Sudha Rajamani
Affiliation: IISER Pune
Research & Other Interests
I am the principal investigator of the Chemical Origins of Life (COoL) lab at IISER Pune, where my team and I use tools from biology, chemistry, geochemistry and, sometimes, physics, to delineate the processes and niches that would have allowed for the transition from non-life to life, on the early Earth. Our research comes under the broader umbrella of Astrobiology, a relatively less known field in India. Given this, I am also deeply involved in Astrobiology education, both, formally and via science outreach programs. In particular, I feels strongly about mentoring school and UG students in their pursuit of Astrobiology as a career.
Why am I a part of this group?
There is much improvement that needs to come about with regards to how women and gendered minorities are treated in science settings (be it academia or elsewhere). A concerted movement is needed to facilitate this change and for good! This is why POWERBio came about and I sure hope we can bring about a positive difference in workplace environments across various science settings, to make them welcoming for women and other gendered minorities!