உயர்நிலை வன உயிரினப் பாதுகாப்பு நிறுவனம்
(ஆராய்ச்சி, பயிற்சி மற்றும் கல்வி)Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation
(Research, Training and Education)(A Govt. of Tamil Nadu institute)
Mr.A. Udhayan, I.F.S., has been the Director of the Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation, Vandalur in the Tamil Nadu Forest Department since 14th June 2022. He belongs to 1991 batch of Indian Forest Service of Tamilnadu. He holds a M.Sc. in Environmental Sciences from Jawarharlal University, New Delhi, and Post Graduate diploma in wildlife Management from Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun and Post Graduate Programme in Public Policy and Management, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. He has several years of experience in the field of wildlife and biodiversity conservation, having worked in various positions in the Tamil Nadu Forest Department. He had also served as Principal of the Eastern Forest Rangers College in Kurseong on deputation. As Deputy Director of the Forest Survey of India, as a Scientist at the Wildlife Institute of India, and a Specialist at the SAARC Forestry Centre in Thimphu, Bhutan Most recently, he served as Chairman of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board.
Ms. Senbagapriya, IFS has been the Deputy Director (Administration) of AIWC (R, T & E), Vandalur in the Tamil Nadu Forest Department since 19th January 2024. She belongs to the 2013 batch of IFS of Tamil Nadu Cadre, She holds a Bachelors degree in Agriculture from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore and Post Graduation in Geography from Madras University, Chennai, She has eight years’ experience in the field of wildlife and biodiversity conservation, having worked in two territorial division and two wildlife division in the Tamil Nadu Forest Department.
Mr. D. Eswaran, SFS has been the Deputy Director (Technical) of AIWC (R, T & E), Vandalur in the Tamil Nadu Forest Department since 14h March 2024. He belongs to the SFS batch of 2017, he holds a Bachelors degree in Commerce and Post Graduation in Business Administration. He worked as Liasion Officer at Madras High Court for 15 years, and worked in Sriperumbudur, Gudalur and forest extension centre.
Dr.D.Vasanthakumari earned a B.V.Sc. & AH in 2005 and a Masters in Veterinary Extension Education from Madras Veterinary College, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University in 2008. She has also worked as a Teaching Assistant at Hyderabad Veterinary College. In 2009, she joined the Department of Animal Husbandry as a Veterinary Assistant Surgeon, serving in rural veterinary dispensaries and the Animal Disease Intelligence Unit at Kanchipuram. Currently, she is working as a Forest Veterinary Assistant Surgeon at the Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation in Vandalur and serves as the coordinator of Centre for Wildlife Forensic Sciences.
Completed B.V.Sc & A.H., in 2008 and M.V.Sc., in Veterinary Surgery and Radiology in 2023 from Madras Veterinary College, TANUVAS. Joined as Veterinary Assistant Surgeon in Tamil Nadu Animal Husbandry Department in 2010 and actively involved in the implementation of various schemes. Also involved in the planning and execution of the prestigious project of the Tamil Nadu Animal Husbandry Department titled “Establishment of Advanced Institute for Integrated Research on Livestock and Animal Sciences” at Thalaivasal, Salem District. Currently, she has been working as Forest Veterinary Assistant Surgeon in the Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation (Research, Training & Education), Vandalur since December 2023.
Dr. C. Bala Amarnath completed interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Biotechnology and Pathology from University of Madras, Chennai under ICAR - Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He has a wide experience in the molecular diagnostic platform, Real-time PCR, Development of Monoclonal Antibodies, and RNAi technology. Currently, he is working as a Project Scientist in Centre for Wildlife Forensic Sciences, AIWC. His are area research focus includes PCR-RFLP assay as a platform for species identification, LAMP assay for detection of Anthrax and Tuberculosis infection in Elephants, Deer, and Gaur. He also focus on development of multiplex qPCR assay for detection viral disease in captive animals. Apart from this he is also part other in-house research projects. Earlier, he was the Scientific Officer in Orbito Asia Diagnostics, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He has qualified for the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) – 2016 – Biotechnology; awarded the Department of Biotechnology (Govt. Of India) fellowship for pursuing the Advance Post Graduate Diploma in Molecular Diagnostics. Also, he has secured 60th Rank in the All India Biotechnology talent search by Biotech Helpline Foundation.
