Tropical Ecology & Evolution Lab
Dr. Vinita Gowda
Principal Investigator, Associate Professor
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I am an evolutionary biologist and botanist by training and I mostly focus on "plant-centric" projects. My principal interests are to understand the evolution of floral and vegetative traits in plants using molecular, ecological and behavioral tools. Despite its challenges, I also love the wild nature which is why I encourage most projects to be inspired by the forest itself, rather than in shade-houses.
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PhD Students
Aleena Xavier
PhD student
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I joined the TrEE Lab in January, 2018. I am currently working on intraspecific variations at the genetic and morphological level in the genus Hedychium.
Saket Shrotri
PhD student
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I started my PhD in August 2018. My research work focuses on understanding Eco-evolutionary aspects which lead to a stable coexistence of the floral color morphs in sympatric populations of an endemic ginger species, Curcuma caulina (Zingiberaceae).
I read books (both fiction and non-fiction), listen to music and click photos. You can follow me on my website.
Views expressed on the blog are personal and do not represent the views of TrEE lab or IISER Bhopal.
Ritu Yadav
PhD student
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I joined the TrEE lab in August 2018. I have completed my masters in Botany from Delhi University. I am interested in morphological trait evolution in appropriately identified sympatric species. I am working on the Phylogeny and reproductive ecology of the Genus Globba (Zingiberaceae).
I like travelling and music.
Agnes Francila
PhD student
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I joined Dr. Vinita’s lab for Ph.D. in January 2019. I am interested in mating and nesting behavior of birds and insects. Currently, I am working to understand the evolution and maintenance of Biparental care in a socially monogamous bird, Passer domesticus (House sparrows). Curiosity is what drives me and I am keen on pursuing research with a naturalistic approach.
I enjoy photography, music and Poetry.
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Sukhraj Kaur
PhD student
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I joined the TrEE lab in August 2019 after completing my Master’s in Zoology at Pune University (SPPU). I gradually built an interest towards understanding the complex evolutionary processes operating at landscape scale. As a result, my PhD research focuses on deciphering the structure of isolated herbaceous plant communities. To do so, I study the patterns of “plant-centric” interactions— plant-plant and plant-pollinator—in high altitude laterite plateaus that we refer to as “sky-islands” of northern Western Ghats—a paradise of flowers!
Apart from my ongoing research, I love to read fiction and give a shot at writing too, only poems yet.
Anupama Sekhar
PhD student
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I joined the TrEE lab in August 2020. I have always been keen to understand how chemical information aids in deciphering the biological responses in organisms. With this interest, I am currently working on the Evolutionary and ecological significance of volatile chemistry in the Family Zingiberaceae.​
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My hobbies include singing, painting, and photography.
Rhuthuparna S B
PhD student
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I joined TrEE lab in August 2020. I am interested in understanding pollination biology and the evolution of different floral forms. Currently, I am working on the Evolution and function of stylar polymorphism in the genus Didymocarpus Wall. (Gesneriaceae). I love working in the wild where one can observe life in its raw and resilient forms.
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I enjoy dancing, reading books and writing.
Hemant Singh
PhD student
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I joined the TrEE lab for PhD in August 2022 after graduating from Delhi University. My research work focuses on understanding eco-evolutionary aspects of community structure and pollination ecology of hemiparasites in the Indo-Himalayas. I'm further interested in plant systematics and the dynamics of Species interaction.
Jyotil Dave
PhD student
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I Joined TrEE lab in August 2023 after completing my M. Sc. In Zoology from Saurashtra University, Rajkot, Gujarat and B. Sc. Zoology from D.K.V College, Jamnagar. I have worked on Birds, Gastropods and Spiders during my UG and PG. I like to observe Nature.
"The whole world is singing....but we've stopped listening..."
