Field of Study India: Materials Science

Shibayan Roy

Dr. Shibayan Roy is an Assistant Professor in the Materials Science Center of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Kharagpur, West Bengal since 2015.

Previously, Dr. Roy was a postdoctoral research associate at Materials Science and Technology Division in Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA from November 2013 to October 2015. He is the recipient of the R&D 100 award (2017) from R&D Magazine, USA as a part of the research group from ORNL.

Dr. Roy also worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Materials Science and Engineering (IWW), Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chemnitz University of Technology, Germany from February 2012 to September 2013. He obtained his Ph.D. degree from the Department of Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore in November 2011. He also received the K.P. Abraham Gold Medal for Best Doctoral Thesis from IISc and the Student Innovative Thesis Award (Doctoral level) from the Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE) in 2012, in recognition of his doctoral thesis.

Through the Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Award (Research and Teaching) project, Dr. Roy aims for an in-depth characterization of coherency and orientation relationship as well as atomistic structure and remnant dislocations at α/β interfaces for different α-colony orientations after secondary TMP and additive manufacturing (AM) of two-phase Titanium alloys. His work also establishes an interrelation between these attributes of α/β interface and spheroidization response of different α-colony orientations in the course of secondary TMP and AM.

Anita M George

Dr. Anita M George is a marine biologist and sponge taxonomist at a prestigious institution in India. She is a visiting scientist at the CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa. Her 14 years of research is concentrated on the systematics of sponges along with their associated biota and how sponges act as ecological indicators to climate change factors. As a principal investigator in the DBT-Research Associate program, Dr. George conducted the first sponge taxonomy workshop at CSIR-NIO, Goa, in 2019 with grants from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune and Rajiv Gandhi Science and Technology Commission, Maharashtra.

Dr. George obtained her Ph.D. from Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tamil Nadu, where she worked on the taxonomy and biodiversity of south Indian sponges. Her post doctorate from James Cook University, Townsville, focused on the morphological changes of sponges from protected and non-protected reefs of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia using remote-sensed data and Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping. Dr. George received a research and travel grant from the Australian Institute of Marine Science to research the Queensland Museum collections of calcareous sponges of GBR and Palau.

Dr. George’s Fulbright-Nehru project will explore the latitudinal gradients in sponge morphology and microbiome composition using metagenomics and environmental eDNA extracts. The research outcome will give insights into the impact of seawater temperatures on sponge metabolism and biodiversity. Dr. George will share her GIS and taxonomic knowledge with her host, where the students can work in their interdisciplinary fields of research.

Praveen Kumar

Dr. Praveen Kumar is working as an Assistant Professor at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Sciences (IACS), Kolkata. He did his Ph.D. from the Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, followed by postdoctoral research at ISOM, UPM Madrid, Spain, as a Marie Curie Fellow. He is an Editorial Board Member of Materials Letters (Elsevier) and Nanotechnology (IOP) Journals. He has served as a Chair, Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA), Indian Chapter, funded by the European Commission from May 2017 to July 2021. He is also a member of The National Academy of Sciences (NASI), India and Indian National Young Academy of Sciences (INYAS).

Dr. Kumar’s research contribution covers a broad spectrum of materials science, including III-V semiconductors, 2D-Materials, MXenes, carbon nanostructures, etc., for various energy harvesting (PEC water splitting, CO2 reduction, broadband photodetectors) and storage (supercapacitors) applications. He has authored 89 publications in peer-reviewed international journals, filed 03 patents, more than 75 in conference proceedings, 09 books/chapters, and delivered around 52 invited talks around the globe. He is a recipient of several recognized awards and fellowships, including MRSI Medal 2021, MCAA Societal Impact Award (2019), DAE Young Achiever Award (2019), Micro Internal Travel Grants (MITG), European Commission (2018), BRICS Young Scientist Award (2017), INSPIRE Faculty Award (2014), and the Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship (2012).

Dr. Kumar’s Fulbright-Nehru project aims to develop facile synthesis processes for MXenes heterostructures and establish their optical, electronic, electrical, and magnetic properties by experimental and theoretical means for energy harvesting (water splitting and CO2 reduction) applications. He will also be teaching Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology courses at Drexel University.

