I am Chemical Ecologist, with doctoral degree in chemistry. My main interest is in understanding chemically mediated bitrophic and multitrophic interactions between the organisms in their natural habitats and the underlying mechanisms. I am also interested in functions and evolution of these interactions. Organisms in nature are very dynamic and continuously vary as they are influenced by their continuously varying environment and phenology/ physiology. Thus, I am also interested in understanding how these organisms have adapted to this variation. In the past, I have concentrated on plant-insect interactions, especially in chemically mediated feeding and oviposition related behaviors and their mechanisms. I have studied how insects adapt to seasonal variation in plant chemistry. Currently, I am studying evolution of chemistry of preen gland secretions of temperate birds and their functions. In temperate region due to environmental variation secretion chemistry of I am also interested in understanding how the secretion vary between the birds of tropical vs. temperate regions based on environmental conditions such as light and temperature. In future, I wish to continue research in Chemical ecology. I am envisaging future collaboration with Indian Institutes to conduct research in Chemical Ecology and hope to establish a new Chemical Ecology Institute in India, a country with a very high biodiversity and to date there is not a single institute that is dedicated to this teaching in this discipline. I am also interested in ethnobiology and chemistry of ethnic food, especially Indian Food. In near future, I wish to conduct research in chemical ecology of Indian food.
