Amitabh CV

Address: Evolutionary Biology Laboratory

Evolutionary & Organismal Biology Unit

Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research

Jakkur P.O., Bangalore 560 064, India.

Designation: Professor

Telephone: (80) 2208 2802 (off) 2208 2803 (lab) 9341354233 (mobile)

Fax: (80) 2208 2766, 2208 2767

Electronic Mail: ajoshi@jncasr.ac.in

Birth: 1965 at Agra (India)

Nationality: Indian

Education: 

B.Sc. (Hons.) in Botany, Hindu College, University of Delhi, India, 1986

M.Sc. in Genetics, University of Delhi South Campus, India, 1988

Ph.D. in Genetics and Cell Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, USA, 1993

Ph.D. Thesis: Coevolution and variation in competition between Drosophila species.

Doctoral advisors: John N. Thompson, Michael E. Moody

Post-doctoral Research: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, USA. 

Mentor: Laurence D. Mueller

Fellowships/Scholarships:

Univ. of Delhi Undergraduate Science Merit Scholarship, 1982-83, 1984-85.

Univ. of Delhi Postgraduate Scholarship, 1985-86, 1986-87.

Govt. of India Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Junior Research Fellowship, 1987 (declined).

J. N. Tata Scholarship for Higher Education of Indians Abroad, 1987.

UGC Visiting Scientist at the Dept. of Zoology, Gulbarga University 3/10/2000 to 10/10/2000. Taught a series of classes on population genetics.

Professional Experience:

Research Assistant, Dept. of Genetics & Cell Biology, WSU, Pullman, 1987-88.

Teaching Assistant, Dept. of Genetics & Cell Biology and Program in General Biology, WSU, Pullman, 1987-1993.

Post-Doctoral Research Associate in the laboratory of Laurence D. Mueller, Dept. of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Univ. of California, Irvine, 1994-1996.

Visitor at Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Feb.-Mar., 1996.

Faculty Fellow, Animal Behaviour Unit, JNCASR, Bangalore, Apr 1996-Aug 1998.

Faculty Fellow, Evolutionary and Organismal Biology Unit, JNCASR, Bangalore, Aug 1998 – May 2001

Associate Professor, Evolutionary and Organismal Biology Unit, JNCASR, Bangalore, June 2001 - Feb 2007.

Professor, Evolutionary and Organismal Biology Unit, JNCASR, Bangalore, Feb 2007 - present.

Chairman, Evolutionary and Organismal Biology Unit, JNCASR, Bangalore, 2008 – 2012, and 2022 – 2025.

Honours:

Recognised for excellence in teaching by Program in General Biology (1992) and Graduate and Professional Students Association (1993) at WSU, Pullman.

Young Associate of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore (1997-2000).

Invited to contribute to the Nature Publishing Group’s Encyclopedia of Life Sciences (1999).

Invited to deliver the first C. N. R. Rao Award Oration of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore (2000).

Elected Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore (2001).

Fellow at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin (Institute of Advanced Studies, Berlin) March - July, 2001.

Elected Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, India, Allahabad (2002).

Associate Member, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore (2006-present).

Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Biological Sciences (2009).

Adjunct Professor, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali (2009-present)

Young Leader in Science & Technology (Laksmipat Singhania National Leadership Awards) for 2010.

Elected Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi (2011).

JC Bose National Fellow (2011-2021).

Prof. Har Swarup Memorial Lecture award of the Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi (2017).

Fellow and Founding Member of the Indian Society of Evolutionary Biologists (2018).

Silver Jubilee Professor, JNCASR (2020-2022).

Grants: 

Sigma Xi. Grant-in-Aid of Research. 1990. Coevolution and variation in competition between Drosophila species.

DST, Govt. of India. 1998 (Co-PI). Light relations of circadian rhythms in the locomotor activity of Drosophila melanogaster and in a few sympatric species of ants.

DST, Govt. of India. 2000 (PI). Empirical investigation of adaptation to different light regimes in laboratory populations of Drosophila melanogaster.

DST, Govt. of India. 2003 (Co-PI). Towards a realistic model of insect population growth at the single and metapopulation level: Drosophila as a model system.

Editorial and Review Work:

Member, Editorial Board of Resonance: Journal of Science Education, Jan 1997-May, 1998 and Jan 2005 – Dec 2011.

Associate Editor, Resonance: Journal of Science Education, Jun 1998-Dec 2004.

Guest Corresponding Editor, special papers in Journal of Biosciences on the Origin of Life, 1997-1998.

Guest Editor, special issue of Journal of Genetics on 'Evolutionary Genetics: the Drosophila Model', 2003.

