chairman, Scientific committee. Final programme and abstract book, Oxford 2000, New Challenges in tropical medicine and parasitology, 2000 Sep 18-22; Oxford. Cheshire: Complete Congress Services Ltd; 2000. p. 139