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

Zehra Mahdi

Zehra Mahdi is a Ph.D. candidate at the Department of Architecture and Regional Planning, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, West Bengal. Her doctoral research focuses on neighborhood change in informal settlements that are predominantly inhabited by the Muslim community and influenced by the presence of anchor institutions. She employs visual geography along with oral research traditions to examine internal heterogeneity, particularly through the built environment, and capture residents’ perceptions and experiences.

Zehra holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi and a master’s degree in city planning from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, West Bengal. She is a licensed architect and has worked on design and construction of public housing and healthcare infrastructure projects in the past.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellow at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, Zehra is exploring the role of infrastructural provision in gaining legitimacy in informal settlements. Her research will highlight the role of informal institutions, social capital and collective action in establishing channels of tacit understanding between the State and non-State actors. The study strives to contribute to the knowledge of the dynamics of informal settlements in the Global South. Zehra loves cycling, and enjoys curating cycling trails for exploration of heritage, food and art in cities.

Prashant Mahajan

Prashant Mahajan is a Ph.D. candidate at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Uttar Pradesh. He recently joined the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) as a Scientist-C. He has previously been a recipient of the prestigious Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF). He completed his BSc in zoology in 2016 from Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, and MSc in wildlife sciences from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). His doctoral work focusses on understanding the ecology of mesocarnivores in the Gir Protected Area, Gujarat.

Over the years Prashant’s focus has been on studying the ecology of large mammals in India, with a particular emphasis on wolf, tiger, leopard, elephant, and rhesus macaque. He was a part of the All-India Tiger Estimation Project (AITE) at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII). He has presented his work in various national and international conferences and has also communicated his research findings through peer-reviewed and popular articles.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellow at the University of Washington, Seattle, WA, Prashant is trying to integrate insights from the U.S. ecosystem to add to the understanding of the mesocarnivores in India. He is specifically investigating the strength of interactions between large carnivores and mesocarnivores and how this governs the behavioural responses of the latter to the perceived predation risk. By undertaking this research, he aims to expand the understanding of carnivore ecology in India, particularly in relation to their behavioural aspects.

Avinash Kumar Pandey

Avinash Kumar Pandey is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. His doctoral work focuses on numerical modeling and studying the underlying physics of flow-induced vibrations of flexible/rigid bodies. As a child he would observe leaves swaying on the branches of trees and his country’s national flag fluttering in the wind. These later inspired him to work in his field of study. He has published papers in reputed journals and has participated in various national and international conferences and webinars.

Avinash holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from LNCT Bhopal, and a master’s in computational mechanics from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati. He has always been a meritorious student and has won numerous awards. His experience also includes working as a senior engineer at Larsen & Toubro Limited, Vadodara, Gujarat, performing the stress analysis of critical (high temperature and pressure) pipelines in a refinery.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellow at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, Avinash is developing a fully coupled fluid-structure-electric interaction-based numerical model that can be used to estimate the actual energy output from flow-induced vibrations (FIV) of rigid/ flexible plates. He aims to design FIV-based energy-harvesting devices suitable for inaccessible areas like deep oceans. As a student of mechanical engineering, he likes to learn about new car/ bike technologies. He also likes to play badminton and go for runs. He is fond of travelling, exploring new places, and learning about people of different cultures.

Sebin Joseph Sebastian

Sebin Joseph Sebastian is a Ph.D. candidate at the School of Physics, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kerala. His research focuses on the captivating domain of quantum magnetism, precisely unravelling novel magnetic phases, notably spin liquids in frustrated magnets.

A recipient of the prestigious Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF) from the Government of India, Sebin has demonstrated exceptional academic prowess, reflected in noteworthy publications in esteemed journals. He has participated in national and international conferences and webinars, including the 2023 PMRF symposium where his work was highlighted, demonstrating his commitment to advancing the field. His presentation earned him the Best Poster award in the broad field of physics.

