“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” - African Proverb
Postdoctoral Researchers
Dr. Sayantan Sur
Dr. Sayantan Sur completed his Ph.D. from the University of Delhi, investigating the role of light and ambient temperature in the seasonal timing of migratory buntings. During his Ph.D., he was an IUSSTF Indo-US exchange fellow, through which he worked at the Panda lab, Salk Institute, California. He received the AWSAR award from the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, for his work on climate change and its impact on avian migration. Following his Ph.D., he worked as a postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Lucknow, working on the circannual regulation of seasonal reproductive timing in spotted munia. Thereafter, he joined as a Research Associate at the University of Glasgow, investigating transcriptomic changes underlying seasonal metabolic adaptations in endotherms. Dr. Sur has authored more than 20 publications on biological time-keeping in leading scientific journals (with an H-index and i10-index of 10). Currently at IIT Hyderabad, his research focuses on circadian rhythms and motor learning to uncover novel markers for cognitive functions.
Dr. Arnab Datta (Project Research Scientist III, Medical)
Dr. Arnab Datta is a psychiatrist who completed his M.B.B.S. from Calcutta National Medical College and subsequently trained as a psychiatrist, first at Central Institute of Psychiatry (CIP), Ranchi where he received the qualification of DPM (Diploma in Psychological Medicine) and followed it by obtaining his M.D. (Doctor of Medicine) in Psychiatry from Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi Regional Institute of Mental Health (LGBRIMH), Tezpur. He then worked as a Senior Resident at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi for 3 years. He has won the Sidhhartha Memorial Award, JK Trivedi Award and the PPA-II Award at national level and several state level awards. His research interests include Gene-Environment interaction in psychiatric disorders, circadian rhythm in Bipolar Disorder, transcultural and phenomenological psychiatry. He is an avid reader of global and historical fiction, and passionately follows football.
Ph.D. Students
Sourbh Rankawat
Sourbh completed his B.Sc. in Life Sciences from Jai Narayan Vyas University, Jodhpur 2017, followed by an M.Sc. in Botany (Biotechnology) from Fergusson College, Pune, in 2019. During his M.Sc., he undertook internships at the Arid Forest Research Institute, Jodhpur, and completed a dissertation project at Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune. Sourbh secured GATE and DBT JRF (category I) fellowships and commenced his Ph.D. at IIT Hyderabad in 2020. His research focuses on the temporal regulation of host-parasite interactions in malaria, exploring diurnal variations in protein and metabolite levels. He is particularly interested in the circadian rhythms of Plasmodium parasites and their implications for malaria treatment strategies. Sourbh's expertise encompasses the circadian clock, malaria pathogenesis, and host immune responses.
Srishti Banerjee
Srishti graduated in Microbiology from Vijaygarh Jyotish Ray College, University of Calcutta, in 2017. She did her post-graduation from the Department of Microbiology, University of Calcutta, and worked as a summer trainee at CSIR-IICB, Kolkata. After her M.Sc., she continued at CSIR-IICB as a project fellow. She qualified GATE in 2019 and CSIR-UGC NET in 2020. Srishti started her Ph.D. at the Department of Biotechnology, IIT Hyderabad, in 2021. She was selected as a PMRF in 2022. She achieved 3 rd position in an institute-level competition (R.E.E.L). She also won 2 nd prize for oral presentation at the APT-2024 event held at IIT Bombay. Srishti’s primary research focuses on deducing the molecular pathways and markers of age-induced alterations in the circadian timekeeping system using multi-omics-based technology.
Sandip Das
Sandip completed his B.Sc. and M.Sc., both in Zoology from the University of Calcutta, in 2017 and 2019, respectively. Sandip qualified for the GATE and CSIR-UGC NET in 2020. He entered the Ph.D. program of the Department of Biotechnology, IIT Hyderabad, in 2021. His primary research aims to explore circadian regulations in the expression and activity profiles of kinases, along with their associated signaling pathways and comprehend the individual and collective roles of the clock machinery in sustaining daily rhythmicity and their influence in disease progression. He secured the first prize in a poster presentation at the 2024 Advances in Proteomics Technologies (APT) organized by the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. Beyond his academic and research pursuits, he enjoys music, sports, and exploring nature.
Shreyayukta Chakraborty
Shreyayukta, holding a B.Tech in Biotechnology from Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, pursued her M.Tech at NIT Durgapur after an internship at IIsc Bangalore. With successes in GATE BT (2020) and DBT JRF category 1 (2021), she commenced her Ph.D. at IIT Hyderabad in 2022. Honored with the Prime Minister Research Fellowship in cycle 10, 2023, her research focuses on circadian rhythm's impact on cardiovascular health, employing advanced multi-omics techniques. Noteworthy accolades include the Best Student Award at the InSC School in Chronobiology (2023) and the Research Excellence Award (2024).
Suman Kalyan Das
Suman Kalyan completed his B.Sc. (Honours) in Biotechnology from Adamas University, West Bengal in 2021 with First Class First (Silver Medal). During his tenure of B.Sc., he pursued an internship from Dr. KPC Life Sciences Private Limited, West Bengal. He completed M.Sc. in Biotechnology from The University of Burdwan, West Bengal in 2023. Suman Kalyan qualified for JAM (BT) in 2021, GAT-B in 2021, Joint CSIR-UGC NET (UGC JRF) in 2023 and DBT JRF (Category 1) in 2023. He joined the Ph.D. program at the Department of Biotechnology in IIT Hyderabad as a full-time research scholar in the year 2024. His research is based on Circadian Rhythm and Cognition.