(From Documentary Racing Extinction)
Lab alumni
PhD students
Dr. Ajith Ashokan
PhD Student (2014-2020)
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He joined TrEE lab in August 2014. He worked on "Phylogenetic systematics, biogeography and character evolution in the taxonomically complex genus Hedychium J.Koenig (Zingiberaceae)
Dr. Preeti Saryan
PhD Student (2015-2021)
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She joined TrEE lab in January 2015. She worked on "Investigating the role of floral morphology, floral biology and sympatry in the evolution of the genus Hedychium (Zingiberaceae)
Dr. Prasanna N S
PhD Student (2016 - 2023)
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He Joined TrEE lab for Ph.D. in August 2016. He worked on the phylogeny and biogeography of Didymocarpus (Gesneriaceae). The project was carried out in collaboration with Dr Michael Möller and Dr Bhaskar Adhikari from Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, UK.
Dr. Surabhi Ranavat
BS-MS (2015)
Joint PhD student (2016-21)
She worked on the 'Intraspecific and intrageneric variation in the floral and pollination traits of Commelinaceae found in Kaas plateau, Maharashtra', for her MS project. She completed her PhD from the Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, UK in 2021.
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Dr. Neeta Sarangthem
Post-doc (2016-18)
She worked on a DBT project titled 'Resolving species complexes within the genus Hedychium (Zingiberaceae) of NE India using population genetics and breeding ecology'.
Dr. Lavanya Devi K.
Post-doc (2016-17)
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She worked on molecular phylogeny of Asteraceae species Spilanthes (Acmella). She was interested in morphological and Molecular phylogenetic analysis, chemical profiling of plant taxa and ecological niche modelling.
BS-MS students
Harikrishnan R
BS-MS (2015)
He worked on the 'floral characteristics and pollination biology of Cheilocostus specious in Western Ghats'. He later worked as a Project JRF on collective behavior in Theoretical Ecology group at CES, IISc-Bangalore. He is currently doing his PhD at Weizmann University, Israel.
Arjun Venkatesan
BS-MS (2016)
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He studied the pollination ecology of C. caulina on the laterite plateaus of Maharashtra during the summer monsoons of 2016. He also worked on the floral display and sex ratio in the andromonoecious shrub S. surattense on campus at IISER Bhopal.
Rohan Chakravarty
BS-MS (2016)
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He worked on Curcuma sps. and Verbascum chinense at Bhauri and on-campus, respectively. His project involved nectar studies in Curcuma and height-related analysis in Verbascum.
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Sumayya Hassan
BS-MS (2015)
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She worked on pollination biology of Zingiberaceae-a review of reproductive strategies and a study from Idukki. Currently, she is pursuing her Ph.D. at ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research Kozhikode, Kerala.
Roopa Varghese
BS-MS (2016)
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She worked on floral and pollination variation among sympatric Murdannia species (Commelinaceae) in the Kas plateau, Maharashtra.
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Shabda Eknath Kulsange
BS-MS (2016)
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She worked on morphological plasticity in nocturnally pollinated Curcuma caulina in the Kaas plateau, Maharashtra.
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Saket Shrotri
BS-MS (2017)
He studied differential pollinator preference in three morphs of Curcuma caulina. His fieldwork site was Kaas plateau in the northern Western Ghats, Maharashtra.
Ankit Pacha
BS-MS (2017)
For his MS thesis work he worked on answering the question "When be a male?" i.e. the study of factors that affect the gender ratio in Solanum surattense. His fieldwork site was IISER Bhopal campus.
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Azad G
BS-MS (2017)
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He stuidied the sex allocation strategy in the suberect monocot herb Murdannia simplex belonging to the family Commelinaceae. He was interested in the evolution and maintenance of the andromonoecious system in this species from the perspective of the male flower functions in the species. (Field site: Kaas plateau, Maharashtra)
Asawari Albal
BS-MS (2018)
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Her work was based on plant-pollinator interactions in Murdannia spp. Currently she is doing PhD at University of Toronto, Canada
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Susnata Salony
BS-MS (2018)
She worked on chromosome characterization and genome quantification of plants within four plant orders: Zingiberales, Commelinales, Lamiales, Ericales to define species delimitations within them. She is currently doing her PhD at Charles University, Prague
Nawge Viraj Vishnu
BS-MS (2018)
He worked on understanding pollination networks on Kaas plateau, Maharashtra. He is currently doing PhD at NCBS, Bangalore.
