INSA MEDAL FOR YOUNG SCIENTIST AWARDEES- 2019

1. Dr Mainak Bose (b 29.07.1986), PhD, European Molecular Biology Laboratory

(EMBL), Germany

Dr Bose discovered important steps of miRNA regulation involving biogenesis, turnover

and exosome-mediated transport between mammalian cells. His work in the context of
Leishmania contributes important therapeutic angles in macrophages.

2. Dr Anirvan Chakraborty (b 19.09.1985), PhD, Department of Mathematics and

Statistics, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata,
Mohanpur, Nadia

Anirvan Chakraborty has made fundamental contributions in developing statistical

methods for infinite dimensional data. His work provides useful and interesting insights
into probabilistic models for high dimensional data

3. Dr Krishna Reddy Challa (b 14.06.1985), PhD, Department of Biology and AERS,

West Virginia State University, USA

Dr Challa Krishna Reddy has done outstanding work on mechanisms by which plant
morphogenesis is regulated by key developmental genes. One such component was the
TCP4 transcription factor, whose role he addressed using in depth genetic, cellular and
molecular analysis.

4. Dr Abhik Narayan Choudhury (b 04.11.1984), PhD, Department of Materials

Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru

For his outstanding contributions to the development of phase field models to address
microstructural evolution in complex systems and in their experimental validation.

5. Dr Tanmay Neelesh Deshpande (b 15.11.1984), PhD, School of Mathematics, Tata

Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai

Tanmay Deshpande has made outstanding contributions to the field of “Geometric

Representation Theory”. His work on character sheaves on unipotent and solvable groups
is highly commendable and has opened up the area.

6. Dr Siddhesh Balkrishna Ghag (b 25.03.1986), PhD, Centre for Excellence in Basic

Sciences (UM-DAE CEBS), University of Mumbai, Mumbai

Dr. Ghag, presently a DST-INSPIRE faculty and NASI Young scientist awardee did
focused work to develop banana for wilt resistance. He deployed a defensin protein from
Petunia and developed Fusarium wilt resistant transgenic banana, used SiRNA strategy
against a transcription factor to control the pathogen, developed somaclonal mutants and
is currently working on biocontrol. His evaluation of different strategies could lead to the
development of agronomically good banana lines with resistance to this important
disease.

7. Dr Gnanasekaran Gunadayalan (b 05.07.1986), PhD, Department of Botany, Madras

Christian College, Chennai
 His contributions in plant taxonomy using field data and modern tools with special
reference to genus Andrographis and family Acanthaceae are highly commendable.

8. Dr Trinath Jamma (b 16.09.1986), PhD, Department of Biological Sciences, BITS

Pilani-Hyderabad Campus, Hyderabad

Cross-communication between signalling pathways during Mycobacterial infection.

9. Dr Anukul Jana (b 27.01.1984), PhD, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research

Hyderabad, Hyderabad.

For his exploratory studies of low-valent low-coordinate main group compounds, their
applications in developing novel catalysts and materials, and reactions of diradicals.

10. Dr Geetharani K (b 22.05.1984), PhD, Department of Inorganic and Physical

Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.

For her contributions to the development of cost effective and earth abundant metal
catalysts for the synthesis of organoboranes as synthetic intermediates for
pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and functional materials.

11. Dr Siddhesh Shashikant Kamat (03.01.1985), PhD, Department of Biology, Indian

Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune

Dr Kamat has uncovered lipid changes in PHARC human disease where he showed important
changes in lipase function. Currently he is mapping lipid epoxide changes during cellular
oxidative stress. His collaborative help is significantly contributing in other areas of work
involving lipid vesicle recycling and proteome charges.

12. Dr Bidya Binay Karak (b 25.08.1984), PhD, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of
Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi

Dr. Bidya Binay Karak made fundamental contributions to our understanding of how the
11-year sunspot cycle is produced by the dynamo process. His work led to a
comprehensive theory of the large fluctuations in the sunspot cycle, especially the
Maunder minimum. He also carried out state-of-the-art 3D simulations of the dynamo
process.

13. Dr Rohan Jayant Khadilkar (b 22.04.1987), PhD, Department of Cellular and

Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Life Sciences Institute, University of
British Columbia, Canada

Dr Khadilkar’s work uncovered mechanistic description of ARF1-ASrig mediated cross-

talk in the endosomal pathway relevant for stem cell maintenance in Drosophila
hematopoiesis. Interestingly the same interaction plays important role in NFKb pathway.

14. Dr Mudasir Ahmad Khanday (b 21.06.1985), PhD, Harvard Medical School, Harvard
University, USA

Dr. Mudasir Khanday’s research in vivo system in rats has advanced our knowledge in
delineating the neurophysiological and neurochemical regulation of rapid eye movement
sleep.
15. Dr Nikhil Kunjalli Lokesh (b 19.10.1988), PhD, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin,
Berlin

Dr. Nikhil Lokesh’s work unraveled the physiology and molecular basis of “early” and “late”
chronotypes exhibited by circadian rhythms in Drosophila.