Dr. Kalaiyarasan obtained his PhD from DRDO-Defence Institute of High Altitude Research, Leh, J&K, India in the field of Nanobiotechnology. He was a Scientist at ICMR- Regional Medical Research Centre, Dibrugarh, Assam; Project Scientist (World Health Organization) at CSIR- Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi and Project Scientist at Punjab Biotechnology Incubator, Punjab. Currently, he is working as a Scientist (TANII Project); his research focuses on the Identification of modified or altered or degraded meat derivatives of deer species to the species level using high though put DNA high-resolution melt. He has been awarded DRDO-Fellowship-2015, GATE-2013, CSIR-NET-2015 and Building Bharat-Boston Biosciences (B4) Young Scientist by South Asia Institute, Harvard University and Department of Biotechnology, India.
Dr. Nittu George pursued her Ph.D. in Zoology (Wildlife Biology) from Government Arts College, Ooty. Her research primarily focused on the genetic study of Bengal tigers in the Western Ghats. She has extensive experience in molecular biology, wildlife forensics, bioinformatics, metagenomics, microsatellite genotyping, and population genetics. She has assisted the Tamil Nadu and Karnataka state in resolving numerous wildlife forensic cases. She served as a Project Scientist at AIWC under the APO project (2021-2022), completing four projects that emphasized the use of molecular techniques for wildlife forensic sample identification, molecular geographical origin identification of wild elephant ivory from Tamil Nadu, individual identification of elephants using highly polymorphic microsatellite markers, the development of a mammalian hair reference repository for species identification based on tricho-taxonomic studies, and health monitoring of free-ranging wild animals in select habitats within Tamil Nadu using a metagenomic approach. Currently, she is a Project Scientist under the Modernization of Forest Forces (MoFF) project (2024-2025), focusing on immunocontraception in elephants. She has published five research papers in reputable international journals and holds a University Rank Gold Medal from her postgraduate studies
Dr. T.T. Shameer holds a Ph.D. in Wildlife Biology. He specializes in Landscape Ecology, Population Ecology, Community Ecology, Ecological Modeling, and Climate Change. He has worked with organizations such as the Wildlife Institute of India, UNDP, and various State Forest Departments, researching carnivores from Tigers to Fishing Cats. Dr. T.T. Shameer is a prolific researcher with a notable publication record. He has authored 21 scientific articles published in various international peer-reviewed journals. Additionally, he is a reviewer for high-impact journals such as Scientific Reports and Global Ecology and Conservation, Journal for Nature Conservation, Ecology and Evolution , and he further contributes to the scientific community through peer review and evaluation of research work. He served as a Project Scientist at AIWC Under APO projects 2021-2022, focusing on Human-Wildlife Conflict and wetland identification.During 2023-25, he worked on TBGPCRR projects focused on Wildlife Policy, Species Recovery, Migratory Species Ecology, and Capacity Building and also in identification of potential habitats for Nilgiri Tahr reintroduction in the Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu. Currently, he works as a Project Scientist under the APO Project 2025-26, with special focus on Spatial Distribution and habitat assessment of Indian Bengal Fox and Golden Jackal in Tamil Nadu and Occupancy and Habitat preference of Indian Pangolin Manis crassicaudata and co-occurring species of small mammals in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR), Tamil Nadu. Research gate https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Thekke-Shameer.
Dr. Paulraj earned his Ph.D. in Zoology from Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, in 2001. He completed his undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Zoology at St. Xavier’s College, Palayamkottai, and obtained his B.Ed. Degree from Manonmaniam Sundaranar University. From 2003 to 2021, he served as a Scientist at the Entomology Research Institute, Loyola College, Chennai, followed by a tenure at G.S. Gill Research Institute, Guru Nanak College from 2021 to 2022. His research focuses on insect diversity, vector insect survey and management, Integrated Pest Management, biopesticide development, and monitoring the health of captive animals such as elephants and tigers through blood and serum analysis. Currently, he is a Project Scientist working on the APO project, which aims to develop a method for estimating post-mortem intervals using the life stages of carrion insects for wild animal remains in Tamil Nadu.