Rahul Dhargalkar
BS-MS (2018)
His thesis work was on 'A study of the temporal patterns in flowering phenology and plant-pollinator network of a grassland community in the North Western Ghats', with the aid of field data collection, pollination biology data & community phylogenetic analysis.
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He is doing his PhD at Michigan Technological University, Upstate Michigan.
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Amal K Vyas
BS-MS (2018)
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He worked on the genus Impatiens at Kaas plateau, Maharashtra. His thesis was on Pollinator competition and niche partitioning in congeneric sympatric Impatiens spp. in Kaas. He is doing his PhD at IISER TVM with Prof. Hema Somanathan.
Sooraj Krishnan P
BS-MS Student (2019)
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He worked on the Pollination biology of ground orchids in Kaas plateau.
​ Najla P V
BS-MS Student (2019)
She worked on temporal patterns of flowering phenology and plant pollinator interation in Kaas
Anjitha Ajay
BS-MS Student (2019)
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Her master thesis addressed whether chromosome number and genome size could be used as taxonomic markers for species delineation in Hedychium complex.
Anish Ganju
BS-MS Student (2020)
For his MS thesis, he worked on a set of species encompassing the wild and cultivar varieties from two plant families- Solanaceae and Convolvulaceae. The primary objective was to explore any links between morphologies and gene families and also to study whether the presence of these genes can be attributed to events of gene gain or gene loss.
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Anish is currently doing his PhD in Mexico
Kallol Mozumdar
BS-MS Student (2020)
He designed mathematical models to understand how resource dependence and pollinator visitation affects sex allocation in andromonoecious plants.
Ankita Behera
BS-MS Student (2020)
She worked on 'Morphometric analysis of native honeybees of Central India and Western Ghats
​Dipin Das
BS-MS Student (2020)
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He studied Niche partitioning between two congeneric species of Wagtail - the resident white-browed wagtail and the winter migrant white wagtail. The quantitative study on their limiting resources was done in Madhya Pradesh, during their non-breeding season.
Rohan Sunil Dandavate
BS-MS Student (2021)
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He studied the pollination behaviour and floral constancy of Apis cerana indica near the Kaas Plateau.
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Sandhya S
BS-MS Student (2021)
She looked at the community ecology of Kaas plateau where she studied the plant-pollinator interactions.
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Ankita Dhar
BS-MS Student (2021)
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She worked on standardizing protocols for the analysis of volatile compounds found in the genus Hedychium using the GCMS method.
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Krithjgnan S Bhardhwaj
BS-MS Student (2021)
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His research interests lie in the field of evolution and behavioural biology. For his thesis, he worked on the population genetics of Curcuma caulina.
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Sonam Kulkarni
BS-MS Student (2022)
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She studied the effect of floral colour on plant-pollinator interactions in Helicteres isora. She is currently doing her PhD at the Institute of Avian Research, Germany, with Prof. Miriam Liedvogel.
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Sanika Goray
BS-MS Student (2022)
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Her study was on understanding the reproductive ecology and sexual system of the genus Aeschynanthus.
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Aaasawari Chandrachud
BS-MS Student (2022)
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Her thesis was on the "Effects of geology and elevation on the floral composition of laterite plateaus of Western Ghats." where she studied the floral composition of laterite plateaus of the Western Ghats and tried to understand the role of geology and elevation in shaping the floral assemblage.
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Hitaishi Desai
BS-MS Student (2022)
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Her thesis was done with Dr. Mahesh Sankaran at NCBS, and Dr. Gowda as her co-supervisor. She studied flammability and fire-resilience traits in grasses and forbs across an environmental gradient. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at the University of Michigan with Prof. Inez Ibanes.
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S Gangotri
BS-MS Student (2022)
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She studied the effect of florivory on sex expression in Murdannia simplex (Commelinaceae). Her fieldwork location was Kaas Plateau, Maharashtra. She is currently pursuing her PhD at the University of California, Riverside, USA.
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