16. Dr Uttam Manna (b 01.09.1984), PhD, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of

Technology Guwahati, Guwahati.

For his outstanding contributions to design and synthesis of reactive and self-healing
polymeric gels and of unique three-dimensional materials exhibiting
superhydrophobicity.

17. Dr Archita Mishra (b 19.10.1986), PhD, Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for
Science, Technology and Research, Singapore

Repurposing FDA approved drugs to target Mycobacterium tuberculosis metabolic

pathways.

18. Dr Puneet Kumar Patra (b 08.06.1988), PhD, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian
Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur.

Innovative molecular simulation methods to study the energy transport in low-

dimensional systems using molecular simulations, and the development of novel
thermostats for non-equilibrium systems.

19. Dr Raghavendra S Patwardhan (b 27.12.1984), PhD, Radiation Biology & Health

Sciences Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai

He has made significant contributions in the field of radiation biology. Undertook

exploration to search for radiation modifying strategies which would be of help to cancer
patients undergoing radiation therapy. He has identified baicalein and cholorophyllin as
putative radio protectors with potential for immediate phase 1 trial.

20. Dr Rishi Raj (b 21.02.1984), PhD, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian

Institute of Technology Patna, Patna

Innovative techniques for significantly enhancing phase-change heat transfer in zero

gravity environments.

21. Dr Irfan Rashid (b 17.08.1984), PhD, Department of Earth Sciences, University of

Kashmir, Srinagar

For his outstanding research on implications of changing climate and other

anthropogenic forcings on glacier dynamics & hazards, snow cover changes, land
system-alpine vegetation dynamics, lake & wetland health over Jammu and Kashmir
region.

22. Dr Aritra Sarkar (b 25.12.1984), PhD, Fatigue Studies Section, Metallurgy and
Materials Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam

Significant contribution to the experimental determination and analysis of creep fatigue

interactions in life estimation of steels
23. Dr Namisha Sharma (b 29.08.1987), PhD, National Institute of Plant Genome
Research, New Delhi

Dr. Namisha Sharma has made significant contributions towards understanding the small
RNA-mediated defense response in tomato against Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus
(ToLCNDV). Dr. Sharma has demonstrated the novel role of miR159-MYB33 regulatory
module in facilitating disease resistance by activating Sw5-mediated HR mechanism. Dr.
Sharma has also developed a novel method for developing transgenic tomato cultivars
tolerant to ToLCNDV infection.

24. Dr Tarun Kumar Sharma (b 08.09.1985), PhD, Center for Biodesign and Diagnostics,
Translational Health Science & Technology Institute, Faridabad

Dr Sharma has expertise in aptamer based diagnostics and has made significant
contributions in the field of TB diagnostics. These tests which appear to perform better
than the existing nucleic acid amplification tests and antibody based ELISA are in the
process of commercialisation. He is also involved in the process of developing aptamer
based assay for detection of snake venom.

25. Dr Pallavi Singh (b 03.08.1985), PhD, Department of Plant Sciences, University of

Cambridge, Cambridge

Dr. Pallavi Singh has done pioneering work to identify and delineate the key role of a
mitogen activated protein kinase in conferring submergence tolerance in rice.

26. Dr Anjani Kumar Tiwari (b 01.07.1986), PhD, Department of Physics, Indian Institute
of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur

For innovative experiments on random lasing in scattering media and for devising
methods to control lasing properties in interesting cavity geometries.

27. Dr Chandni U (b 22.05.1985), PhD, Department of Instrumentation and Applied

Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru

For her innovative and challenging experimental work on electron transport in a variety
of low-dimensional systems and structural transitions and critical phenomena in shape
memory systems.

28. Dr Supradeepa VR (b 21.09.1984), PhD, Centre for Nano Science and Engineering,
Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru

Development of efficient cascaded Raman fibre lasers with tunable wavelength for high
power laser applications.

29. Dr Sneha Yadav (b 10.04.1984), PhD, Space Physics Laboratory, Vikram Sarabhai
Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram

For her outstanding contribution towards understanding of low latitude ionosphere

specific to Indian longitudes under varying space weather conditions.

30. Dr Vikas Yadav (b 18.10.1989), PhD, Department of Molecular Genetics and

Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, USA

Involvement of RNAi in Cryptococcus centromere structure and their dynamics.

 INSA Medal for Young Historian of Science Awardee 2019

Dr Aditya Kolachana, Research scholar, Cell for Indian Science and Technology in
Sanskrit, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of
Technology, Bombay.

The significant contributions to the advancement of studies in the history of Indian

astronomy by way of analysing the unpublished manuscripts such as the
Lagnaprakaraṇa of Mādhava, and the Candrārkī of Dinakara.