Young Scientist Medal Awardees 2007 Hkkjrh; jk'ªh; foKku vdkneh

Dr Subramaniam Anantha Ramakrishna(b.30.11.1972), PhD, Assistant Professor, Departmentof Physics, Indian Institute of Technology,Kanpur-208016.Dr Ramakrishna has made notable contribution inthe design of negative magnetic permeability andnegative refractive materials at opticalfrequencies, studies on the photonicproperties and propagation aspects inthese meta-materials.Dr Anand Ranganathan (b.04.12.1972), PhD,Research Scientist, Recombinant Gene ProductsGroup, International Centre for Genetic Engineeringand Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi-110067.Dr Ranganathan has developed avery original and novel procedure forin vitro protein evolution which will havean impact in the areas of proteinengineering and protein therapeutics.Dr Majeti Naga Venkata Ravi Kumar (b.26.06.1972),PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmaceuticsand Center for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, NationalInstitute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research, Sector67, SAS Nagar-160062, Punjab.Dr Ravi Kumar has generated proof of principle forseveral nano based novel drug deliverysystems related to cyclosporine and anticancerdrugs.Dr Arvinder Singh SandhuINSA Medal for Young Scientist Awardees – 2007(b.19.07.1975),PhD,Sr Research Associate, JILA, 440 UCB, University ofColorado, Boulder CO 80309, USA.Dr Sandhu has made notablecontributions to experimental studies oflaser-matter interactions which hashelped to unveil many hitherto littleunderstood facets of strong field physics.Dr PS Satheshkumar (b.24.01.1977), PhD,Postdoctoral Fellow, Laboratory of Viral Diseases, NIAID,National Institute of Health, Building 33, Room 1E13C,33, North Drive, MSC 3210, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.Dr Satheshkumar has worked out themechanism of polyprotein processingand the functions of VPg as activator ofthe protease in Sesbania mosaic virus.He also established the assemblypathway of the virus by structure basedmutational analysis.Dr Dhruv Kam Sethi (b.07.04.1976), PhD, ResearchFellow, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 44 Binney Street,D 1410, Boston, MA 02115, USA.Dr Sethi has investigated thestructural basis of generating antibodydiversity and provided a novelmechanism for generating multiplespecificity which involves varied antigenjuxtaposition on the antibody.Dr Navdeep Singh Sodhi (b.24.01.1972), PhD,Reader, Department of Food Science & Technology, GuruNanak Dev University, Amritsar-143005.Dr Sodhi mainly worked on starchesof rice which could replace corn basedmaterials.Dr Vishwanath Sriram (b.17.03.1977), PhD, YoungInvestigator (Fellow-E), National Centre for BiologicalSciences, UAS-GKVK Campus, BellaryRoad, Bangalore-560065.Dr Sriram’s main contributions are inthe studies on membrane dynamics in agenetic system of Drosophila.Dr Parinda Vasa (b.06.05.1977), PhD, PostdoctoralFellow (Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship),Theoretische Physik I, Technische Universitaet Ilmenau,C-311, Weimarer Str 25, Ilmenau-98693, Germany.Dr Vasa has contributed byunderstanding the optical properties ofsemiconductor and metal nano-structuresand successfully designing andimplementing a novel interferometricapproach to study non-linear opticalprospectus of nanostructures withunprecedented sensitivity.Dr TNC Vidya (b.05.08.1976), PhD, PostdoctoralStudent, Department of Botany & Zoology, StellenboschUniversity, Stellenbosch, South Africa.Dr Vidya has mainly worked on herpioneering application, in India, ofmolecular techniques to the study of socialorganization, conservation biology, andphylogeography of endangered species,especially the Asian elephant.ANIL KUMAR BOSE MEMORIAL MEDAL – 2007Dr Suman Chakraborty (b.1973), Associate Professor,Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Instituteof Technology, Kharagpur-721302.For his paper on “Transportmechanisms of falling crystals detachedfrom the freezing front during solidificationof a hypereutectic binary mixture”published in Physical Review Letters,2005, Vol 95, pp 024504 (1-4).INDIAN NATIONAL SCIENCE ACADEMYBahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi-110002Phones: 23221931-50 (20 lines); Fax: 23231095, 23235648E-mail: esoffice@insa.nic.in; council@insa.nic.inWebsite: http://www.insaindia.orgAakriti ✆ 09910161199Young Scientist Medal Awardees2007Hkkjrh; jk‘ªh; foKku vdknehwww.insaindia.org

INSA Medal for Young ScientistsThe INSA Medals for Young Scientists, instituted in 1974, considered to be thehighest recognition of promise, creativity and excellence in a young scientist, is givenannually to those distinguished for these attributes as evidenced by their research workcarried out in India. Any citizen of India who has not attained the age of 35 yearson December 31, of the year preceding the year of award, shall be eligible. Themaximum number of awards in any year should not be exceeding 30. Any researchinstitution or individual scientist may make nominations. Award will consist of aMedal, a Certificate and cash prize of Rs. 25,000/- along with astart-up research support. The awardees are also entitled for a visit abroad with fullsupport for presenting research work at conferences, and/or participating in collaborativeresearch projects within first five years of receipt of award. The awardees who arenot affiliated to any research institution are also considered for an interim Fellowshipwith a small amount of contingency per year for a period of three years providedthey have assurance from the institution for availing the working facilities. For details,please see www.insaindia.org or INSA Year Book.Dr Avinash