Ph.D. Agrobiodiversity-Plant Genetic Resources
Post-Doctoral Full time Consultant Scientist at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, Mexico and Borlaug Institute for South Asia, India, 2016-2024, Genetics Resource Program, Global Wheat Program.
Vavilov-Frankel Fellow at the Bioversity International, Italy, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, Mexico, Nepal, 2014-2015, Global Wheat Program, CIMMYT, Mexico, Nepal.
ENEA International Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, 2012-2014, ENEA, Rome, Italy
Assistant Professor at the Bharathidasan University Affiliated Srimad Andavan Arts and Science College (ISO 9001:2005), Trichy, India, and Department of Biotechnology, 2010-2011, Tamil Nadu, India
Crop Improvement Practices and Principles, Field Crop Production, Seed technology and Legislation, Agronomy of Kharif Season Crops, Molecular Genetics, Genomics and Proteomics, Immunology, Bioinformatics, Biodiversity and Bioresources.
My research interests include studying specific genes related to the quantitative traits, such as biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, drought, salt, rust, etc., and nutritional aspects. During my PhD I identified a non-autonomous DNA transposon that plays a vital role in DREB gene evolution.
My postdoctoral research at ENEA Italy was focusing on genomic analysis of the Phenylalanine Ammonia Lyase gene (PAL), and an article was published. Subsequently, as a recipient of the Vavilov-Frankel Fellowship, I conducted the research on the genomic characterization of the High-Affinity Potassium Transporter (HKT) gene in wheat, supported by Bioversity International, Italy, and funded by GRDC, Australia.
Also, I have been doing the statistical validation of phenotypic traits through appropriate R scripts using libraries like agricolae, lme4 for linear mixed models, the GAPIT package for SNP-based GWAS, etc. I worked on wheat quality traits concerning Zn and Fe biofortification with genetic, genomic and agronomic aspects at CIMMYT-BISA during my latest tenure. I was also supporting the molecular characterisation of wheat BNI lines at BISA-CIMMYT during my past tenure.
I have experience with wheat tissue culture from CIMMYT, and I contributed to the standardization of the existing tissue culture facility and gene editing in CIMMYT, Mexico. I also amplified the Lr67 gene homoeologs from different wheat genotypes, and they were partially sequenced during my consultant tenure at CIMMYT, Mexico.
Recently I presented our key findings entitled “Accelerating genetic gains in wheat through early testing of stage 2 lines for yield potential and grain zinc across Target Population Environments in South Asia” at PAG Asia-2025, India.
I have recently joined as an Associate Professor at Amity University (Noida, Uttar Pradesh) and started teaching the courses concerning Crop Improvement, Agronomy, Seed Technology, etc. Besides, my teaching interests include the fields of Genetics, Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, etc. During my past tenure with CIMMYT-BISA, I was also teaching the Molecular Biology laboratory aspects and XRF technology for quality traits with zinc and iron for the students from Punjab Agricultural University and students from other reputed institutes concerning their Master’s Dissertation thesis, PhD thesis, internship projects, etc. I also guided a few students as an Assistant Professor (during the past tenure) from a reputed college affiliated with Bharathidasan University, Tamil Nadu, and published the relevant research articles with the teaching and research tenures.
Sigma Xi, The Scientific Honor Society, North Carolina, USA
Role: Full Membership, Invited-Elected, 2024.
Indian Society of Genetics and Plant Breeding, New Delhi, India
Role: Life Member, 2024 onwards
International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium
Role: General member, 2013-till date
Elsevier Outstanding Reviewer Certification Award, Elsevier, The Netherlands
Vavilov Frankel Fellow, Bioversity International, Italy, GRDC, Australia.
IWGSC Early Career Travel Grant Award
International Post-Doctoral Fellowship, ENEA, Rome, Italy.
International Doctoral Fellowship, Scuola Superiore Sant’ Anna, Pisa, Italy
Amity Institute of Organic Agriculture (AIOA)