Fulbright-Nehru Grant Category India: Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships

Ankit Banik

Mr. Ankit Banik is a PhD candidate at the Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Maharashtra. His doctoral research focuses on the development of novel and efficacious chimeric antigen receptor natural killer (CAR-NK) cell therapies, where he aims to harness the power of natural killer cells, a crucial component of the innate immune system, to target and eliminate cancer cells more effectively. His work aims to optimize the engineering of NK cells, enhancing their tumor-targeting capabilities and improving their overall therapeutic potential. His research strives to pave the way for innovative, personalized, and safer cancer treatments by advancing CAR-NK cell therapies.

Ankit completed his BSc in microbiology at University of Kalyani, acquiring a strong foundation in molecular biology, immunology, and cellular biology. Pursuing MSc in biotechnology at Pondicherry University, he honed his expertise in advanced laboratory techniques, genetic engineering, and cellular manipulation. Then as a project intern, he gained valuable research experience at the renowned Bose Institute.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellow, Ankit is exploring the potential of CAR-NK cell therapy that is more effective in targeting and treating solid tumors, overcoming the challenges posed by the tumor microenvironment and improving the therapeutic outcomes for patients. Ankit is committed to translating his findings into clinical applications that will benefit patients, and passionate about bridging the gap between laboratory research and real-world cancer therapies.

Ankit loves travelling and enjoys trekking and hiking. He has a strong appreciation of music and dance as well.

Anjitha K. S.

Ms. Anjitha K. S. is a PhD candidate in the Plant Physiology and Biochemistry Division at the Department of Botany, University of Calicut, Kerala under the guidance of Prof. Jos T. Puthur. Her doctoral research focuses on cell wall remodeling under arsenic stress and associated functional biology in rice. By employing a multidisciplinary approach that integrates plant physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology, her work will delve into the cellular and molecular responses of rice plants to arsenic stress, with an emphasis on cell wall remodeling. The cell wall serves as a critical barrier against arsenic uptake, and understanding its dynamic alterations under stress conditions is crucial for developing strategies to enhance arsenic tolerance.

Anjitha holds a bachelor’s degree in botany from St. Joseph’s College, Devagiri, Kerala and a master’s degree in applied plant science from the University of Calicut, Kerala. She has qualified in various competitive exams and has published several research articles in reputed international journals, reflecting her interest in plant stress biology.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellow at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Anjitha is exploring the key mechanisms and pathways that govern arsenic stress-induced plant responses in collaboration with Prof. Om Parkash Dhankher’s lab. The ultimate goal of this study is to apply this knowledge to develop arsenic-stress resistant rice cultivars, which will help secure food production and safety in arsenic-affected regions. Anjitha is also passionate about teaching and mentoring. In her free time, she enjoys reading, gardening and travelling.

Aditi Barman Roy

Ms. Aditi Barman Roy is a PhD candidate and a teaching assistant at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at IIT Roorkee. She completed her graduation and post-graduate studies in English from the University of Calcutta and Delhi University respectively. In addition, Aditi has completed her MPhil in gender studies from Jadavpur University. Currently, as a Senior Research Fellow in English at IIT Roorkee, Aditi delves into the bioethical complexities of modern biotechnological innovations through the lens of literary fiction.

Aditi’s research on bioethics has been published in well-known journals such as the English Academy Review (Taylor and Francis) and Symposium: A Quarterly Journal in Modern Literatures (Taylor and Francis). She has also contributed chapters to academic books related to her field of study and presented her research at various international conferences. Among her accolades is the prestigious Indian Council of Social Sciences Research grant for presenting her work at Brunel University in London and full funding to pursue her research at the University of Oklahoma for six weeks.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellow at Harvard, Aditi is working in the field of science and technology studies (STS) to address the complex bioethical challenges arising from the recent biomedical advancements in the 21st century. Her research is focused on the narratives of speculative fiction that investigate the bioethics of medical practice from the lens of critical posthumanism. In her free time, Aditi enjoys painting, reading, trekking, and exploring new genres of cinema.

