India Fellows Years: Indian Fellows 2026-2027

Lijiya Chacko

Ms. Lijiya Chacko is a PhD candidate and a teaching assistant at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at IIT Bombay. She completed undergraduate studies in psychology at the University of Calicut and postgraduation in neural and cognitive sciences at the University of Hyderabad. Her doctoral research examines how attentional priority is shaped by multiple influences, including emotional salience, reward associations, and prior experience.

Prior to her doctoral studies, Lijiya gained substantial experience in experimental cognitive science through research positions at Cognitive Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, IIT Bombay, and the Action Control and Cognition Lab at the University of Hyderabad. She has also contributed to research training initiatives, including conducting workshops on experimental methods and eye-tracking applications at the Annual Conference of Cognitive Sciences, 2024. She was awarded the International Brain Research Organization’s Neuroscience Training Grant to attend Cognitive Neuroimaging Skills Training in Cambridge, held at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, UK, in September 2025.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellow, Lijiya is examining the behavioral and neural mechanisms of statistically learned spatial attentional biases, with particular emphasis on whether such biases operate automatically and persist over time, or whether they remain flexible and responsive to current goals. Through her research, she aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of how past experiences shape attention, with implications for cognitive theory and real-world adaptive behavior. She enjoys music, books and movies in her leisure time.

Lata Pawar

Ms. Lata Pawar is a Senior Research Fellow at Center of Innovative and Applied Bioprocessing (CIAB), Mohali and her PhD is registered at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali. Her doctoral research focuses on generation of biopolymers through advance biocatalysis and biomass utilization. She is passionate about promoting sustainable biotechnology and believes harnessing biological systems can unlock innovative solutions for a greener future.

Ms. Pawar holds a bachelor’s degree in botany from Gargi College, University of Delhi. Interested in the development of sustainable food packaging materials, she pursued a postgraduate diploma in food analysis and quality assurance. She completed a master’s degree in food technology from the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT), Pune.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellow at Karen M. Swindler Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Lata is developing a sustainable and integrated pathway for the production of polyethylene furanoate (PEF), a promising bio-based alternative to petroleum-derived plastics such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Her research focuses on the synthesis and polymerization of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, a key monomer derived from lignocellulosic biomass through catalytic conversion processes. The study aims to engineer high-performance bioplastic films by integrating principles of green chemistry, polymer science, and process systems engineering. Additionally, her work involves comprehensive life cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis to evaluate the environmental sustainability and economic feasibility of the developed biopolymer production route.

Jirpu Taba

Ms. Jirpu Taba is a PhD candidate at the Department of Zoology, Rajiv Gandhi University, Arunachal Pradesh. Her doctoral research focuses on cancer biology, with an emphasis on extracellular vesicle-mediated signaling in pancreatic cancer model. Given the significant role of nano-sized extracellular vesicles in tumorigenesis, she seeks to explore their application in advanced cancer therapeutics.

Jirpu holds a bachelor’s degree in science from Gargi College, University of Delhi, New Delhi. She completed her master’s degree in zoology from Rajiv Gandhi University, Arunachal Pradesh. With a specialization in cell and molecular biology, she developed a strong interest in molecular mechanism and cancer therapeutics.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellow, Jirpu is exploring the role of a matricellular oncoprotein, Cyr61, in extracellular vesicle-mediated pancreatic cancer progression. Her work will examine how the signature of this oncoprotein in the cancer cell-derived extracellular vesicles could influence Hippo signaling pathway to modulate the tumor microenvironment. With the fundamental understanding of the role of extracellular vesicles in cancer, she looks forward to contribute to translational research and advancement of personalized medicine.

Indu Poornima Sasidharan Vasantha Kumari

Ms. Indu Poornima is a PhD candidate at the Center for Public Policy, Indian Institute of Management, Bengaluru. Her doctoral research focuses on the social transformations from the introduction of large infrastructure projects among local communities, particularly those that depend on natural resources for their livelihoods. She studies the coastal community of Vizhinjam in the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala, where India’s first deep-water transshipment port is being built as a private-public partnership project. Using ethnography, she explores how the local fishing community experienced and adapted to various livelihood changes while negotiating with the state and private actors. Indu has presented her work at international conferences, including the Regional Studies Association Annual Conference in Florence where she discussed her work on disaster relief labor of Kudumbashree women in Kerala. She has also been selected for travel grants by the Ireland India Institute and the European Feminist Research Conference.

