Subramanyam Vemulpad is a medical microbiologist, working as an academic at Macquarie University since 2000. He was the Chair of University Biosafety Committee and Deputy Associate Dean (HDR) for the Faculty of Science and Engineering, until his retirement on 5 Jul 2019. His areas of interest include antimicrobial and other bioactive compounds from traditional medicinal plants, preservation of customary knowledge, nonpharmacological interventions for improving lung function and working with disadvantaged groups to improve their educational outcomes and to strengthen their capacity. He has earlier worked in India and Malawi and has wide experience in tropical and infectious diseases including filariasis and tuberculosis. Subra has received research funding from NHM&RC, DIISRTE and AIATSIS. He is a recipient of an Australian Learning and Teaching Council award. His team (Indigenous Bioresources Research Group) works closely with Indigenous Elders for research on medicinal plants. He is a co-director of the National Indigenous Science Education Program (NISEP). This initiative won the 2021 AFR Higher Education Award - Opportunity and Inclusion and the 2019 Eureka Prize for STEM Inclusion. This outreach program was also a finalist in the Australian Museum Eureka prize for Promoting Understanding of Science (2007, 2008 and 2009) and the Australian Financial Review Higher Education award (2016 and 2017).

Since retiring on 5 July 2019, Dr Vemulpad continued his association with Macquarie University, as an Honorary Associate Professor in the Faculty of Science and Engineering until July 2022. He is a member of the MQ Institutional Biosafety Committee. He is also a member of the Medical Reasech Ethics Committee of the University of Technology, Sydney.