Ria Sen Gupta

Ms. Ria Sen Gupta is a Ph.D. candidate and a Prime Minister’s Research Fellow at the Department of Materials Engineering, IISc Bangalore. She is advised by Prof. Suryasarathi Bose. Her research interests span all aspects of structure-property relationships in polymer nanocomposites. A general theme underlying her current research projects is the engineering of bioinspired membranes for water remediation from interpenetrating polymeric networks (IPNs). She is also broadly interested in water remediation, polymer nanocomposites, and EMI shielding materials. Her research has appeared in several reputed international journals. She has also delivered talks and presentations at various national and international conferences, workshops, and forums.

Before joining IISc, Ms. Sen Gupta completed her M.Tech. and post-B.Sc three-year B.Tech. in polymer science and technology at the University of Calcutta, and her B.Sc. (Hons.) in chemistry at St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata. In her free time, she loves singing, cooking, reading books, painting, and watching movies.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellow, Ms. Sen Gupta is exploring antifouling MXene composite membranes with photocatalytic self-cleaning abilities for synergistically enhanced water treatment. In particular, she is leveraging “photocatalysis” and “membrane separation” technologies to design and fabricate broad-spectrum multifunctional membranes with improved antifouling attributes and superior membrane performance. She is synthesizing composite membranes endowed with self-cleaning and antifouling features using photocatalytic two-dimensional (2D) etched metal carbides (MXene) heterostructures. She aims to ensure that the membranes can liquidate the inhomogeneity and impaired compatibility between photocatalytic nanoparticles and the 2D heterostructures membrane-based separation layer for cost-effective membrane performance and improved shelf-life.

Neha Kaushal

Ms. Neha Kaushal is a Ph.D. candidate at the Material Science and Sensor Application department of CSIR-Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIO), Chandigarh. Her doctoral research primarily focuses on the design and characterization of nanocarbon based heterojunctions for the photocatalytic degradation of endocrine disrupting chemicals in water. She is an awardee of the prestigious DST-Inspire Fellowship since 2019.

Ms. Kaushal gained her bachelor’s degree in non-medical (2016) from Hans Raj Mahila Maha Vidyalaya College, Punjab. For her bachelor’s thesis, she worked on a project titled, “Kinetics and Thermodynamic Study of Adsorption of Cr (VI) on the Low-cost Leaf Powders” under the DST-STAR grant of Department of Biotechnology. Her master’s degree is in physics (2018) from Lovely Professional University, Punjab, where she was awarded a gold medal for securing first rank in the university. Here, she explored the NIR spectroscopy and Aqua-photomics for the detection of various adulterants in milk as her master’s thesis project and gained publications in the same. Apart from research, she has a keen interest in arts and crafts.

As a Fullbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellow, Ms. Kaushal is targeting successful development of new photocatalytic materials for the degradation of organic pollutants in water. She believes these materials could have energy harvesting applications.

Prabakar Krishna Murthy

Dr. Prabakar Krishna Murthy is a scientist at Materials Science Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam. He obtained his Ph.D. in physics from Osmania University, Hyderabad in the year 2007 and joined IGCAR in the same year through the prestigious Dr. K. S. Krishnan Research Associate scheme.

His current research interests include microfabrication, microcantilever-based sensors, and semiconductor neutron detectors. He has extensively worked on the design, fabrication, and characterization of surface-enhanced SiO2 microcantilevers for ultrafast and ultrasensitive relative humidity (RH) sensing applications. Using this sensor, his group could demonstrate real-time monitoring of RH variation during human breath cycles. Dr. Krishna Murthy has also studied the photo-induced deflection in Au/Si microcantilevers for ultrasensitive temperature sensing applications and capacitive micro-machined ultrasonic transducers for NDE applications. He has published 38 research articles in national and international journals. He is also Assistant Professor in physics at Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai and has guided two Ph.D. students and several graduate/postgraduate students.

During his Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence fellowship, Dr. Krishna Murthy is developing a standoff (remote), ultrasensitive and extremely selective detection method for lung cancer by sensing the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released in the human exhaled breath using photothermal cantilever deflection spectroscopy.

Sujata Singh

Dr. Sujata Singh is a technical analyst at Customized Energy Solutions Pvt. Ltd., an energy sector-based consulting firm, in association with Indian Energy Storage Alliance (IESA). She obtained her Ph.D. degree from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Her doctoral research focused on studying the microstructure-property correlation of High Entropy Alloy-Carbon Nanotubes composites. She received her master’s degree in metallurgical and materials engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, and bachelor’s degree from Birsa Institute of Technology, Sindri, Dhanbad.

