Dr. Kour received a Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, for a thesis titled “History of Intoxication: Opium in Assam, 1800-1959.” After a brief stint in the state civil services, Dr. Kour became fully involved in research on illicit drugs and drug trafficking with the Institute for Narcotic Studies and Analysis.

Dr. Kour has authored three books and various research papers on opium and cannabis in South Asia and India. Currently, the focus is on analyzing the role of illicit drugs in the Manipur imbroglio and developing a strategy to tackle overdose deaths in Punjab. Dr. Kour received the Best Paper Award for two papers: “India’s Tryst with Fentanyl: Evaluating Responses and Strategies to Counter an Emerging Public Health Scare” in 2022 and “Drug Use in South Asia: National Specificities or Synergistic Interactions” in 2023 at the International Forum for Drug Policy, Shanghai University, China.