Dr. S. Abinaya is an environmental biotechnology researcher and former assistant professor with expertise in in vivo and in vitro techniques, molecular biology, and reproductive toxicology. She holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Biotechnology from Bharathidasan University and Masters in Biotechnology from VIT University, Vellore. She has contributed to multiple peer-reviewed publications focusing on PCOS, phytotherapy and nanomedicine. Driven by a passion for research and teaching, she blends hands-on laboratory skills like in vivo disease modeling, molecular techniques like qPCR and Western blotting and various cytotoxicity and biochemical assays with a commitment to advancing scientific understanding in reproductive biology and environmental toxicology. She also received academic recognition early in her academic journey by securing University III rank in UG and All India Rank 64 in the National Level Biotechnology Talent Search Examination. She actively contributes to conferences and workshops and have secured best presentation awards at international conferences. Currently she is engaged as Project Scientist on the project entitled “Genetic differentiation of domestic and wild pigs through highly sensitive SNP qPCR and SNP PCR-RFLP assay”.
Dr. S. Rajesh Kumar completed his doctoral degree in Zoology with a specialization in Ecology from Pondicherry University. He began his career in education, teaching for two years at a matriculation school in Chennai, before transitioning into research. He was actively involved in diverse areas of research for over six years at the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Andaman and Nicobar Regional Centre (ANRC), Port Blair, A&N Islands. His work spanned animal taxonomy, behavior, wildlife conservation and education, with a particular focus on primatology, ornithology, and entomology. He has authored over 25 scientific publications, including the discovery of three new species. Notably, he became the second Indian researcher since independence to discover a new bird - the ‘Great Nicobar Crake.’ In recognition of his contributions to ornithology, he was honored with lifelong honorary membership of the Oriental Bird Club, United Kingdom. In addition to his wildlife research, he worked with the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), Chennai, for seven years as a Young Professional and contributed significantly to biodiversity governance and policy formulation, offering expert inputs to the NBA Secretariat and other committees. He was actively involved in the amendment processes of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 (amended in 2023), its Rules, 2024, the ABS Regulations, 2025, and policies related to Red Sanders. Currently he serves as a Project Scientist for the development of a Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) facility at the Centre for Conservation Education, under the Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC), Vandalur, Chennai.
She completed her Post Graduation in Environmental Sciences from PSG College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore. She has joined as Junior Research Fellow at the Morphometry lab of the Centre for Wildlife Forensic Sciences, Advanced Institute of Wildlife Conservation since 2022.She has previously worked as a Programme Fellow at Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, for the “National Ornithological Databank Cell”. She also served as a Junior Biologist in Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History in the project entitled “Developing Management & Conservation Plan for Select IBAs of the Country” (Sikkim & Tamil Nadu).She have also worked as a Junior Research Fellow at Madras University in collaboration with Chennai international Airport for the project “Ecological Study of Bird Hazard at Chennai International Airport”. Her core research interests are in understanding the ecology of birds along various habitats, population ecology, conservation and behavioral ecology, bird migration, meso-carnivores and illegal wildlife trade. She is a keen bird watcher and a passionate wildlife artist.
Ms. Uma Maheswari Radhakrishnan completed her B.Sc. in Biotechnology from JJ College of Arts and Science, followed by a M.Sc. in Biotechnology from Alagappa University. She began her career as a laboratory assistant at Advanced Institute of Wildlife Conservation, where she developed her foundational understanding of molecular biology. She later served as a project assistant for the project entitled “Development of STR-Based Genetic Database for Leopards across Tamil Nadu.” This project aimed to create a comprehensive genetic database to support conservation efforts and enhance our understanding of leopard populations in the study region. She is working as a Junior Research Fellow at the DNA Laboratory of the Centre for Wildlife Forensic Sciences at AIWC, since 2023. Her work focuses on utilizing advanced forensic science techniques to aid in wildlife conservation and protection.
