Assistant Professor and SERB-Ramanujan Fellow
Department of Biological Sciences, B220, BITS Pilani-Hyderabad Campus
Jawahar Nagar, Shameerpet Mandal, Hyderabad- 500 078, Telangana.
Email: gireesha@hyderabad.bits-pilani.ac.in, tmgireesha@gmail.com
Phone: +91-40-66303697 (O)
Education/Professional experience
Postdoctoral Fellow/Research Associate (2012-2017): Departments of Biology, Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, USA.
Mentor: Prof. Craig S. Pikaard. Distinguished Professor and HHMI investigator https://pikweb.sitehost.iu.edu/
Postdoctoral Fellow (2011-2012): Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, USA.
Mentor: Prof. Venkat Gopalan https://chemistry.osu.edu/people/gopalan.5
Ph.D. (2003-2010): Departments of Molecular Genetics and Plant Cellular and Molecular Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus OH-USA
Mentor: Prof. David M. Bisaro https://molgen.osu.edu/people/bisaro.1
M.Sc. (Agri) (1997-1999): Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Bangalore, India
B.Sc. (Agri) (1993-1997): University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Dharwad, India
Professional career:
Since July 2017 : Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences (BITS)-Pilani, Hyderabad campus, India
July 2012-May 2017 : Postdoctoral Fellow/Research Associate, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), Departments of Biology, Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University (IU), USA
Jan. 2011-Mar. 2012 : Postdoctoral Fellow, Dept. of Biochemistry, The Ohio State University (OSU), USA
Sept. 2003-Dec. 2010 :Graduate Teaching Associate at Departments of Molecular Genetics/Plant Cellular and Molecular Biology and Center for Life Sciences Education, OSU, USA
Dec. 2002-Jul. 2003 : Research Associate, Dept. of Crop Physiology, UAS, Bangalore, India
Sept. 1999-Jan. 2002 : Research Associate, Dept. of Genetics and Plant Breeding, UAS, Bangalore, India
Honors/Awards/Fellowships
Ramanujan Fellowship awarded by Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Department of Science & Technology (DST), Govt. of India (2017)
Ramalingaswamy Reentry Fellowship, Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Govt. of India (2017)*.
Molecular Genetics Graduate Teaching Award at OSU (USA) (2009-10) for exceptional teaching and for developing novel teaching tools.
Selected as a Model International Teaching Associate by Spoken English Program OSU (USA) (2004-2010).
The American Society of Virology Student Travel Grant Award-2009
Plant Cellular & Molecular Biology (OSU-USA) Student Travel Grant Award-2009
Best Oral Presentation award in National conference on integrative Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology (NCIPBB), India-2019
Best Poster award in National conference on integrative Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology (NCIPBB), India-2019
Awarded PACE (Premium for Academic Excellence) fellowship by Iowa state university (USA) for Ph.D admission into Interdepartmental Genetics during 2003*
Junior Research Fellowship in Plant sciences group in the All-India entrance examination conducted by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, during 1998*.
Merit Scholarship awarded by University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Bangalore, India, for academic excellence during the entire period of master’s studies (1997-1999).
Merit Scholarship awarded by UAS, Dharwad, India, for academic excellence during the entire period of undergraduate studies (1994-1997).
Late Mr. B.M. Vali memorial shield for securing the highest overall GPA in the Agronomy Sciences during undergraduate studies at UAS, Dharwad, India.
(* accepted other offers in the place of these)
Travel grant awards
The American Society of Virology Student Travel Grant Award-2009
Plant Cellular & Molecular Biology (OSU-USA) Student Travel Grant Award-2009
Nominations
Nominated for the 2009 Presidential Fellowship/Mary S. Muellhaupt Presidential Fellowship at OSU (USA).
Nominated thrice (2004-05, 2007-08, and 2010-11) for OSU (USA)- Graduate Associate Teaching Award (GATA), the university’s highest recognition of the exceptional teaching.
Ph.D. Dissertation topic
Roles of SnRK1, ADK, and APT1 in the Cellular Stress Response and Antiviral Defense
Ph.D. Candidacy Grant proposal Title:
Establishing a role for Target of Rapamycin (TOR) Kinase pathway in ABA signaling”.
Master’s Dissertation topic
Genetic investigations on root morphological characters in recombinant inbred lines (RILs) and crosses in rice (Oryza sativa L.)