I am a quantitative ecologist, broadly interested in the processes that give rise to and maintain the distribution of biodiversity on our planet. I recently finished my PhD from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune where I studied the mechanistic basis for the widely reported "abundant-centre" pattern in species distributions using birds from Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary as a model system. In the lab, I will be exploring acoustic data as a tool to understand niche partitioning and interspecific associations. 

My broad interests span the fields of functional and comparative biomechanics in the context of evolutionary ecology. For my MS thesis, I studied the patterns of morphological and phylogenetic diversity in Asian canopy-frugivorous birds. For my PhD, I am studying the biomechanics of cavity-excavation by birds. During my spare time, I can be found painting/sketching, or listening to music. I also love traveling and trying out different cuisines.

I hail from Wayanad and my enthusiasm for wildlife sprouted during my early years, going out for nature walks with my father in this mesmerising landscape. I completed my master's in Wildlife Biology and Conservation from NCBS, Bangalore. My interests span across natural history, community ecology, evolutionary biology, bioacoustics and particularly biomechanics, which I am focusing on for my Ph.D. My MSc dissertation focused on understanding the role of acoustic trait space of species in the community assembly of mixed-species bird flocks. Outside academic hours, I spend long hours photographing and documenting the biodiversity around me, in addition to engaging in farming and music. I am deeply rooted in the Wayanad landscape and also am an active member of Wayanad Prakriti Samrakshana Samiti, a collective involved in social and conservation-related issues in Wayanad.

I graduated with a  B. Sc. degree in zoology from St Xavier's College, Ahmedabad and joined the lab for a summer internship in 2022. I studied and analyzing vocalizations in budgerigars and also worked on the lark project in the field. In my free time I like to read books. Following this internship, I am now pursuing my M.Sc from ATREE, studying urban bat ecology.

For my masters thesis research at NCBS, I'll be working on mixed species bird flocks in the Eastern Himalayas to see how vocal activity and nuclearity are linked. I'm also very drawn to herpetofauna; you'll find me flipping rocks in search of cool bugs & herps or walking around at night with a torch looking for snakes every chance I get.

My other hobbies include not playing an instrument, not writing, not reading books, not drawing, not singing, not dancing, and playing a concerning amount of Pokémon GO. I also play tennis sometimes. 

I participated in field work in the wet grasslands of Arunachal Pradesh, and also interned in the lab in 2020. I am currently pursuing my Masters in Wildlife Biology and Conservation at NCBS, Bangalore. I am broadly interested in evolutionary biology, ecology, Natural History, and Animal communication with an emphasis on bioacoustics. I  spend my free time birding, reading, and as a subject of Sutirtha's beverage experiments. (the mint-flavored blue coffee kind!)

I am a geologist by training and an ecologist by passion. The initial curiosity about birds and animals tuned my bonding with nature. For my master’s thesis I studied biogenic sediment dwelling structures of ‘Tube Worms’ a.k.a. Sand reefs. I have previously worked closely in the fields of community watershed management, ecological health monitoring, wildlife ecology, eco-tourism and forest restoration. My interest in bird calls and bioacoustics grow up while I explored various wilderness and landscapes. I enjoyed understanding restoration through the lens of bioacoustics while I worked with Project Dhvani at Kanha, central India. 

Growing up in a village close to the Western Ghats in Kerala, I spent much of my childhood watching birds around my backyard. I’m broadly interested in bird and butterfly community ecology, plant-pollinator interactions, and landscape ecology. I have a master’s degree in Wildlife Biology and Conservation from NCBS, Bangalore, and a bachelor’s in Forestry from Kerala Agricultural University. For my master’s dissertation, I worked on butterfly responses to an edge-to-interior gradient in the rainforest fragments of the Western Ghats. Soon after my master’s, I worked as a Research Assistant at Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment (ATREE) on a project on wildlife corridors of the Western Ghats. 

I am an ecological generalist, with a slight bias towards studying birds. I am mainly interested in understanding population and community level patterns of open-habitat species (mainly birds); and studying the behavioural and physiological mechanisms that bring about these patterns. My other academic interests include analysing complex datasets and finding automated (or remote sensing based) solutions for wildlife monitoring. I am currently a Scientist-C at the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun.

Beyond science, I like watching and playing football, cricket and badminton. I also like reading non-fiction and listening to a variety of music.