Dr. Singh’s research interest is in the study of electrochemical behavior of advanced materials, understanding underlying electrochemistry in protective coatings/thin films, utilizing nanomaterials to achieve enhanced properties, electron microscopy, microstructure-property correlation, and failure analysis with applications in the field of corrosion and Lithium-Ion Battery. She has published several research articles in reputed international journals and received the Senior Research Fellowship issued by the Ministry of Human Resource and Development, Government of India. She also received an award for the best all-round performance in 2013.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Postdoctoral Research fellow, Dr. Singh is developing alternate battery technologies that enable sustainable, cost-effective, and reliable electrochemical energy storage. The focus of the study is to investigate new electrode architecture, exploring methods to mitigate issues such as capacity fading, mechanical degradation, dendrite formation and cyclability in Sodium-Antimony Intermetallic Battery. The project advances the field’s understanding of this promising energy storage technology.

Sujay Shekar Ganganakatte Chandrashekar

Dr. Sujay Shekar G. C. is an environmental researcher and a metaphysicist. He earned his bachelor’s degree (2015) in science from Sarada Vilas College, Mysuru, and his master’s degree (2017) in physics from St. Philomena’s College, Mysuru. He received his Ph.D. in Physics (2023) from the University of Mysore. In 2018, he worked as a university lecturer at Department of Science in Physics, University of Mysore, and later joined as an assistant professor in 2023 at RNSIT, Visvesvaraya Technological University. Currently, he is a member of the Board of Studies in Physics at St. Philomena’s College, and the Board of Examination in Physics at Karnataka State Open University and JSS Science and Technology University.

Dr. Sujay Shekar believes in understanding the natural world as a means of achieving spiritual enrichment. In this pursuit, he initiated his research on solar energy utilization to create a more sustainable future. He works in the field of physical chemistry and material science to develop advanced nanomaterials for cleaner and more efficient light energy conversion. Through his doctoral research projects, he contributed to semiconductor photoelectrochemistry by engineering nanomaterials for effective photocatalytic applications. He even demonstrated the usage of sunlight for more sustainable synthesis methods of functional materials. Many of his designed compounds exhibited better solar energy conversion efficiency and produced greener solar fuels.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Postdoctoral Research fellow at the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Dr. Sujay Shekar is developing new photosystems for boosted photochemical tandem reactions and understand the underlying phenomena of charge dynamics.

Gaurav Pandey

Dr. Gaurav Pandey earned his Ph.D. from the National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat in 2023. His doctoral research focused on utilizing halloysite nanotubes loaded with various guest molecules for diverse biological applications. Throughout his Ph.D. journey, he consistently addressed environmental concerns, including heavy metal remediation, waste reduction, and pesticide sensing. He holds a master’s degree in forensic nanotechnology with a specialization in nanobiotechnology from Gujarat Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, and a bachelor’s degree in biotechnology from SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu. He was awarded gold and silver medals for his master’s and bachelor’s degrees, respectively. Dr. Pandey has qualified national-level exams, namely UGC NET JRF (in forensic science) in 2019 and GATE (in biotechnology) in 2016. He has authored over 30 publications, including research papers, review articles, a co-authored book, and book chapters.

Dr. Pandey’s research interests encompass leveraging naturally occurring clay-based nanomaterials to tackle contemporary environmental challenges, including mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, combating plastic pollution, and addressing water contamination issues.

As a Fulbright Nehru Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Pandey’s project is investigating the degradation of plastic waste using halloysite nanotube-based nanocomposites. The outcomes of this research have the potential to aid India in reducing its plastic waste burden and working towards the goal of becoming a low-plastic waste producing country by 2050.

Satyajit Sahu

Dr. Satyajit Sahu has been serving as an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics, IIT Jodhpur since 2021. He earned his Ph.D. from the Indian Institute for the Cultivation of Science in 2009 and completed his postdoctoral research at the National Institute for Materials Science, Japan, in 2012. He then joined the Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur as an Assistant Professor in 2013. Dr Sahu has been honored with several prestigious awards, including the SPARC DUO fellowship in 2019 and the BRICS Young Scientist Forum award in 2020. In 2022, he was awarded the SERB SIRE fellowship for collaborative research at the University of Toronto. His current research focuses on the study of semiconductor devices utilizing quantum dots, 2D materials, and organic materials, with a particular interest in exploring the use of single molecules for electronic applications. He has authored over 80 papers in peer-reviewed journals.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence scholar, Dr. Sahu is concentrating on the synthesis and characterization of double halide perovskite materials to develop memristors with enhanced performance. He aims to explore the potential application of these memristors in neuromorphic systems, seeking to improve their efficiency and functionality.