People

Indian Institute of Science (2023-)
I am interested in scarab beetle taxonomy and forest insect interactions, specifically, how forest structure shapes insect communities. For my PhD, I worked on scarab beetles around Bor Wildlife Sanctuary in Central India. I studied scarab beetle diversity, adult and larval taxonomy, seasonal distribution, variation in structure of male genitalia, developmental stages and biology of selected scarabs. I am also interested in understanding the impact of forest land diversion for non-forestry purposes on forest cover. Under NPDF I am working on Sacred Groves with dung beetles as an indicator group. Apart from this, I pursue music, Hindustani classical vocal and I am a big fan of films from all over the globe.

Indian Institute of Science (2023-)
I have always been fascinated by insects and their interesting behaviours. I completed my PhD from the Central University of Kerala on the topic ‘host manipulation behaviour of parasitic wasps (parasitoids).’ After completing my PhD, I worked as a postdoctoral fellow in Long Term Ecological Observatories (LTEO) project on Arthropods at the Zoological Survey of India. There we studied the effect of climate change on Arthropods in the eco-sensitive Zones of India.
Currently, as a National Postdoctoral Fellow at CES, IISc, I am working on the effect of competition on dietary specialisation in parasitoids. Besides research, I love comics, food and spending time with family and friends.

Indian Institute of Science (2023-)
I am interested in studying species interactions and how these interactions are shaped over time and space. I will be working on host-parasitoid interactions in butterflies and their population dynamics for my PhD. During my MS thesis, I studied how adaptation to larval crowding affected locomotory behaviour in D. melanogaster adults. I am excited about working with Prof. Saskya and learning new things in the Population and Community Ecology Lab. Besides research, I am interested in reading, dancing and bird watching. 

Indian Institute of Science (2023-)
For me there is nothing more captivating than insects. I have always been curious about their lives and behavior. My interests in insects have grown from being a little insect collector to an aspiring entomologist. I chose Zoology to learn more about animal behaviour. I have joined Prof. Saskya’s lab to delve into the world of Parasitoids and their interactions with other insects. I am interested in studying how insect parasitism works. Other than being an entomologist I am an artist and a movie enthusiast.

Indian Institute of Science (2022-)
Born and brought up in a small city, Dehradun. Did my master’s in Biotechnology in 2018. It was my post-graduation dissertation that sparked my interest in the field of phylogenetics. Just after my masters, I joined Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun and gained experience in conservation genetics tools and techniques. And since March 2022, I have been working as a Project Associate in Population and Community Ecology lab, Centre for Ecological Sciences, IISC, Bangalore. Here, I help with the molecular lab work and routine chemistry work. I am keen to understand the effect of the environment on the evolution of characters and the survival of these characters from the molecular point of view. Apart from extracting and amplifying DNA, I love to dance and read some good fiction. Also, a music fanatic and yes, a major Potterhead.