Indu has an interdisciplinary background with a master’s in development studies and a bachelor’s in social sciences from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). In 2020, she was awarded the UGC-NET Junior Research Fellowship in sociology.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Fellow at Brown, Indu is examining how context-specific policies respond to demands for large infrastructure projects by comparing Vizhinjam with a setting in the United States. In the rare moments she resurfaces from the depths of her data, she can be found taking photos, devouring seafood, or fighting a losing battle trying to rediscover ‘reading for fun’.

Harshit Pandey

Mr. Harshit Pandey is a PhD candidate at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences, Bengaluru, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. His doctoral research focuses on the processing and development of inorganic and organic materials for battery applications, with significant emphasis on collaborative work with research groups across India and the world. It addresses key challenges for next-generation batteries through the exploration of advanced material chemistries and scalable approaches.

Before beginning his doctoral studies, Harshit completed his bachelor’s degree at Hindu College, University of Delhi, and earned a master’s degree in chemistry from the Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur. His work has been published in peer-reviewed international journals and presented at several national and international conferences. His research contributions were acknowledged through an international travel grant from the Anusandhan National Research Foundation, providing him the opportunity to present his work at the International Battery Association Annual Meeting, 2025, in Singapore.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellow, Harshit is aiming to bridge the gap between laboratory innovation and industrial application by optimizing material processing and using advanced ultrasound techniques to monitor the physical and chemical health of batteries while they operate. Beyond his professional interests, he is a naturalist and a passionate mountaineer, enjoys nature and exploring the outdoors through trekking and hiking. He is also a guitarist and enjoys singing and songwriting.

Hamida Banoo

Ms. Hamida Banoo is a PhD candidate in the Department of Agri-Biotechnology at the BRIC-National Agri-Food and Biomanufacturing Institute (NABI), Mohali, Punjab. She completed undergraduate studies in science from Government Degree College, Kargil, and postgraduate degree in botany from the University of Ladakh.

Hamida is a Senior Research Fellow working on the functional characterization of TaIRO3, a basic helix–loop–helix transcription factor that regulates iron homeostasis in wheat under deficiency conditions. Her work integrates molecular biology, gene expression analysis, and tissue-specific approaches to understand regulatory networks governing iron uptake and mobilization, with the aim of developing biofortified wheat to address micronutrient deficiencies and improve nutritional security.

Hamida has contributed to publications in major plant science journals, including The Plant Journal and Plant, Cell & Environment, and a book chapter on modifying secondary metabolites in barley. She has presented her work at international conferences, including the ICPP 2025 conference in Coimbatore, and actively engages in collaborative research in crop biofortification.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellow, she is employing single-cell transcriptomics to uncover cell-type-specific regulatory mechanisms of iron mobilization in wheat. Outside her research, she enjoys creative activities such as painting, crafting, designing, stitching, and crochet, along with trekking and sports such as badminton, table tennis, and volleyball.

Guhananthan Arulprakash

Mr. Guhananthan Arulprakash is a PhD candidate at Applied Materials Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore. His doctoral research focuses on developing metal oxide-based electrocatalysts for water splitting applications. He believes that hydrogen energy would be the next alternative fuel to combat demand for fossil fuels and to reduce over-reliance on battery technology.

Guhananthan holds an integrated MSc Chemistry degree from Amrita Vishwa Vidhyapeetham, Coimbatore, India with a first-class distinction. After his masters, he worked as a Junior Research Fellow (JRF) in PSG Institute of Advanced Studies, Coimbatore, India under a DST-funded project where he worked on nanobubble technology. During his tenure as a JRF, he had the opportunity to work in collaboration with industry partners and designed a pilot-scale plant for the industry. This helped him to connect laboratory results with real world problems, and motivated him to research an alternative fuel, which is the current global demand.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellow at the clean energy systems lab at Arizona State University, Guhananthan is working on developing new Ruddlesden Popper type perovskite oxides for electrocatalytic water splitting application. His research will also address the current challenges in sea water splitting, such as corrosion and other side reactions. His research will contribute to affordable green hydrogen production from sea water which is an ambitious goal for both USA and India.

