Dr. P.K. Sahoo has been working as Director of the ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture, Kausalyaganga, Bhubaneswar since last 10 November 2022. He has also served as ICAR National Professor for one year and ICAR National Fellow for two consecutive terms of 10 years, and is having vast expertise in the area of ‘Aquatic Animal Disease Diagnosis and Control’ over 30 years. He has reported a few new viral diseases in fish from India along with one scuticocilliate in prawn. With the establishment of the National Referral Laboratory for fish diseases, he has developed a few molecular diagnostics for viral pathogens. Besides, he has explored the innate immune system of Indian carps in great detail for its modulation to protect from common diseases. His current research interest includes freshwater fish health management, genome editing in fish for disease resistance, molecular diagnostics and the development of technologies in freshwater aquaculture in general.

He did his post-graduation in Veterinary Pathology from the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, U.P and Ph. D from Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, and post-doctoral research at the Institute for Animal Health, Pirbright, United Kingdom on the development of molecular diagnostics for viral diseases of aquatic animals. He has more than 180 research papers in various international and national journals, one patent and four commercialized products including a disease-resistant rohu variety to his credit. He has guided more than 16 M.Sc and eleven Ph. D students.

In his career, he received many awards and appreciation from a plethora of scientific bodies and communities for exemplary Research and Development work carried out in the field of Freshwater Aquaculture viz., Fellowship of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Fellowship of Indian Association of Veterinary Pathologists, Jawaharlal Nehru Award for best Ph. D thesis by ICAR for the Year 2001, Department of Biotechnology Overseas Award (2001-02) to work at Institute for Animal Health, UK, Young Scientist Award, 2001 by Prof. Hiralal Chaudhuri Fisheries Foundation, Mumbai for outstanding contribution to Fish Pathology and disease diagnosis, Young Scientist Award of Asian Fisheries  Society, Indian Branch 1999, Best Young Scientist of the year 1999 of CIFA, Bhubaneswar, Varsha Award 2004 of Indian Association of Veterinary Pathologists for significant contribution to Veterinary Pathology; Samanta Chandra Sekhar Award 2007 by Orissa Vigyan Academy.

He has been working as a Member, of the Editorial Board of a few international journals and published five books as Co-author. He is also a Life Member of 4 National and International Societies. He is also serving as Member, the Academic Council of ICAR-CIFE (Deemed University) and a Member, of various task forces of DBT, Govt. of India. He is also serving as a Member, Board of Studies of IARI Cuttack Hub.