Archives: Meet Our India Fulbrighters

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 (NeMLA) 2026 and a fully funded travel grant from the Frank and Debbie Driesman Foundation, Potomac, USA, for her paper presentation at the NeMLA 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.

Deepika Siva Naga Vemuri

Ms. Deepika Siva Naga Vemuri is a PhD candidate from the Department of Artificial Intelligence at IIT Hyderabad. Her doctoral research focuses on concept-based learning, a paradigm that guides model learning through structured, high-level, interpretable concepts. She is curious about the origins and mechanisms of intelligence, inspired both by neuroscience and science fiction.

Deepika holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering from BVRIT Hyderabad College of Engineering for Women, Hyderabad, Telangana, which is where she first got exposed to AI as a Women Techmakers Engineering Fellow, supported by Google. Intrigued by the field, she pursued a master’s degree in artificial intelligence from the University of Hyderabad, Telangana, where she conducted research on distributed machine learning. As a PhD student at IITH, she has been awarded the Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship and has published her work in top AI conferences like ICML, AAAI and WACV.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellow, Deepika is extending concept-based learning to embodied agents, exploring threads like concept-conditioned decision-making and policy-learning. Beyond research, she is always eager to explore new things and has many other interests including music, art, literature and writing.

Debarati Mondal

Ms. Debarati Mondal is a PhD candidate at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi. Her doctoral research work focuses on identification and characterization of novel antifungal phytomolecules against one of the human fungal pathogens Candida glabrata. As a student of molecular biology, she is passionate about telling the stories of biological macromolecules in a simple, engaging way through her creative scitoons (scientific cartoons) which have been featured in Science Reporter, a popular science magazine, and recognized by INSA-INYAS international sci-art competition.

Debarati holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural science from Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya (BCKV), West Bengal. However, her keen interest in the fascinating world of biological molecules led her to take biochemistry as a specialization in Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. In her MSc project, she studied how starch types of two staple grains (pearl millet and rice) differ and interact with dietary lipids, particularly in relation to glucose release.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellow, Debarati is studying the process of adaptation of Candida glabrata to antifungal compounds. Her research will unravel how the fungus responds to selective pressure imposed by an antifungal compound derived from plant sources. This study aims to provide valuable insights into its resistance mechanisms, associated genomic alterations, gene expression patterns, and phenotypic plasticity with underlying potential evolutionary trajectories. Overall, this project will offer a comprehensive picture of how C. glabrata, or similar infectious microbes, adapt to changing environmental conditions within human hosts.

Chalantika Chakraborty

Ms. Chalantika Chakraborty is a PhD candidate at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Mandi. With a background in economics, her research lies at the intersection of energy economics, industrial and climate policy. Her doctoral research examines energy consumption trends across Indian industries and studies how industrial output and energy use respond to market-based mechanisms such as the perform, achieve and trade policy. She has presented her work at international platforms including the International Association for Energy Economics conference and World Sustainable Energy Days.

Chalantika holds a master’s degree in economics from Cotton University in Guwahati, Assam. During college, she was actively involved in the National Service Scheme and contributed to several social outreach initiatives through NGO volunteering. Prior to joining PhD, she worked on multiple research projects.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellow, Chalantika is conducting comparative research of India and the U.S. to examine how policy design influences industrial energy efficiency, emissions reduction, and decarbonisation pathways in developing and advanced economies. Beyond academia, she nurtures a deep love for India’s rich musical and dance traditions, spanning classical and folk forms. She holds two bachelor’s degrees in music, has received professional training in Kathak and Rabindra Nritya and performed at several events. She enjoys writing, reading Ruskin Bond, and learning regional music that connects her more deeply with the places she lives in.

Bikram Pain

Mr. Bikram Pain is an Integrated PhD student at the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS), Bengaluru, where he works on the dynamics of many-body quantum systems. His PhD research is motivated by a fundamental question in modern quantum physics: how is information transported, scrambled, and encoded across space and time in isolated quantum systems? By studying hidden statistical structures, his work aims to connect diverse signatures of quantum information spreading within a common microscopic framework.

Bikram completed his bachelor’s degree at Midnapore College before joining ICTS for doctoral studies. In March 2024, he visited Nordita: The Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics in Stockholm, Sweden, as a Visiting PhD Student, where he worked on Anderson localisation in long-range correlated systems.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellow, Bikram is working at the University of Texas at Austin on questions related to information scrambling and correlations in quantum systems using statistical approaches. His work aims to contribute to a finer understanding of how information is stored and shared in interacting quantum systems. Outside academia, Bikram enjoys cooking, running, and reading.

Anup Jha

Mr. Anup Jha is a PhD candidate at the Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, Tata Memorial Center. His doctoral research focuses on therapy resistance in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the most prevalent hematological malignancy in adults. He is engaged in the discovery of novel therapeutic targets and the development of new small-molecule inhibitors to improve outcomes for therapy-resistant AML patients.

