Gajah Vigyan

Exploring the Elephant Science

Namaste! I'm Sanjeeta, a Hakubi Assistant Professor at Kyoto University's Hakubi Centre, where I investigate a central question in biology: how do long-lived mammals adapt to dynamic and changing environments?

My research focuses on proboscideans, elephants and their extinct relatives, integrating physiology, behaviour, and molecular ecology to understand how these species have persisted across diverse ecosystems over evolutionary timescales. By combining insights from living Asian elephants with molecular evidence from the past, I aim to connect deep-time evolutionary processes with pressing questions about how large mammals will respond to rapid climate change.

Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to work-and-walk through many elephant landscapes, each teaching me how uniquely elephants adapt to their surroundings.

When I’m not studying elephants, I express my love for nature through cartoons, stories and poetry, creative outlets that remind me to see the world with wonder. And, there's a very special member of my team who walks beside me on this path of learning and brings boundless joy and inspiration to my work - Bhunte, the baby elephant! 🐘❤

Thank you for visiting. I hope you’ll join me in this exploration of Gajah (the elephants) and their Vigyan (science).