I am a freshwater ecologist primarily interested in understanding the patterns and processes of freshwater biodiversity (fish as a model system) and quantify the effects of anthropogenic stressors (hydropower dams, sand mining, invasive species and pollution) on native freshwater biodiversity. I am also interested in understanding the role of local communities on freshwater resources and develop sustainable practices that might improve their livelihoods as well as conserve some of threatened freshwater species in different riverscapes in the country.
I am a Faculty at Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), based in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu state. Earlier I worked with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-India) leading their aquatic ecology component in the country. I hold Masters in Wildlife Science from Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun and a PhD in Freshwater Ecology from Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) Bangalore affiliated to Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Karnataka state. My Post-doctoral research focuses on quantifying the effects of hydropower projects on native freshwater fishes in Arunachal Pradesh.