Ms. M. Prema completed her B.Sc. in Zoology from V.V. Vanniaperumal College for Women, Virudhunagar. She has been working as a laboratory assistant at the Morphometry Laboratory of the Centre for Wildlife Forensic Sciences, Advanced Institute of Wildlife Conservation, Vandalur, since 2021.
Mr. Sasipriyan P. is a researcher with a Bachelor's in Environmental Management from Jawahar Science College, Neyveli, and a Master's in Environmental Sciences from Bharathiar University, Coimbatore. He has interned with the Centre for Environmental Education, WWF India, and the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, gaining expertise in environmental sustainability, plastic pollution, and biodiversity conservation. His professional experience includes roles as Environmental Consultant at the Center for Sustainable Development, Cuddalore, and Project Fellow at Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli. As a dedicated volunteer with the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), he has actively contributed to wildlife protection. From 2023 to 2025, Mr. Sasipriyan worked as Junior Research Fellow at the Centre for Conservation Education in the TBGPCCR Projects focusing on wildlife policy, species recovery, migratory species ecology, and capacity-building. He also contributed to bilingual mobile application development, report preparation, desktop publication, website management, designing flyers and materials, and social media handling and outreach. Currently, he works as Project Associate-II at the Centre for Conservation Ecology, with a research focus on the spatial distribution and habitat assessment of the Indian Bengal Fox and Golden Jackal in Tamil Nadu under the APO Project (2025–26).
Ms. Karunyaa R holds a Master's degree in Applied Genetics from Bangalore University and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Advanced Zoology Specialization in Biotechnology from Lady Doak College Madurai. She has worked as Project Assistant II in department of proteomics on estimation of protein levels in Diabetic Retinopathy during her tenure at Aravind Medical Research Foundation, Madurai. Later, she joined as a Junior Research Fellow at the Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation, Vandalur, Chennai, in the research focused on the Identification of modified or altered or degraded meat derivatives of deer species to the species level using high throughput DNA high-resolution melt. Currently, her research at AIWC as Project Associate II focuses on the Estimation of Stress Hormones in selected captive wild animals.
Ms. Madhumita Rajkumar completed her postgraduate degree in Animal Biotechnology from Bharathidasan University. Previously, she worked at the Salim Ali Center for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) on a project entitled “Assessment of Status, Distribution, and Threats of Sarus Crane (Grus antigone) in Uttar Pradesh,” and then for a brief period with the Meghalaya State Forest Department as a field biologist. Currently, at AIWC, she is involved in developing primers for the project “Development of DNA Mini-barcode for Identification of Molluscs (Seashell) – A Forensic Identification Tool for Protected Marine Molluscs” as a Senior Research Fellow. Regarding her academic credentials, she has published two research papers, presented her work at two international conferences, and authored one book chapter. She also holds a University Rank Gold Medal in her post-graduation and has cleared GATE 2023.
Pradeep Kumar N. holds an M.Sc. in Environmental Sciences. He is currently a Project Associate II at the Centre for Conservation Ecology. Previously, he worked as an educator at the Centre for Wildlife Studies, delivering conservation education in the Western Ghats region. He also served as a Junior Research Fellow at the Advanced Institute for Wildlife Studies, Department of Conservation Education, where he contributed to research and conservation awareness programs targeting schools, the general public, and social media platforms. His work includes organizing training programs in collaboration with the forest department and other government agencies. One of his significant projects is the "Development of a bilingual mobile application for identifying terrestrial and marine fauna to aid in the prevention and control of wildlife crime in Tamil Nadu". In this project, he contributed to application development, species-specific research, fieldwork, biological data collection, data entry, and overall project administration. Including he is involved as a Project Associate in a vital research project on the "Occupancy and Habitat Preferences of Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) and Co-occurring Small Mammals in the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) of Tamil Nadu." This project involves extensive field surveys, camera trapping, data analysis, and ecological assessment to support the conservation of lesser-known species.