Starting his academic journey with a bachelor’s degree in physics from St. Berchmans College, Kottayam, Sebin seamlessly transitioned into an integrated Ph.D. (MS + Ph.D.) program at IISER Thiruvananthapuram. He is involved in teaching, especially offering coaching sessions to CSIR aspirants in and outside IISER. He showcased his versatility as a trained badminton player, securing the silver medal at the Inter-IISER Sports Meet in 2023 for badminton while serving as the men’s team captain

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellow at Iowa State University, Ames, IA, Sebin exploring spin liquid signatures in trillium lattice antiferromagnets using nuclear magnetic resonance experiments. His research aims to shed light on these exotic magnetic phases, potentially contributing to the development of a robust platform for fault-tolerant quantum computation. His interests include exploring diverse cuisines and cultures, aligning with his passion for travel, music, and playing musical instruments.

Shankar Gugoloth

Shankar Gugoloth is a Ph.D. candidate and teaching assistant at the Department of Liberal Arts, Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad. He completed his master’s in political science from the University of Hyderabad, Telangana, and his bachelor’s in technology in production engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirapalli, Tamilnadu. Shankar’s research interests include youth studies, education, youth aspirations, and politics. His work also elucidates the concept of “becoming” and the aspirations of marginalised youth through the idea of SWAEROS. In the past, Shankar held a senior tech associate position at the Bank of America, Hyderabad, for three years. His passion for social science led him to move from engineering to social science. He has written blogposts on various websites and presented his works at several national and international conferences.

Shankar’s doctoral thesis explores the question of the construction and cultivation of various identities within the single social category SWAEROS/ “The Society” students. He looks at aspiration formations among Dalit and tribal college-going youth (boys and girls) in Telangana, particularly among students enrolled in the Telangana Social Welfare Educational Institute Society (TSWREIS) schools in southern India. His doctoral work is ethnographic and uses visual ethnography to understand youth aspirations. TSWREIS is a state government-funded group of residential educational institutions for Dalit and tribal students in the state of Telangana.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellow at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, Shankar is engaging with some of the alumni of TSWREIS, to gain valuable insights into the experiences of marginalized students from the “Society” schools studying or working in the U.S. This will help him to explore the role of TSWREIS in shaping aspirations of marginalized communities, and collaboratively write and interpret an ethnographic account of youth aspirations and state engagement with the marginalized community.

Madhushree Dutta

Madhushree Dutta is a Ph.D. candidate at the CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur, India. She is dissecting complex gene regulatory networks underlying potato tuberization under high-temperature stress. In her doctoral thesis, she is implementing plant physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology tools to investigate redox regulation in tuber development. Her key areas of research interest include plant stress physiology, climate change biology, and epigenomics. So far, she has published in reputed journals and participated in several science outreach events to communicate science to a broader audience.

Madhushree obtained her master’s degree in botany from the University of Calcutta. Her dissertation was on understanding the regulation of carbohydrate metabolism in rice cultivars under arsenic stress. Thereafter, she worked as a project scholar focusing on the utilization of brassica seed meal as a bioherbicide for weed management in wheat. Madhushree devotes time to teaching research aspirants through social media platforms, using smart strategies to make learning more interesting. Madhushree is a recipient of honorary awards including, the Max-Planck Gesellschaft Travel award, Dr. Parimal Kumar Roy Memorial award, and Dr. Ramendra Krishna Sarkar Memorial award for her excellent academic and research projects.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellow at Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, Madhushree is exploring how the PGR5-dependent cyclic electron transport pathway operates under high-temperature stress to protect the photosynthetic apparatus of potatoes, translating into physiological fitness and improved tuber yield to ensure global food security.

Swarnali Dey

Swarnali Dey is a third year Ph.D. candidate at the Department of Botany, University of Calcutta. As a part of her master’s dissertation project, she developed a new seed invigoration technique that she likes to call “iron pulsing,” and thereafter she has been working on it. Her study mainly involves understanding the role of iron supplementation during rice seed germination and deciphering the molecular mechanism of “iron pulsing” induced growth enhancement in rice. She has published over ten research and review articles in reputed journals and presented her work at various national and international conferences.

