Unnikrishnan PM is an Ayurveda physician and a development researcher. He has an undergraduate degree in Ayurveda from Bharathiar University, Coimbatore and a master’s degree in Medical Anthropology from the University of Amsterdam, Netherlands.  He holds a doctoral degree in International Development Studies from the Yokohama National University, Japan.  Since 2010, he has been working with the United Nations University, Tokyo, Japan in various capacities in health systems and sustainability related programs. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the SRM School of Public Health, Chennai. His research interests are AYUSH in health systems, public health, traditional knowledge epistemology, and sustainable development.

Selected Publications

● Payyappallimana, U., Suneetha. M. Subramanian, Anastasya Timoshiyana, Bertrand Graz, Danna Leaman, Rainer W. Bussman, Hariramamurthi G., Darshan Shankar, Charlotte I.E.A.van’t Klooster, Gerard Bodeker, Yahaya Sekagya, Wim Hiemstra, Felipe Gomez, Bas Verschuuren, Eileen De Ravin, James Ligare, Andrew M.Reid, Leif M.Petersen. 2015. Traditional Medicine in Connecting Global Priorities: Biodiversity and Human Health - A State of Knowledge Review. WHO/CBD. pp.180-199. ISBN: 9789241508537.
● Payyappallimana Unnikrishnan and Padma Venkatasubramanian. 2015. Principles of Ayurveda for Food, Nutrition, and Health, In Connecting Indian Wisdom and Western Science: Plant Usage for Nutrition and Health, Luisella Verotta, Maria Pia Macchi, Padma Venkatasubramanian (eds), CRC Press ISBN 9781482299755, CRC Press , 15-37 pp.
● Payyappallimana Unnikrishnan and Padma Venkatasubramanian. 2016. Exploring Ayurvedic Knowledge on Food and Health for Providing Innovative Solutions to Contemporary Healthcare, Frontiers Journal of Public Health published: 31 March 2016 doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2016.00057.
● Payyappalli U. 2018. Broadening perspectives of global health and Prospects for AYUSH and integrative medicine, Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine 9: 87-89.
● Patwardhan B., Unnikrishnan Payyappalli. 2018. Ayurveda and Antimicrobial Resistance, Editorial, Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine 9.
● Payyappallimana U., G. Hariramamurthi, Sarin Sasikumar. 2019. Accreditation, Certification and Self-Regulation – An Innovative Approach for Strengthening and Reintegrating Traditional Community Health Practitioners in Arima Mishra and Devaki Nambiar (eds), Local Health Traditions: Plurality and Marginality in South Asia', New Delhi: Orient BlackSwan.
● O’Donoghue, R., Juan Carlos A. Sandoval Rivera and Unnikrishnan Payyappallimana. 2019. Landscape, memory and learning to change in changing worlds: Contemplating intergenerational learning and traditional knowledge practices within social-ecological landscapes of change, Southern African Journal of Environmental Education, Vol. 35.
● Harmayani, E., Anil Kumar Anal, Santad Wichienchot, Rajeev Bhat, Murdijati Gardjito, Umar Santoso, Sunisa Siripongvutikorn, Jindaporn Puripaatanavong & Unnikrishnan Payyappallimana. 2019. Healthy food traditions of Asia: exploratory case studies from Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Nepal- Journal of Ethnic Foods, volume 6, Article number: 1.
● Subramanian, S., Unnikrishnan Payyappallimana. 2020. Environment, Biodiversity, and Planetary Health: Links Between Natural Systems and Human Health, In Handbook of Global Health, Robin Haring, Ilona Kickbusch, Detlev Ganten, Matshidiso Moeti (Editors), Cham, Switzerland: Springer, pp 1-14.
● Payyappallimana, U., Suneetha Subramanian. 2020. Assessment Report of the Status on the Nexus between Biodiversity and Health, Food and Nutrition and Traditional Medicine in ASEAN Member States, ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (unpublished, under review).
● Subramanian, S., Unnikrishnan Payyappallimana. 2020. Policy brief on Biodiversity-Health Nexus in the ASEAN Region: Selected thematic areas and potential opportunities to strengthen co-implementation, ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (unpublished, under review).
● Mathpati, M.M, Unnikrishnan Payyappallimana, Darshan Shankar, John DH. Porter 2020, Population Self-Reliance in Health’ and COVID 19: the need for a 4th Tier in the Health System, Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine, 21 September 2020. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7505632/
● Payyappallimana, U., Kishor Patwardhan, Prasad Mangalath, Christian Kessler, Rama Jayasundar, Anupama Kizhakkeveettil, Antonio Morandi, Rammanohar Puthiyedath. 2020. COVID-19 Pandemic and the Relevance of Ayurveda’s Whole Systems Approach to Health and Disease Management, Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (JCAM). https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/acm.2020.0370

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