Prof. Dr. Rajeev Shrestha has been appointed as the new registrar of Kathmandu University (KU) on March 19, 2025. Prime Minister and Chancellor of the University, KP Sharma Oli, appointed him to the esteemed position for four years on the recommendation of KU’s new Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dr. Achyut Wagle.
Before the appointment, he was engaged as a Research Director at Dhulikhel Hospital, Kathmandu University Hospital, School of Medical Sciences (DH/KUSMS) since 2014. He has been working at DH/KUSMS since 2006 in various capacities. He also led the establishment of the Examination Cell at KUSMS in 2007 and played a key role in founding the Nepal Technology Innovation Center at KU.
He also served as a committee member formed by the Kathmandu University Senate to draft future directions for the collaboration between KU and DH. An alumnus of Kathmandu University, Dr. Shrestha pursued his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in clinical pharmacy before obtaining a PhD in Neuroimmunology from the University of Strathclyde, UK, under the prestigious Scottish Funding Council Award.
Congratulating Shrestha, Dhulikhel Hospital highlights his role on its official Facebook page, "Dr. Shrestha also pioneered whole-genome sequencing in Nepal and currently leads the Center for Infectious Disease Research & Surveillance at DHKUH through which cutting edge research focused on genomics, molecular biology and infectious diseases are being conducted with several national and international institutions, including Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cornell University, Chan-Zuckerberg Biohub and Stanford University. He also established the Pharmacovigilance unit at and the Department of Pharmacotherapeutics and Toxicology at DHKUH."
Dr. Shrestha also serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Nepal Health Research Council and holds prominent roles in high-level committees at the Ministry of Health and Population. He has received grants from esteemed organizations, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Research Council of Norway.
