Karthik Balakrishnan is a Professor of Accounting. His research focuses on the economic consequences of corporate disclosure, financial reporting, and disclosure regulations. He has published in leading academic journals such as the Journal of Finance, Journal of Accounting and Economics, Journal of Accounting Research, and The Accounting Review. He currently serves on the editorial boards of The Accounting Review and the Review of Accounting Studies.

Prior to joining ISB, Professor Balakrishnan was a Professor of Accounting at the Jones Graduate School of Business, Rice University, where he also served as Faculty Lead for the Undergraduate Business Program and Divisional Advisor at Hanszen College. He held the William S. Mackey, Jr. and Verne F. Simons Distinguished Associate Professorship from 2021 to 2023 and was an Associate Professor with tenure from 2019 to 2023.

Before his time at Rice, he was an Assistant Professor of Accounting at London Business School (2014–2019) and at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (2009–2013).

Professor Balakrishnan is the recipient of the Research Excellence Award at the Jones Graduate School of Business, Rice University (2021–2024), Teaching Excellence Awards at both London Business School and Rice University, and the Excellence in Reviewing Award from the Journal of Accounting Research (2020, 2021).