Swarnali obtained her bachelor’s degree in botany from Bethune College, Kolkata, and her master’s degree from the Department of Botany, University of Calcutta. She had secured second position in her bachelor’s and first position in her master’s programs. She qualified CSIR-UGC NET examination in life sciences and secured an All-India Rank 1. She has been awarded the DST INSPIRE fellowship, DBT JRF, the prestigious CSIR Shyama Prasad Mukherjee fellowship, and the Raman Charpak fellowship (for six months in France) by CEFIPRA.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellow at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, Swarnali is analyzing the potential of “iron pulsing” in minimizing cadmium accumulation in rice. Besides, she will be trying to understand the iron distribution and homeostasis in rice seeds subjected to “iron pulsing.” She aims to develop a user-friendly and affordable technique to enhance the yield and nutritional quality of rice plants to achieve food security. Swarnali is a travel enthusiast, and also fond of listening to music and cooking.

Sinchan Chatterjee

Sinchan Chatterjee is a Ph.D. candidate and teaching assistant in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. He completed his bachelor’s and master’s in English from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, and Jadavpur University respectively. As a Junior Research Fellow in the discipline of English, Sinchan analyzes narratives of neurodivergence with a special focus on autistic autobiographies.

Sinchan’s research has been published in journals like Didaskalia (funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland), SETU Pittsburgh, and the Mizoram University Journal of Literary and Cultural Studies, and as book chapters by Palgrave Macmillan (forthcoming) and SUNY Press. Additionally, he has also presented his work at many international and national conferences in CUNY, Indiana University, Bloomington, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Kanpur, Rajasthan University, and Siliguri College. Sinchan’s creative works have been awarded, funded and published by the University of Toronto Press, WordIt Art Fund, Penguin Random House India, the University of Exeter Press, the International Poetry Digest, Avenel Press, and Writers Workshop.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellow at the University of California, Berkley, CA, Sinchan is formulating a comparative framework for studying the modalities of representing autism in the Global North in contrast to those in the Global South, examining the underlying socio-political and cultural discourses which influence such representations. Employing theoretical frameworks from the interdisciplinary fields of autobiography studies, critical disability studies, phenomenology, crip theory, queer theory, and posthumanism, he seeks to explore how autistic narratives can destabilize ableist myths and dehumanizing stereotypes about autistic individuals. As a poet, rapper, drummer, photographer, and (part-time) stand-up comedian, Sinchan believes in preserving as many stories in as many ways as possible.

Shreya Chakraborty

Shreya Chakraborty is a Ph.D. candidate at the Indian Institute of Science Bengaluru. Her doctoral thesis focuses on understanding genetic architecture of manifestations of neurodegenerative diseases, with a specific focus on human cognition, considering age-associated metabolic risks. She has publications in peer-reviewed international journals with high reach and has presented papers at national and international conferences. She is a recipient of the Prime Minister Research Fellowship from the Government of India, which funds her research at IISc Bangalore.

Shreya holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in statistics from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata and the University of Calcutta. She received the South-East Asia Subsistence fellowship for securing the highest marks at the undergraduate level in her university. Before starting her doctoral studies, she worked as an analyst at Marketing Management Analytics, Ipsos Research Pvt. Ltd.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellow, Shreya is focusing on building statistical models that enhance the translation of genetic risk prediction (polygenic risk portability) of cognitive decline across diverse contexts, taking underlying genomic architecture and interactions into account. Since polygenic risk score prediction has direct clinical utility, drawing context-specific predictions, would form a knowledge base for specific target genetic regions for accelerated cognitive decline during aging. Apart from research, she takes a great interest in participating and organizing cultural events, especially when they involve music. Shreya loves spending time with her friends and family, and also enjoys travelling and meeting people from various cultures.

Arka Banerjee

Arka Banerjee is a Ph.D. candidate at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. Studying Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sample quality by computationally efficient estimation of the asymptotic covariance matrices in the multidimensional MCMC setup is the main focus of his doctoral thesis. He has published in reputed journals and has participated in and presented papers at national and international conferences.

Arka holds a bachelor’s and a master’s in statistics from the University of Calcutta. Before joining IIT Kanpur, he was a data analyst at Infosys Limited for a year where he worked on a financial modeling project that dealt with the prediction of default payments in a banking institution.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellow at the University of Minnesota, Arka is exploring the computationally efficient and optimized procedures in the estimation of asymptotic covariance matrices in MCMC for a better understanding of MCMC sample quality. During his grant period, he will be studying MCMC sample quality in a high dimensional setting. Arka enjoys travelling and cooking different culinary dishes.