Anup holds a bachelor’s degree in zoology from Scottish Church College, University of Calcutta, West Bengal. He developed a keen interest in molecular and cell biology during this time and led several outreach programs for cancer patients. He then pursued a master’s degree in zoology at the same university, where he specialized in molecular cell biology. In his master’s project, he wrote a grant proposal to identify novel oncogenic receptors in therapy-resistant pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients and to develop CAR-T cells targeting therapy resistant acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells .

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellow, Anup is investigating why TP53-mutated AML patients respond poorly to Ven-Aza combination therapy and how different TP53 mutant clones rewire the AML cellular state in response to Ven-Aza, thereby contributing to therapy refractoriness and resistance. His study would enable the discovery of molecular pathways and the identification of additional therapeutic targets in Ven-Aza-resistant TP53-mutated AMLs.

His long-term goal is to unravel the complexities of leukemia biology, advance understanding of therapy resistance, and contribute to the development of next-generation therapeutics.

Anjana Manoj Nair

Ms. Anjana Manoj Nair is a PhD candidate in the Department of History, School of Social Sciences, at the University of Hyderabad. She completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from the University of Delhi. Anjana’s current research focuses on transgressions and deviance, examining their codification within normative Sanskrit theological discourses and parallel contestations within narrative literary traditions across a historical continuum.

Anjana has been an ICSSR grantee under the International Collaboration Data-Collection Scheme in 2025, and a Getty grantee in 2024 for attending the 36th Comité International d’Histoire de l’Art held in Lyon. Alongside presenting her research at international academic forums such as the 28th European Conference on South Asia Studies in Heidelberg, and the 13th International Convention of Asia Scholars in Surabaya, she has also published in multiple reputed journals.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellow, Anjana is conducting her research in the Department of Asian Studies, College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin. Her project employs an innovative methodological framework that integrates quantitative techniques for terminological frequency analysis of spatial categories with qualitative archival research, supported by digital humanities tools and a database of rare manuscript variants housed in U.S. repositories. Moving beyond prevailing notions of ‘status’, ‘dignity’, and ‘reputation’ as analytical parameters, Anjana examines social hierarchies and spatial marginalization through the conceptual lenses of ‘deviant spaces’ and ‘spatial outliers.’ In her spare time, Anjana enjoys birdwatching, wildlife safaris, trekking in the Western Ghats, and underwater diving.

Anchal Sharma

Ms. Anchal Sharma is a PhD candidate at CSIR-Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIR-CSIO), Chandigarh, India. Her doctoral research focuses on the photocatalytic degradation of indoor air pollutants, particularly volatile organic compounds (VOCs), using 2D material-based heterostructures. As an INSPIRE Fellow, she is driven to develop efficient, sustainable solutions to improve indoor air quality through innovative materials engineering.

Anchal completed her bachelor’s degree from Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), Shimla, followed by a master’s degree in physics from Eternal University, Baru Sahib, Himachal Pradesh. She was a recipient of the DST Scholarship for Higher Education during both undergraduate and postgraduate studies. During the master’s program, she worked on the synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials for photocatalytic and photovoltaic applications. She received the university gold medal for outstanding performance.
As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Connecticut, USA, Anchal is investigating 2D material-based heterostructures for VOC degradation under varying operational conditions such as humidity, initial pollutant concentration, and catalyst loading. Her work further delves into mechanistic insights using advanced characterization techniques, including in-situ DRIFTS and EPR spectroscopy, to identify reaction intermediates and elucidate the role of reactive species.
Anchal’s work aims to address critical challenges in indoor air quality through advanced materials design and sustainable remediation strategies for real-world applications, including self-cleaning coatings, photocatalytic air filtration systems, and portable air purification technologies.

Anam Sabir

Ms. Anam Sabir is a PhD candidate at the Satellite and Aerial Remote Sensing Lab, Department of Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Indore. Her doctoral research focuses on the development of statistical change detection algorithms using time-series data. She applies these algorithms for efficient deforestation alerts, forest-fire scar monitoring and forest carbon monitoring.

Anam is an electronics and telecommunications engineer by training and has been awarded MTech degree in remote sensing and GIS with a specialization in satellite image analysis and photogrammetry from the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing – ISRO, Dehradun, in 2022. Anam likes singing and sketching in her leisure time and likes to explore and experiment with world cuisines.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Geographical Sciences at the University of Maryland, Anam is working on 3D forest degradation mapping. She is using NASA’s LiDAR onboard Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) and NASA ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) to monitor vegetation dynamics. Her study aims at combining the two powerful active remote sensing techniques for 3D monitoring of the forests.