Ms. Shinta Ann Jose holds a Master'sdegree in Biotechnology from Shri Nehru Maha Vidyalaya College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore. She has worked as Project Assistant II in a DRDO-funded project on the ecotoxicological studies of nanomaterials in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems during her tenure at the VIT, Vellore. Later, she joined as a Junior Research Fellow at the Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation, Vandalur, Chennai, in a project on the Development of spectral databases in wildlife articles using FTIR. Currently, her research at AIWC as Project Associate II focuses on the development of multiplex qPCR assay for the detection of viral disease in captive animals. She has authored 1 research article, 1 review article, and 1 book chapter.
Completed B.Sc in Advanced Zoology and Biotechnology from R.K.M. Vivekananda College,Chennai and M.Sc in Zoology from Loyola College, Chennai. He worked as YoungProfessional- II in two different projects in Aquatic Animal Health and Environment Departmentof ICAR- Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, Chennai. Currently he is working asJunior Research Fellow in the Centre for Animal Care Sciences in the Advanced Institute forWildlife Conservation, Chennai.
She completed her B.Sc.in Biotechnology from Vels University, Chennai, and M.Sc. in Biotechnology from the University of Madras, Chennai. Currently she works as a Laboratory Assistant at the Centre for Animal Care Sciences, AIWC. She specializes in histopathology technique and analysis of blood and serum samples of animals. she has authored 1 review article titled; .Copper Nanoclusters as novel podium for cancer detection, imaging and therapy applications.
Mr. Sakthinarenderan has completed Master’s in Zoology from the New College, Chennai and Batchelor’s in Advanced Zoology and biotechnology at Ramakrishna Mission Vivekanandha College, Chennai. He has joined as Junior Research Fellow in the DNA LAB of Centre for Forensic Wildlife Sciences at Advanced Institute of Wildlife Conservation, Vandalur. Previously, he has worked on a Ministry of Earth Science, Government of India, funded project entitled-“ Characterization and DNA barcoding of polychaetes from the South East Coast, India.” at Sathyabama Insitute of Science and Technology, Chennai from 2019-2023. He is pursuing his Ph.D. in life Science at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, focusing on to study the toxicity of microplastics in aquatic organisms. His research interests include biodiversity monitoring, environmental impact assessment, Polychaete taxonomy, and marine ecotoxicology (particularly Microplastics). He has authored 2 high-impact research articles in peer-reviewed international journals, 1 review article, and 6 book chapters.
Ms. Yuvasri kasinathan completed her Master's in Biotechnology from University of Madras, Guindy, and her Bachelor's in Biotechnology from Vels University, Chennal. Currently, she is working as a Project Associate II in an APO project titled "Evaluation of different trap models to monitor and control Hematophagous insects which transmit disease to captive animals in zoological parks"and also works on DNA- based molecular identification of wildlife forensic samples and the genetic analysis of Nilgiri Tahr.she has one and half years of experience as a laboratory assistant at the DNA and Scat-DNA Laboratory of the center for wildlife forensic sciences, Advanced Institute of Wildlife Conservation, Vandalur. Previously, she gained one and a half years of experience in the field of microbiology, particularly working with oil- degrading bacteria from marine sources and scrutinizing their Lipase activity. She is skilled in molecular techniques like PCR, RT-PCR, wildlife forensics, field sampling techniques for forensic purposes, laboratory management, isolation of microorganisms, and their characterization.
Mr.R .Nithesh completed his Bsc Zoology (wild life biology ) from Government Arts College Udagamandalam & Msc zoology (wildlife biology ) from Government Arts College Udagamandalam. He previously worked on WWF INDIA Western Ghats Nilgiris Landscape as a field assistant and assisting the team in the first-ever satellite collaring of the Nilgiri Tahr in the wild along with the Tahr team in monitoring and familiarizing with the Nilgiri Tahr herd in the western catchment area of Mukurthi national park. Currently, he is a Project Associate -2 project entitled “Identification of Suitable Habitats in the Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu for Reintroduction of Nilgiri Tahr “at the Centre for Conservation Education in the Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation.
