Mr. Himangshu Borah
Contact me: himangshu[at]wii[dot]gov[dot]in

I belong to the beautiful north-eastern state of Assam which is a land of Red Rivers and Blue Mountains. My initial foray into Wildlife matters started at Laokhowa & Burhachapori WLS during my bachelor's degree days where I helped the forest department in conducting camera trapping exercises, line transects, bird count, etc. After completing my Bachelor's degree in 2017, I got an opportunity to work in the NMSHE- Phase I project where I conducted field sampling for fishes and macroinvertebrates in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Sikkim. I have joined Doon University to complete my master’s degree in Environmental Science and completed it in the year 2020. During my master's dissertation, I worked on the mammals of the Orang Tiger Reserve and tried to understand their abundance and Spatio-temporal activity in the protected area. Later I joined Uttarakhand Wildlife Population Estimation (UWPE) project in the year 2021 which gave me a first-hand experience of working in remote areas and tough Himalayan conditions.

In the current NMSHE Phase-II project, I aim to continue my work from NMSHE-Phase I on fishes and macroinvertebrates and map Climate change consequences on them. I will conduct field experiments and try to understand their eco-physiological responses to the changing climatic conditions in the Indian Himalayan region.

Ms. Meghavi Sailesh Purohit
Contact me: meghavi[at]wii[dot]gov[dot]in

I come from Daman, a serene place situated at the western coast of the country. My coastal hometown has always enchanted me with its rolling and crashing waves. They are the product of silent and small wind patterns, currents, gravity etc. Hence, my interest in entomology; the study of the small and the silent that run the world.

I did both my grad and post-grad in Zoology from The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. I did my dissertation on dung beetles to explore role of neurotransmitters in the nesting pattern of Onthophagus gazella. Initially, I explored different opportunities of at the WII, which took me to various places like Central India, Rajaji tiger reserve and Kedarnath wildlife sanctuary etc. Diverse landscape such as these gave me the opportunity to study adaptative strategies of insects across taxa to make survival possible in different microhabitats.

To pursue my passion for entomofauna, I have joined DST NMSHE-II Project in 2022. This opportunity from Wildlife Institute of India will give me the needed exposure and freedom to apply my ideas for climate change research. I will be working to explore the effects of climate change on the aquatic system of Indian Himalayan region, distribution and mechanistic phenology of macroinvertebrates. I hope to find novel adaptative mitigation strategies to track climate change effects with the team.

Ms. Tuheina Thakur
Contact me:  tuheina[at]wii[dot]gov[dot]in

I belong to the quaint town of Simla, Himachal Pradesh. Been born and raised in the hills, the greens of the wild have always lured me. I am an alumna of MCM DAV College, Chandigarh where I graduated in life sciences. My initial foray in Wildlife matters started at Shimla Water Catchment Wildlife Sanctuary where I participated in the annual census of Koklass Pheasants organized by Himachal Pradesh Forest Department. This exposure introduced me to the various wildlife species residing within the Sanctuary. Following my exacerbated interest in the subject, I got an opportunity to join National Mission for Sustaining Himalayan Ecosystem (Phase I) project as a researcher where I conducted herpetofaunal sampling in the Sikkim Himalaya and tried to understand the impact of Climate Change. After my brief stint in the field of research I pursued Masters in Zoology where it enhanced my theoretical knowledge as well as complimented my field experience.

Herpetofauna has always been my focal point of interest and their complexities intrigue me therefore, in the current project I aim to map Climate change consequences on herpetofaunal species, conduct field experiments and understand their ecophysiological responses in the Indian Himalayan Region.  Apart from academic interests I find myself purchasing sustainable products, reading fictional novels and indulging in sports.

Ms. Zeba Malik
Contact me: zeba[at]wii[dot]gov[dot]in

I belong to Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. I graduated in Zoology hons from Miranda House, Delhi University and during the time I got interested in molecular techniques and microbiology field so I did masters in Microbiology (2021) from Shri Guru Ram Rai University, Dehradun. My master’s dissertation was in ‘Pathogenic strain of Escherichia coli in Rhesus macaque’ from Wildlife Institute of India under Human Wildlife Conflict project.

My area of interest lies in varied field of life sciences concerning to the research activities in molecular and microbiology work to the field of exploring faunal biodiversity, human wildlife conflict and conservation issues. I have also worked as project intern in NMCG project on conservation genetics of turtles. Currently I am working in the DST-NMSHE project at Wildlife Institute of India on impacts of climate change on microflora and fauna community of the Himalayan ecosystem, using them as bio indicators. Microbes play wide functions especially used in greenhouse gas treatment and reduction through nutrient recycling process. I am keen to use my specialization in the project and will try to explore and get more knowledge on Indian Himalayan region.