Editor, Journal of Genetics, March 2004 - Dec. 2007.

Co-Editor, special issue of Journal of Genetics on 'Evolutionary Genetics: 150 Years of Natural Selection', 2008.

Chief Editor, Journal of Genetics, Jan. 2008 – Dec. 2014.

Member, Editorial Board of International Journal of Evolutionary Biology, Mar 2009 – present.

Member, Editorial Board of Journal of Theoretical Biology, 2009 – 2015. 

Member, Editorial Board of Journal of Biosciences, Jan 2010 – 2016. 

Editor-of-Publications, Indian Academy of Sciences, Bengaluru, 2017 - 2021.

Member, Editorial Board of Halteres, 2018 – present.

Member, Publications Advisory Board, Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi, 2019 – present.

Ex-Officio Member, Panel on Scientific Values, Indian Academy of Sciences, Bengaluru, 2019 - 2021.

Chief Editor, Journal of Biosciences, Oct. to Dec, 2021.

Chief Editor, Dialogue: Science, Scientists, and Society, Jan. 2024 onwards

Outside reviewer for manuscripts/books/book proposals submitted to:  

Nature, Science, Evolution, Ecology, American Naturalist, Journal of Evolutionary Biology, Evolutionary Ecology Research, Oikos, Journal of Theoretical Biology, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London: Biological Sciences, Functional Ecology, Biological Journal of the Linnaean Society, Ecology Letters, Animal Behaviour, Evolutionary Ecology, Molecular Biology and Evolution, BMC Evolutionary Biology, BMC Developmental Biology, PLoS ONE, Journal of Genetics, Genetica, Theoretical Ecology, Journal of Heredity, Journal of Insect Behaviour, Ecological Entomology, Theoretical Population Biology, Frontiers in Zoology, Insect Science, Ethology Ecology and Evolution, Journal of Evolutionary Biology Research, Journal of Experimental Biology, Animal Biology, Current Ageing Science, Journal of Evolutionary Medicine, Journal of Thermal Biology, Journal of Biosciences, Resonance: Journal of Science Education, Current Science, Proceedings of Indian National Science Academy: Biological Sciences, Indian Journal of Experimental Biology, National Academy Science Letters, Handbook of Statistics (Elsevier), Dialogue: Science, Scientists, and Society, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, Royal Society Open Science, Frontiers in Genetics, Indian Institute of Science Press, Elsevier, BMC Ecology and Evolution, PLoS Genetics, Evolution Letters, Philosophy Theory and Practice in Biology, Theory in Biosciences, Biological Theory, .

Outside reviewer for research proposals submitted to: 

Department of Science and Technology, Govt. Of India 

Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Govt. of India

European Research Council

Natural Environment Research Council, UK 

The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research

Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India 

German-Israeli Foundation for Scientific Research and Development

Indo-US Science & Technology Forum

ESSO-National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (Ministry of Earth Sciences), India

Wellcome Trust -DBT India Alliance.

Other Academic Service:

Member, Screening Committee for Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre Summer Research Fellowship Programme, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003-2019.

Convener, Screening Committee for Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre Summer Research Fellowship Programme, 1999, 2000.

Member, Unit Academic Advisory Committee, Evolutionary & Organismal Biology Unit, JNCASR, Bangalore, 1999-2001.

Coordinator, Genetics Discussion Group, Discussion Meeting on Origin and Evolution of Life, sponsored by the Indian Academy of Sciences and Indian Space Research organization, at Coorg, 2000.

Member, Local Organizing Committee, Association for Tropical Biology - Annual Meeting, 2001, held at Bangalore.

Member, VC's Empowered Committee for Restructuring the Undergraduate Science Programme, Delhi University, 2002-2004.

Member, Planning Committee for DST (SERC) sponsored Indian School in Chronobiology, March - July, 2002.

Co-Organizer, One-Day Symposium on Evolutionary Biology in honour of Stephen Jay Gould, organized at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, 2002.

Member, Organizing Committee, Workshop on Adaptation and Time, organized at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, 2002.

Convenor, Lecture Programme in Evolutionary & Organismal Biology, sponsored by Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research and Delhi University, at Delhi, 2002.

Member, DST constituted Expert Consultative Committee for Evolving Areas for Research and Training in Behavioural/Social Sciences using Mathematical Methods, 2004.

Member, Sectional Committee for Animal/Plant Sciences, Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, 2004-2006.

External Member, Faculty of Science, Delhi University, 2004-2007. 

Member, Board of Studies in Genetics (Postgraduate), University of Mysore, 2005-2007.

Co-organizer, Project Oriented Biological Education programme, JNCASR, 2006-2009.