Mr. Rampriyan holds a Bachelors in Advanced Zoology and Biotechnology from Guru Nanak College, Velachery, Chennai, and a Masters in Wildlife biology from A.V.C. College, Mayiladuthurai. During his Masters dissertation, he collaborated with CCMB and his dissertation focused on Assessing stress levels in captive lion-tailed macaques using faecal glucocorticoids, a non-invasive method. Additionally, he interned in the project Drivers of Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) and Its Influence on Body Condition and Stress Level Among Free-Ranging Elephants in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Southern India. In this project, he specifically studied the Gastrointestinal parasites of Free-ranging Asian elephants in the Nilgiri Biosphere, Southern India. He obtained multiple certifications in Wildlife census and presented 1 abstract at an International Conference. He also actively volunteering at Western Ghats Wildlife Conservation Trust (NGO), Chennai. Currently, he is working as a Project Associate II in the Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) Project.
Mr. Riyas Ahamed Khan holds a Bachelor's in Biotechnology from The New College, Chennai, and a Master's in Biotechnology from Nehru Arts and Science College, Coimbatore. During his Master's, he completed a project at DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) in Coimbatore, where he worked on the innovative production of proteins for film technology. Additionally, he has interned in both the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, gaining valuable hands-on experience. He is also actively involved in social work and is associated with The New College Students Union. Currently, he is working as a Project Associate under the Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) project.
Ms. Bavadharini Pandian holds a B.Sc. in Zoology from Sree Sevugan Annamalai Arts and Science College and an M.Sc. in Biomedical Genetics from the University of Madras. She began her career as an Application Specialist at the Advanced Institute of Wildlife Conservation, where she gained a solid foundation in molecular biology. She has been working as a DNA Sequencer Assistant at the DNA Laboratory of the Centre for Wildlife Forensic Sciences at AIWC. In her current role, she employs advanced forensic science techniques to support wildlife conservation and protection efforts.
Mr. S. Ravichandran has completed his Master's in Biotechnology from Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, and Bachelor's in Biotechnology at Kongu Arts and Science college, Erode. He has started working as Project Associate II on a project called "Genetic differentiation of domestic and wild pigs using advanced SNP qPCR and SNP PCR-RFLP tests" in the DNA Lab at the Centre for Forensic Wildlife Sciences in Vandalur. Previously, he has worked on DBT-BIRAC (2020-2022) and DST-SHRI (2022-2025) funded projects at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai. He is pursuing his Ph.D. in life science at the Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, focussing on profiling, gene expression, and silencing microRNA in the context of earthworm epimorphosis regeneration. His research interests include predicting miRNA targets, studying gene expression, exosome therapy, RNA interference (RNAi), in vitro transfection, and bioinformatics like variant calling and molecular simulation. He has authored five high-impact research articles in peer-reviewed international journals and two book chapters.
I am a wildlife researcher with a postgraduate degree in Wildlife Science, dedicated to biodiversity conservation through field-based research and data-driven strategies. My work involves conducting systematic wildlife surveys, monitoring bird and mammal populations, and analyzing ecological data on species distribution and habitat use. Proficient in using GPS and geospatial tools, I map critical habitats and document key ecological patterns to inform conservation planning. I collaborate with forest departments, local communities, and stakeholders to ensure that conservation efforts are scientifically sound and socially inclusive. My focus is on bridging research and policy to promote sustainable human–wildlife coexistence and safeguard ecosystems for the future.
Ajith B has completed BSc in Zoology in Government Arts and Science College, Attupakkam in Arakkonam and M.Sc. Zoology in Presidency College Chennai. Since 2016, He worked previously with ‘The Nature Trust’ (NGO), where he contributed his sincere efforts to the conservation of the Pallikaranai Marshlands. Previously, he has worked as a Field Assistant in project titled "Identification of Suitable Habitat in Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu for Reintroduction of Nilgiri Tahr" at the Centre for Conservation Education, Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation. Currently, he is a Project Associate working on a project titled "Occupancy and habitat preference of Indian pangolin (Manis crassicauda) and co-occurring small mammals in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR), Tamil Nadu."
Ms. Aarthika J holds a B.Sc. in Biotechnology from Crescent University, Chennai, and an M.Sc. in Applied Medical Biotechnology and Clinical Research from VELS University, Chennai. She currently works as a Laboratory Assistant at the Centre for Wildlife Forensic Sciences at the Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC). She is an expert in laboratory techniques and procedures.