Kumar Agarwal (b.22.08.1972), PhD,Assistant Professor, Department of MechanicalEngineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur-208016.Dr Agarwal has contributed to thedevelopment, utilization, lubricating oiltribology and impact assessment ofbiodiesel and its usage in compressionignition engines.Dr Santanu Banerjee (b.09.01.1976), PhD, PostdoctoralResearch Fellow, Michael Granato’s Laboratory,Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, Universityof Pennsylvania, School of Medicine, 1236BRB II/III Building, 421 Curie Blvrd,Philadelphia, PA-19104-6058, USA.For his significant contributions inelucidating the role of intracellular calciumsignaling in insect flight.Dr Naveen Chandra Bisht (b.01.02.1978), PhD, StaffScientist II, National Institute for Plant Genome Research,Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, JNU Campus, New Delhi-110067.Dr Bisht has developed improvedmolecular methods for pollination controlused in heterosis breeding programme. Hewas also involved in understanding thegenetic mechanism and tagging of the lociinvolved in glucosinolates biosynthesis inBrassica juncea.Dr L Sunil Chandran (b.22.04.1974), PhD, AssistantProfessor, Computer Science & Automation Department,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-560012.Dr Chandran mainly contributed tofundamental insights in graph theory andapplication to algorithms.Dr Sangeeta Dhawan (b.20.10.1975), PhD, PostdoctoralFellow, 900A Weyburn Place North, Larry L Hillblom IsletResearch Center, University of Californiaat Los Angeles, CA-90095, USADr Dhawan contributed to theunderstanding of the molecular mechanicsof gene expression leading to silk glanddevelopment and differentiation inBombyx mori.Dr Subhash Ghosh (b.23.10.1972), PhD, Scientist C,Bioorganic Laboratory, Indian Institute of ChemicalTechnology, Hyderabad-500007.Dr Ghosh has excellent contributionsin the total synthesis of biologically activenatural products, comprising macrocycliclactones, employing modern syntheticmethods.Dr Amita Gupta (b.09.07.1972), PhD, Lecturer,Department of Microbiology, University of Delhi SouthCampus, Benito Juarez Road, New Delhi-110021.Dr Amita Gupta has contributed theantibody engineering to develop a noveldiagnostic kit for HIV, which she has furthermodified for single point detection of bothHIV serotypes. She has also beguninteresting work on biology ofMycobacterium tuberculosis focusing ontoxin-antitoxin interaction.Dr Mukesh Jain (b.27.08.1978), PhD, Research Scientist,Department of Plant Molecular Biology, University of DelhiSouth Campus Benito Juarez Road, New Delhi-110021.Dr Jain has characterized a large family of F-box proteinencoding genes from rice with ramifications in engineeringflowering time and abiotic stress tolerancein crop plants. He has also functionallyvalidated a unique class of topoisomerasegenes in rice, providing evidence for theirrole in conferring stress tolerance. He isalso recipient of LSS Kumar Medal.Dr Tushar Jana (b.06.01.1975), PhD, Reader, Schoolof Chemistry, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad-500046.Dr Jana contributed to thedevelopment of novel polymer materialsfor various applications such as polymerelectrolyte membrane fuel cell, polymerhydrogel based sensors, thermally stableenergetic polymer binders for propellant.Dr Pawan Laxminarayan Kulwal (b.10.04.1977),PhD, Assistant Professor, Biotechnology Centre,Department of Agricultural Botany, DrPanjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth,Akola-444104.Dr Kulwal has mainly worked onWheat Quantitative Trait Loci.Dr Anish Kumar (b.15.09.1975), PhD, ScientificOfficer-E, Non Destructive Evaluation Division, IndiraGandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam-603102.Dr Kumar mainly contributed toelastic constants to ultrasonic velocityand engineering application of ultrasonicparameters for characterization ofmicrostructure and mechanicalproperties in metallic materials.Dr Ramaswamy Manimekalai (b.17.02.1973), PhD,C/o Dr Shoshi Kikuchi, Plant Genome Research Unit,Division of Genome and Diversity Research, NationalInstitute of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS),Kan’non dai 2-1-2, Tsukuba Ibaraki305-8602, Japan.Dr Manimekalai worked onmolecular markers in coconut andarecanut.Dr Mohan Mondal (b.03.11.1973), PhD, Scientist,National Research Centre on Mithun (ICAR), Jharnapani,Medziphema, Via Dimapur, Nagaland-797106.Dr Mondal has contributed to thedevelopment of highly sensitive, rapidand economic ELISA for various proteinand steroid hormones. He furtherextensively worked on endocrinology ofgrowth, reproduction and lactation inMithun, an animal of North-east India.Dr Sunil Nair (b.11.03.1974), PhD, Alexander vonHumboldt Fellow, Max Planck Institute for ChemicalPhysics of Solids, Nothnitzer Str 40 01187, Dresden,Germany.Dr Nair has built a state-of-the-arthigh field Vibrating SampleMagnetometer and low field ACSusceptometers working at lowtemperatures. Using these systems, hehas obtained valuable insights into phasetransitions and glassy behaviour inmanganites.Dr Priya Panjabi (b.15.12.1974), PhD, ResearchScientist, Department of Genetics, Centre for GeneticManipulation of Crop Plants, University of Delhi SouthCampus, New Delhi-110021.Dr Panjabi has developed a novel transposonmutagenesis system in plants as a powerful technique todecipher gene functions and its successful testing inArabidopsis. She has also contributed in the developmentof a comparative map betweenArabidopsis thaliana and Brassica junceaby generating a large number of PCRbasedmarkers from linkage groups ofArabidopsis.INSA Medal for Young Scientist Awardees – 2007INSA Medal for Young Scientist Awardees – 2007