Authors & Contributors
Ratneshwar Thakur
Ratneshwar Thakur is a Molecular Biologist turned Science Communicator, Writer and Editor. He has been writing for many national and international publishers like The Hindu, The Hawk, India Science wire etc. He began his career as a researcher in the field of molecular biology and gradually developed an interest in writing science for society. He is actively involved in the promotion of education and popularization of science.
Kristina Campbell
Kristina Campbell (M.Sc.) is a science and medical writer who covers the latest microbiome research for online and print media around the world – dedicated to helping readers separate the evidence from the hype. She is author of The Well-Fed Microbiome Cookbook (Rockridge Press, 2016); co-author of an academic textbook, Gut Microbiota: Interactive Effects on Nutrition and Health (Elsevier, 2018); and contributing editor at Microbiome Times. Kristina also consults on a broad range of educational and policy initiatives related to the gut microbiota and health.
Rajesh D. Gunage
Dr. Rajesh Gunage (Ph.D.) is a stem cell biologist, working at Children’s Hospital-Harvard medical school, Boston, USA and his research focus on blood-related disorders. Before this, he was mentored at NCBS-TIFR campus under guidance of Prof. VijayRaghavan. During Ph.D., he was exposed to the wonders of science and its real potential to change human life. The void of actual scientific research and public awareness is huge and this motivates him to work with SciSoup – to do bit of share to bridge it. His goal is to contribute to couple growth of Indian science to global science.
Karishma S. Kaushik
Dr. Karishma S. Kaushik is a physician, scientist, and clinical microbiologist by training and is currently an Assistant Professor and Ramalingaswami Fellow at Savitribai Phule Pune University. Apart from her work, she loves being a mother and homemaker, is a fitness enthusiast and avid reader, and is always in the process of planning the next trip with her husband and son! She believes her multiple interests, rejuvenates her commitment and drive at work, and provides much needed perspective and creativity needed for an academic career.
Rohan J. Khadilkar
A developmental biologist and geneticist by training, Dr. Rohan Khadilkar completed his PhD at JNCASR, Bangalore after which he moved to University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada for his postdoctoral stint. Subsequently, Dr. Khadilkar joined as a Principal Investigator at ACTREC. He is the recipient of the INSA- Young Scientist Award, Best PhD thesis in Biological Sciences by JNCASR, India, Ramalingaswami Re-entry fellowship and the prestigious Har Gobind Khorana – Innovative Young Biotechnologist Award (IYBA) by the Dept. of Biotechnology, India.
Divya P. Kumar
Dr. Divya P. Kumar is a scientist leading the ‘Liver Metabolism and Diseases’ group and is currently an Assistant Professor and Ramalingaswami Fellow at the Department of Biochemistry, JSS Medical College, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research. Previously, she was mentored by Dr. Arun J. Sanyal at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, USA.
Dr. Divya enjoys teaching, and as a researcher and mentor, she believes that the onus is on us to train the next generation and provide them with the right opportunities, which is the key to creating a robust scientific ecosystem in India.
Poonam Thakur
Dr. Poonam Thakur (Assistant Professor- School of Biology, IISER-TVM) hails from Himachal Pradesh and completed her academic training in Biophysics and Neuroscience at Panjab University, Chandigarh, where she developed a deep interest in Parkinson’s disease (PD) research. Following postdoctoral fellowships in Sweden and Germany, she returned to India as an Assistant Professor at IISER Thiruvananthapuram, where her lab continues to explore the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying PD to help pave the way toward a cure.
Sunaina Singh
Dr. Sunaina Singh (PhD, Plant Genetic Resources, IARI New Delhi) is a freelance STEM copyeditor and academic trainer who has edited over 1,500+ manuscripts for researchers, PhD students, and author service companies such as CACTUS, and conducts writing workshops to help researchers publish in top journals.