Lab members
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PI: Subhash Rajpurohit
PI: Subhash Rajpurohit
Appointments:
2020-present; Associate Professor, Ahmedabad University, Ahmedabad, India
2017-20; Assistant Professor, Ahmedabad University, Ahmedabad, India
2012-17; Research Associate, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
2011-12; Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Georgia, Athens, USA
2008-11; Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA
2007-08; Indo-Israel Cultural Exchange Programme, Visitor Scholar, Institute of Evolution, Haifa University, Haifa, Israel
Profile: I grew up in the Thar Desert and loved the rain and the mountains. So, the Himalayas became my first study site. I started my scientific career studying drought tolerance in insects and later spent time exploring chemical and physical properties of insect cuticle and its genetic regulators. I am broadly trained in ecological and evolutionary physiology. After finishing my doctoral work at Parkash Lab at the Bioscience Department (now Genetics) of Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, I held postdoctoral appointments at the University of Nevada (Gibbs Lab) and the University of Pennsylvania (Schmidt Lab), USA. While working at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA, I decided to return to India on the prestigious Ramanujan Fellowship from DST-SERB, Government of India. I liked Stepwell so much that I decided to settle down here and set up the first lab integrating 'ecology, evolution, and physiology' in Western India (in 2017). I am interested in understanding the fundamental questions around spatiotemporal variations, metabolic ecology, and rapid adaptation in natural populations of a range of insects (fruit flies, mosquitos, and bees). These queries aim to understand 'Organismal responses to climate change' and their broader impacts on the ecosystem. I describe my research approach as ‘Macrophysiology to molecules’. I am concerned about the declining numbers of insects and their overall impacts on the ecosystem. I hope someday insects will return to our lives and this planet will become more colorful and sustainable. I teach evolutionary biology and thermal physiology at the School of Arts and Sciences, Ahmedabad University.
Member:
European Society of Evolutionary Biology (ESEB)
International Society of Chemical Ecology (ISCE)
Indian Society of Evolutionary Biologists (ISEB)
Entomological Society of India (ESI)
International Society for Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health (ISEMPH)
Journals:
Editorial Board Member
Journal of Thermal Biology IF3.2 Publisher: Elsevier
Current Research in Insect Science IF2.2 Publisher: Elsevier
Current Opinion in Insect Science IF5.2 Publisher: Elsevier
Scientific Data IF5.8 Publisher: Springer Nature
BMC Ecology & Evolution IF2.3 Publisher: Springer Nature
Associate Editors Board
Indian Journal of Entomology
Dr. Cash Kumar
Postdoc
Start Date: March 2026
PhD in Zoology from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
Cash is interested in characterzing genes involved in ovary development using functional genomics approaches. He integrates RNA-seq analysis with RNAi-mediated gene knockdown and imaging techniques. Currently, he is working on pest flies and their responses to climate change. He is also developing methods to control these flies under semi-natural conditions.
Email: chhavichoudhary1814@gmail.com
Abhishek Nair
PhD Candidate
Start Date: Jan 2022
Integrated MS in Life Sciences from Ahmedabad University. Ahmedabad, India
Abhishek is interested in adaptive dynamics of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) in Drosophila. His research questions are centered around spatiotemporal variations, rapid adaptations, and selection pressures.
Email: abhishek.mn.imsc16@ahduni.edu.in
Avirup Chakraborty
PhD Student
Start Date: Jan 2024
Integrated MSc in Biotechnology from St. Xavier' College, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
Avirup is interested in thermal physiology of insects. He thinks it is crucial to understand the behavioral responses to temperature and temperature variation experienced in natural habitats. Temperature is a ubiquitous environmental cue that has widespread effects on physiology, performance, and fitness. He is looking at this problem from an integrative approach.
Email: avirup.c@ahduni.edu.in
Kashish Patel
Master's Thesis Candidate
Start Date: June 2025
Kashish is interested in insect thermoregulation. She is characterizing thermal preference behaviours in tropical drosophilids.
Email: kashish.p1@ahduni.edu.in
Rajvi Joshi
Master's Thesis Candidate
Home Institute: Gujarat University, Ahmedabad
Start Date: Dec 2025
Rajvi is interested in insect wing interference patterns and their role in speciation. After maters she would like to pursue her career in astrobiology.
Email: rajvijoshi14@gmail.com
LAB Alumni
Postdocs/Research Associates
3. Dr. Chhavi Choudhary, Research Associate. 2025-26
Currently: Postdoc
2. Harshad Mayekar, National Postdoctoral Fellow. 2022-2024
Current: Faculty
1. Dr. Rupesh Maurya, Research Associate. 2017-2019
Current: Faculty
PhDs
1. Divita Garg (Graduated: June 2025)
Current: Pursuing postdoc at Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Hyderabad, India
Masters Thesis Candidates:
7. Kavya Durga, Integrated Masters in Life Sciences; Master's Thesis Candidate 2022
6. Yusra Mariam, Integrated Masters in Life Sciences; Master's Thesis Candidate 2021
5. Disha Patel, Integrated Masters in Life Sciences; Master's Thesis Candidate 2020
4. Iffat Khan, Integrated Masters in Life Sciences; Master's Thesis Candidate 2020
3. Shrusti Shah, Integrated Masters in Life Sciences; Master's Thesis Candidate 2020
2. Jaydip Pipaliya, Integrated Masters in Life Sciences; Master's Thesis Candidate 2019
1. Homica Arya, Integrated Masters in Life Sciences; Master's Thesis Candidate 2019
Undergraduate Thesis Candidates:
1. Emaan Mulla, 2024-2025
2. Hridaya Pareekh, 2024-2025
Scientific Staff
1. Gorang Makwana, Project Assistant. 2024-2024
2. Ashwin Khandelwal, Project Assistant. 2022-2022
3. Abhishek Nair, Project Assistant. 2021-2021
4. Prachi Mehta, Project Assistant. 2020-2021
5. Mayur Variya, Project Assistant. 2019-2020
Internships:
1. Cheshta Pant, 1st Year, Mar Ivanios College, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala; Summer 2025
2. Vandana Gowda, 4th Year, Yuvaraja College, Mysore University; Summer 2024
Programme: Summer Internship Programme at Ahmedabad University
3. Abhishikta Pradhan, 3rd Year IISER Bopal; Summer 2024
Programme: Summer Internship Programme at Ahmedabad University
4. Himanshi Soni, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Programme: Summer Research Fellow, JNCASR (funded through Indian Academy of Sciences, Bengaluru): Winter 2022
5. Shilpi Agrawal, 11/12th Grade; Ahmedabad International School; Summer Intern; 2018 & 2019
#Supported by: Ahmedabad University and various funding agencies.
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