Lab members
LAB 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-Isreal Cultural Exchange Programme, Visitor Scholar, Institute of Evolution, 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
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 IF9.8 Publisher: Springer Nature
Harshad Mayekar
National Post-doctoral Fellow, SERB
Start Date: Jan 2022
PhD from IISER, Trivandrum, India
Harshad is interested in how phenotypic plasticity (a genomes' ability to express alternative phenotypes) enables organisms to cope with environmental variation. He works on a range of insects and explore plasticity associated with different life-history traits. He uses a combination of lab experiments and field analyses to understand the adaptive nature of plasticity. He is also a fantastic public speaker.
Email: harshadecoevo@gmail.com
Divita Garg
PhD Candidate, Shodh Fellow
Start Date: Jul 2020
M.Sc. in Life Sciences from Mount Carmel College, Bengaluru, India
Divita is interested in evolution of wing-spot and wing interference patterns in natural populations of Drosophila species. She integrates biophysics, molecular biology and physiology to understand key questions around mate choice in insects.
Email: divita.g@ahduni.edu.in
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
LAB Alumni
Scientific Staff
6. Gorang Makwana, Project Assistant: 2024-2024
Now: Transitioning (Project Assistant to a PhD student)
5. Ashwin Khandelwal, Project Assistant: 2022-2022
Now: JRF at Azim Premji University, Bangalore, India
4. Abhishek Nair, Project Assistant: 2021-2021
Now: PhD Candidate, Ahmedabad University, Ahmedabad, India
3. Prachi Mehta, Project Assistant: 2020-2021
Now: Masters Student, Northeastern University, Boston, USA
2. Mayur Variya, Project Assistant; 2019-2020
Now: Field Biologist, Namdapha Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh, India
1. Rupesh Maurya, Senior Research Fellow; 2017-2019
Now: Assistant Professor in Bioscience at Indrashil University, Mehsana, Gujarat, India
Masters Thesis Work Candidates:
8. Kashish Patel, Integrated Masters in Life Sciences; Master's Thesis Candidate 2025
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 Work Candidates:
2. Emaan Mulla, 2024-2025
1. Hridaya Pareekh, 2024-2025
Internships:
4. 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
2. Himanshi Soni, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Programme: Summer Research Fellow, JNCASR (funded through Indian Academy of Sciences, Bengaluru): Winter 2022
1. Shilpi Agrawal, 11/12th Grade; Ahmedabad International School; Summer Intern; 2018 & 2019
#Support by: Ahmedabad University and various funding agencies.