Ashish Tiwari

Ashish Tiwari is currently a Ph.D. candidate in electrical engineering at IIT Gandhinagar. He obtained his MTech in electrical engineering from IIT Gandhinagar in 2020. He is the recipient of the Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF) 2020-2024. His research interest lies at the intersection of computer vision, computer graphics, and deep learning with a primary focus on inferring the 3D world from image(s) through photometric methods such as photometric stereo, Shape from Polarization (SfP), and photo-polarimetric stereo. He was awarded the Qualcomm Innovation Fellowship (QIF) 2023-2024 for his project proposal, “Photometric Stereo for Refractive Objects.” He was a part of the core organizing team of ICVGIP 2022, held at IIT Gandhinagar. He was also a part of the Google Research Week 2023.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellow at Rice University, Houston, TX, Ashish is investigating a scene’s geometry, material, and lighting through a sparse set of images captured through hand-held acquisition devices such as smartphones. Ashish enjoys teaching and has delivered plenty of invited talks on his research on photometric stereo. He likes singing, sketching, playing outdoor sports, especially cricket, and long-hour endurance runs. He also enjoys interacting with people from different regions and cultures and involves himself in community services.

Sanskriti

Ms. Sanskriti is a Shyama Prasad Mukherjee (SPM) fellow at the Agri-Biotechnology Division of National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohali, Punjab. She is particularly passionate about changing the perspective of the people of our country regarding genetically modified (GM) crops, making them aware about the potential offered by advanced biotechnological tools and how they can help humanity in the future. She is interested in the cutting-edge technology of CRISPR/Cas, especially because of its potential to generate non-transgenic plants with desired mutations much more quickly than any other breeding practice.

Because of this interest, in her Fulbright-Nehru Fellowship, Sanskriti is experimenting with the potential of sgRNA/Cas ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) to produce precise mutations in protoplasts of major crops and generate whole plants thereof. The plants will be free from any foreign substances because of the short half-life of RNPs, and therefore have a potential for general public acceptance.

Before joining NABI, Sanskriti received both her B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Botany from Panjab University, Chandigarh. She received a DST-INSPIRE Scholarship throughout her B.Sc. and M.Sc. programs. She was a gold medallist in her bachelor’s, and ranked 11th in the CSIR-UGC-JRF, 2017. She availed the UGC Junior Research Fellowship till December 2019. From January 2020, she has been working as an Shyama Prasad Mukherjee (SPM) fellow at NABI. Her work has been published in reputed international journals and she has also presented her work in multiple reputed international conferences.

Anchal Sharma

Ms. Anchal Sharma is a Ph.D. candidate at IIT Delhi. Her research encompasses tactile perception of objects in the visually challenged. Drawn towards innovations exercising imagination, scientific thinking, and strong user empathy, she has mentored and participated in diverse social innovation projects and won two awards by IISc, Bangalore and IIT-Delhi with her team. She has led and been a speaker in events propagating innovation including those by AIM, NITI AYOG.

She completed her M.Des. in Industrial design (from SPA, New Delhi) and interned at GVIC, PepsiCo, India. She was acknowledged for her thesis work for integrating cultural spatial forms in a unique product using principles of light and shadows to educate children about unity. The project was sponsored by the Design Clinic Scheme by GoI and NID and was featured as a finalist in Toycathon 2021 and TISDC 2018. During her B.Arch. she emerged as a 2nd ranker both for her thesis work on ‘a school for experiential learning’ and overall 5-year academic performance.

In her Fulbright-Nehru project, she will analyse how to better convey three-dimensionality in two-dimensional tactile stimuli. Although layered and complex, she believes with continual deep-work and problem-solving acumen, this work can profoundly advance and contribute towards accessible STEM education for those without vision.

She believes in a multi-faceted growth and commends the perseverance sports can bring to life. She has played Throwball at National level and won silver medal (Badminton) at college level. Being perceptive towards life, she exercises self-expression through art, writing, and short videos.

Ajay Salunkhe

Mr. Ajay Salunkhe is a doctoral student in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati. His doctoral research is located in the intertwined histories of photography, archaeology, and museum movement. His doctoral dissertation titled, Framing the Nation: How Museums Tell Stories of India Through Photographs, enquires into the shifting and layered relationship between museums and photographs in post-independent India. He is interested in the potential of photographs to communicate ideas and establish power relations by telling (or not telling) the story of India through her museums, as well as the dynamics of the interactions between visitors and photographs in museum space.

As a Fulbright-Nehru fellow, his research aims to probe the institutional use of photography in the museum and curatorial practices, both in India and abroad, that contributed to the post-colonial Indian imagination, with special reference to the use of photographs in the Festival of India in the US (1985-1986).