K B Yashwanth
K B Yashwanth completed his B.Sc. in Biotechnology, Microbiology, and Chemistry from Sri
Krishnadevaraya University, Anantapur. Later, he completed his M.Sc. in Biochemistry from Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati. He secured a junior research fellowship through the Joint CSIR-UGC NET exam and qualified in GATE Life Sciences. He joined the IIT Hyderabad as a PhD student in January 2024. He is interested in understanding the intricate link between circadian rhythms and cancer biology. The circadian clock regulates physiological processes, and disruptions are linked to cancer. Understanding how circadian rhythms influence cancer at the molecular level could inform therapeutic interventions. Outside the lab, He has a keen interest in wildlife and spirituality and finds joy in exploring the wonders of nature. He is committed to growth and inner peace.
Rajashree Ghana
Rajashree completed her Bachelor of Science in Zoology honours from M.P.C. Autonomous College, Baripada, in 2020. She has qualified for CUCET 2020 and completed her Master of Science in Life Sciences with a specialization in Zoology from the Central University of Jharkhand, in 2022. Rajashree qualified for joint CSIR-UGC NET (JRF) in June 2023 and GATE (Life Sciences) in 2023. She joined IIT Hyderabad as a Junior Research Fellow in March 2024. Her primary research focuses on the interplay between circadian aberration, sleep deficiency, aging and DNA damage to understand their impact on health and potential therapeutic interventions. Outside of academia, Rajashree has a fervent passion for photography and traveling. Showcasing her creative side, curiosity and desire to explore new horizons beyond the academic realm.
Saibal Saha
Saibal completed his B.Sc. from Vidyasagar College, University of Calcutta in 2019, followed by an M.Sc. from the University of Kalyani in 2021, where he earned 4th place in first class and received the Dr. N.K. Bhattacharya Award for excellence in Genetics, Molecular Biology, and Plant Breeding. He interned at IIT Hyderabad's Circadian Rhythms and Disease Biology Lab in 2022, later working as a JRF in an ICMR project. Currently pursuing a Ph.D., his research focuses on the relationship between circadian rhythms and bipolar disorders. Saibal also holds Shilpa Ratna and Visharad in Art from SBPKK, Chandigarh Board.
Siddhi Bangale
Siddhi completed her B.Sc. in Biotechnology from Hislop College, Nagpur, and her M.Sc. from Savitribai Phule Pune University through GAT-B (AIR 52). She has qualified JGEEBILS (2021, 2022), GATE XL and BT (2021, 2022, 2023), and DBT JRF Category II. Siddhi worked as a student assistant in the Neuropharmacology lab at Nagpur University, studying the effects of deep brain stimulation on depression. Her co-curricular passions include writing, painting, photography, and she is a trained classical Kathak dancer (Visharad).
Master Students
Maitreyi Darbha
Maitreyi completed her B.Tech in Biotechnology from Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bengaluru. As part of her undergraduate research, she worked on the development of a phytocompound-based rectal drug delivery system incorporating pomegranate peel extract for the treatment of ulcerative colitis. She qualified GATE-BT 2025 and is currently pursuing an M.Tech in Medical Biotechnology from Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad. Her research interests include novel drug delivery systems and disease therapeutics. Beyond academics, she is passionate about writing and creative arts.
Devak Shah
Devak completed his B.Tech in Biotechnology from Amity University, Mumbai, Maharashtra. He previously worked on “Effects of P. niruri in prevention of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease” as a part of a dissertation project at CFTRI, CSIR, Mysuru, Karnataka. He qualified in GATE-XL 2025 and joined the IIT Hyderabad for pursuing M.Tech in Medical Biotechnology. His co-curricular activities include singing, badminton and painting.
Alumni
Dr. Shabnam Shabir (Post Doc)
Current position: Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur
Dr. Savera Aggarwal (Post Doc)
Current position: Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center, TX, 77030, USA
Dr. Apoorva Bhatnagar (Ph.D. Student)
Srestha Roy (M.Tech Student)
Nabamita Halder (M.Tech Student)
Current position: University of Arkansas, United States
Arpita Kannihalli (M.Tech Student)
Current position: DAAD Doctoral Fellow at Institute for Stroke and Dementia (ISD) University Hospital, LMU Munich.
Puppala Alekhya (M.Tech Student)
Current position: Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Centre, New York
Rohini Chakraborty (M.Tech Student)
Current position: PhD at Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar
Lab Interns
Poulomi Bere (ANRF)
PhD in Biotechnology
School of Studies in Biotechnology, PTRSU, Chhattisgarh
Chanchal Badhai (ANRF)
PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences
University Institute of Pharmacy, PTRSU, Chhattisgarh
Prithika Ravuvari (ANRF)
MSc. in Molecular Biology
Central University of Andhra Pradesh
Srikari D (ANRF)
MSc. in Molecular Biology
Central University of Andhra Pradesh
Dhatvi Motupalli
B.Tech in Bioengineering
D Y Patil International University, Pune
Soumya Kankaria
B.Tech in Bioengineering
D Y Patil International University, Pune
Annam Sai Srithein
Biomedical Science (Hons)
Vaagdevi degree and pg college
Gandla Siri Chandana
Biomedical Science (Hons)
Vaagdevi degree and pg college
Shree A Mukherjee
Biomedical Science (Hons)
Nitte University of Centre for Science Education and Research