About Me
Wanderlust with a heart for adventure!
A Campaigner for citizen science programs to create awareness to conserve biodiversity!
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Venturing into the mystery & beauty of insect biodiversity
A heart parasitized, I venture into this world of intricate mysteries with a passion. From the tropical diversity in India and Taiwan, the golden wheat blowing in the wind and the captivating beauty of the desert and Mediterranean atmospheres in Israel and Greece, the peaceful Scandinavian beauty in Sweden to the waves in Fiji and to the astonishing Australia and currently in and around the smokey mountains of Tennessee. I aim to continue my adventures in this world!
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I am currently working as a postdoctoral researcher at the Nursery Research Center of Tennessee State University, under the supervision of Prof. Karla Addesso, (a remarkable go getter). My research focuses on:
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The diversity of parasitoids associated with wood-boring beetles
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The diversity of parasitoids of Japanese maple scale
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The ecology of flat-headed borers​
In addition to my research, I am actively enhancing the center’s collections by assisting with the identification, curation, and digitization of specimens.
I worked under the guidance of Prof. Michal Segoli (The incomparable) for three years in Ben Gurion University of the Negev:
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To understand why potter wasps collect already parasitized caterpillars though they are deleterious for their offspring- the cost and consequences of collecting already parasitized prey.
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To study the interactions between invasive brown widow spider and its parasitoid.
Apart from these two major projects, I collaborated with two other researchers in Israel:
to characterize the natural enemies in date palm plantations and wheat fields.
I also worked part-time as a postdoctoral fellow at the National Natural History Collections, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, under the mentorship of Dr. Efrat Gavish Regev, whose energy is never-ending. My role involved evaluating the arthropod diversity in the Avrona Nature Reserve, which suffered from an oil spill in 2014.
In addition to these two advisors, Prof. Yael Lubin, the most knowledgeable yet incredibly humble, guided me in all my research endeavors.
My passion for wasps deepened when I had the privilege of working with Dr. Renee M. Borges, a chemical ecologist and the most dynamic person I’ve ever met, at the prestigious Indian Institute of Science. Together, we explored the nesting ecology of mud wasps, uncovered the bioengineering principles behind their nest architecture, and investigated the diversity of fig wasps in India.
Exploring the art of collection, identification and insect rearing
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Soon after completing my Ph.D., I became a research fellow at the Insect Museum of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University—the first museum in India dedicated solely to insects. This museum is the brainchild of Dr. K. Gunathilagaraj, a lepidopteran specialist, who greatly expanded my knowledge of insects during our many collection trips together. I also gained valuable insights from museum associates such as Dr. N. Chitra, Dr. K. Ganesh Kumar (My favorite entomology teacher, who inspired me to choose entomology as my career path), Dr. P.M.M. David, Dr. Sankararaman and Dr. Samraj, accompanying them on various expeditions.
During this time, I was incredibly fortunate to meet Dr. Donald L.J. Quicke, the most amazing entomologist I’ve ever encountered. The productive time I spent with him remains one of the treasures I deeply cherish in my entomological journey.
My adventure into the world of insects began with one of the most fascinating groups—hymenopterans. I soon started collecting parasitoids and found them incredibly intriguing. With the support of my Ph.D. advisor, Prof. K. Ramaraju, a mite taxonomist and my mentor, who fueled my enthusiasm, I proposed a project to study parasitoids in the rice ecosystems of India. Throughout this research, I was amazed by their biology, host-seeking behavior, and phoresy, which ultimately led me to dedicate my career to the study of wasps.