He has several years of curatorial, exhibiting, and education experience as part of a museum’s outreach program, which has lent depth and dialogue to his research. He can be found taking long walks at any hour of the day, catching Pokémon, when he is not reading.

Meghna Rohit Amin

Ms. Meghna Rohit Amin is a doctoral candidate at the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad. Her doctoral research examines the intergenerational occupational shift among the head-loading Mogaveera women who constitute the matrilineal fishing community of coastal Karnataka in India. Primarily based on fieldwork and ethnographic narratives, the study locates the constant deliberation of the Mogaveera women with fishing which is their caste occupation.

Ms. Amin’s dissertation for her master’s degree in Sociology from the Manipal Centre for Philosophy and Humanities was also on the Mogaveera women. The research study is titled “Putting Food on the Table: A Period Study on the Head Loading Mogaveera Women.” After her graduation, she joined an advocacy group where she worked as a digital campaigner and ran campaigns for the rights of marginalized communities, combating air pollution, and raising awareness about climate change. She also taught English to high school children in Udaipur, managed a restaurant in Manipal, and served as a barista at a cafe in Bengaluru.

She has been selected for the award of ICSSR full-term centrally administered Doctoral Fellowship for 2021-22. As a Fulbright-Nehru recipient, Ms. Amin is keen to collaboratively interpret ethnographic narratives and accounts at the intersectionality of caste, class, and gender in relation to occupational mobility within the discipline of native anthropology.

Zahra Rizvi

Ms. Zahra Rizvi is a Ph.D. Scholar and Senior Research Fellow at the Department of English, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. Her research area is an intersection of 21st Century popular culture, literature and media of the United States and the Americas, Urban Studies, Utopia/Dystopia Studies, Youth Activism, and Game Studies. Rizvi studies the political ecology of urban dystopias at this intersection to transform academia in its orientation towards ‘future studies’. Rizvi has presented papers at numerous national and international conferences and has publications in various online and print journals.

Rizvi holds a master’s degree in English literature from the University of Delhi, New Delhi, where she graduated as a double gold medallist. She is the founding-member of the Indian chapter of Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA). She was the Ministry of Education (MHRD) SPARC Fellow in Digital Humanities at Michigan State University, MI, in 2020. In 2021, she was awarded the Electronic Literature Organization Fellowship to work on media archaeology and e-lit practices in South Asia. In 2022, she was awarded the International Youth Library (IYL) Fellowship to conduct research at IYL, Germany, and access their resources, archives and database, for her research in Children’s and Young Adult literary practices and communities, youth activism, and ethical and transformative digital futurisms.

As a Fulbright-Nehru fellow at Yale University, Rizvi will further her doctoral research considerations and study urban dystopias, their political ecology, and the global/local/glocal responses to the same in contemporary times, especially from South Asian and East Asian perspectives. The Fulbright-Nehru program enables her to study the planetary flows of being and information that underlie the global dystopian condition in contemporary times and explore and conceptualise ‘better futures’ based on safe and sustainable ethics of care.

Altaf Pasha

Mr. Altaf Pasha is a PhD scholar at the Centre for Nano & Material Sciences (CNMS), Jain University, Bangalore. His research is focused on developing solar photovoltaic materials and devices with a commitment to solve global energy crisis and contribute to India’s renewable energy target. He is working towards making perovskite solar cells a viable technology by focusing on efficiency, stability, and scaling. His research has been published in reputed peer-reviewed international journals and international conference proceedings.

Prior to joining Jain, he received his BSc (Physics) from SSMRV College and MSc (Physics) from National College Jayanagar. After his MSc, he worked as a research scholar at Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT), Germany on a collaborative project with major photovoltaics industry partners. He later joined Photo and Electrocatalysis Research Group at Jain to focus on fabrication of new generation solar cells.

He has also worked as a part-time (four semesters) assistant professor at Department of Postgraduate Studies & Research in Physics at the National College and has guided a few students in projects leading to multiple publications.

In his Fulbright fellowship, Mr. Altaf is studying phase segregation mechanism in mixed halide perovskites, to fabricate photostable tandem solar cells, with a view to futuristic renewable energy technologies.

Mr. Altaf is an avid STEM communicator. He serves as a part-time curator in BV Jagadeesh Science Centre, he has delivered public lectures and moderated debates on important public policies. He is also a Kannada theatre artist and enjoys interconnecting arts with science.