Geetha Mariswamy

Geetha Mariswamy is a PhD Candidate at the Centre of Excellence in Teacher Education, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. With more than a decade of experience spanning education, gender and labor in teaching, program implementation, research and grassroots education initiatives, her work focuses on equity, access and educational transformation in India.

Geetha began her journey in education as a Teaching Fellow with Teach for India, where she taught children from underserved communities and helped build community-led learning spaces. During her work at RV Educational Consortium, she led a four-year participatory action research project on whole-school improvement. She worked closely with schools, teachers, communities, and education departments to strengthen inclusive learning practices, teacher development, and school processes. Her previous publications and conference presentations engage with language teaching learning practices, teacher beliefs, and governance in education.

Geetha is also the co-founder of Haadibadi Community library in Bengaluru that creates access to reading and creative learning opportunities for children and youth from marginalized communities. She was recognized as an Emerging International Voice for the Library Movement by the Goethe-Institut and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.

Geetha’s doctoral research lies at the intersection of policy, regulation, privatization and teacher workforce dynamics. It examines how regulatory frameworks attempt to balance the public-good nature of education with growing privatization and particularly in teacher education. During the fellowship, she is investigating the historical and political underpinnings of policy reforms, institutional responses and evolving governance landscape of teacher education in India.

Gazal Khan

Ms. Gazal Khan is a doctoral candidate and a teaching assistant at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee. She completed her graduation and post-graduate studies in English from Aligarh Muslim University. Gazal is a recipient of the Charles Wallace Fellowship for archival research in the United Kingdom and has been a Visiting Doctoral Student at the University of Oxford (Trinity Term 2026). Her research examines the temporality and spatiality of borderland identities within transnational histories of violence.

Gazal’s work has been published in international peer-reviewed journals, including The English Academy Review, Peace Review, and the Journal of Postcolonial Writing, as well as in edited anthologies. She has presented her research at several international conferences across India, the UK and the U.S. She has been awarded the Indian Council of Social Sciences Research grant for presenting her work at the Northeast Modern Language Association Annual Convention (NMLAAC) 2026 and a fully funded travel grant from the Frank and Debbie Driesman Foundation, Potomac, USA, for her paper presentation at the NMLAAC 2024.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellow, Gazal is working in the interdisciplinary field of memory studies and refugee studies to study the process of mediation in the [re]presentation and narrativization of the traumatic episodes of the Rohingya refugee crisis. Gazal is an avid traveler who enjoys exploring landscapes and cultures, with adventures in trekking, rafting, desert safaris, and snow skiing, and a passion for Bollywood music.

Dorothy Sachdeva

Ms. Dorothy Sachdeva is a PhD candidate at the Materials Research Centre, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. Her doctoral research focuses on the synthesis of two-dimensional nanomaterials with precise control over their composition and morphology. She performs in-depth characterization to understand the chemical and phase transformation mechanism using advanced electron microscopy techniques.

She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in chemistry from Delhi University and IISc, Bengaluru, respectively. She is a recipient of the Prime Minister Research Fellowship from the Government of India, which funds her research at IISc, Bengaluru. She has publications in peer-reviewed international journals with high reach and has presented papers at national and international conferences.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellow, Dorothy is working with in situ electron microscopy and electron energy-loss spectroscopy. PtCu alloy nanoparticles nucleated on highly reduced SrTiO3 nanocubes deactivate for the preferential oxidation of CO to CO2 at higher temperatures. She is trying to identify the mechanism of deactivation under operando conditions, enabling her to visualize and analyze catalytic processes with high spatial and temporal resolution in real time. When not in the lab, she can be found reading, playing, and cooking. Dorothy loves spending time with her friends and family, and enjoys travelling and meeting people from various cultures.