Member, DST Project Advisory Committee (Animal Sciences), 2007-2012.

Member, Curriculum Committee, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali, 2007-2010.

Member, Board of Studies for 5 Year Integrated MSc in Life Sciences, Bangalore University, 2007-2012.

Member, Biology Advisory Body, Poornaprajna Institute of Scientific Research, Bangalore, May 2008-2011.

Member, CSIR-HRDG Animal Sciences and Biotechnology Research Committee, 2008-2011.

Convenor, Organizing Committee, Two-Day Discussion Meeting on Evolutionary Biology in India: Looking Ahead, organized at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, 2009.

Member, Haryana Vigyan Ratna Awards Selection Committee, 2011, 2013, 2016-2018.

Member, UGC Review Committee for Centre for Advanced Studies in Zoology, Pune University, Pune, 2011-2014.

Member, Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar Awards Selection Committee (Biology), 2012, 2014.

Co-organizer, Discussion Meeting on “Foundations of Evolutionary Theory: The Ongoing Synthesis”, organized under the aegis of Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, at Coorg, February, 2014.

Co-organizer, Discussion Meeting on “Foundations of Biology”, organized at IISER Pune, April, 2015.

Member, Sectional Committee on Animal Sciences, Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi, 2015-2016.

Member, Research Advisory Committee, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Thiruvananthapuram (IISER-TVM), 2015.

Co-organizer, Discussion Meeting on “Foundations of Biology”, organized at IISER Pune, March, 2016.

Member, Fellowship Scrutiny Committee (Biological Sciences), National Academy of Sciences, India, Allahabad, 2016.

Co-organizer, Discussion Meeting on “Foundations of Biology”, organized under the aegis of Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, at Coorg, February, 2017.

Convenor, Sectional Committee on Animal Sciences, Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi, 2017.

Co-organizer, Discussion Meeting on “Foundations of Biology”, organized at Chindi (H.P.), April, 2018.

Member, Executive Council, Indian Society of Evolutionary Biologists, 2018-2024.

Member, Planning Committee, SERB Schools on Evolutionary Biology 2018-2020.

Member, Publications Advisory Board, Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi, 2019-present.

Co-organizer, SPEEC-UP, student meeting on ecology, evolution and conservation, organized at JNCASR, Bengaluru.

Member, Inter-Academy Group for drafting National Policy guidelines on Scientific Publication, 2019.

Co-organizer, First SERB School on Evolutionary Biology, held at JNCASR, 2019.

Co-organizer, ISEB1: Celebrating Ecology and Evolution in India, organized at JNCASR, Bengaluru, 2019.

Co-organizer, ISEB2: Indo-Swiss Meeting on Evolutionary Biology, organized at Centre for Human Genetics, Bengaluru, 2019.

Member, Sectional Committee on Evolution Ecology Behaviour and Systematics of Plants Animals and Microbes, Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi, 2020.

Co-organizer, Discussion Meeting on “Foundations of Biology”, organized at Ashoka University, Sonipat, February, 2020.

Invitee, CCMB Research Council (Aug 2021; March 2022).

Co-organizer, Discussion Meeting on “Foundations of Biology”, organized at Evolve Back, Coorg, February, 2023.

Co-organizer, Workshop on Public Policy x Evolution, jointly organized by Takshashila Institute and Indian Society of Evolutionary Biologists at Bangalore, 10-12 March, 2023.

Co-organizer, EOBU@25, 'Symposium on Evolutionary and Organismal Biology', organized by EOBU, JNCASR, to mark 25 years of the Evolutionary and Organismal Biology Unit.

Member, Executive Committee, Indian Society of Evolutionary Biologists, 2018-2024.

Graduate Courses Taught at JNCASR, Bangalore:

JEL 201: Population & Quantitative Genetics, 3 credits (each year).

JEL 203: Introduction to Population Dynamics, 3 credits (each year).

JEL 204: Basic Quantitative Tools in Biology, 3 credits (till 2015). (co-taught with Prof. V. K. Sharma).

JEL 212: Introduction to Evolution and Diversity of Life-forms, 2 credits (2012-15; 2020). (co-taught with Dr. T. N. C. Vidya).

JEL 213: Introduction to Statistical Hypothesis Testing, 3 credits. (from 2017). (co-taught with Dr. T. N. C. Vidya).

JEL 301: Evolutionary Genetics of Fitness, 3 credits (each year).

JEL 209: Laboratory Course in Evolutionary Biology, 4 credits (2010-2015, and for MS PhD from 2020).

JEL 214: Laboratory Course in Population Ecology (for MS-PhD), 4 credits (from 2019).