G. Asha

Thesis submitted

About me

I joined the lab in 2011 for my MSc. dissertation project. I continue here as an Integrated MPhil/PhD student from 2012. I am particularly interested in the ecology of Dung beetles of Western Ghats. For my PhD, I study them from a phylogenetic perspective as an integrative approach. Moreover, through my research I also attempt to understand how the functional diversity of dung beetles is affected by the habitat. I enjoy field work, exploring the forests as well as the lab work. Apart from my research I also like literature, music and popular science.

Awards and Fellowships

  • Central University of Kerala Merit Scholarship, 2010-2012.
  • Second Rank in M. Sc. Animal science, Central University of Kerala.
  •  GATE Life Sciences 2014
  •  First rank in MPhil Animal Taxonomy, Central University of Kerala 2014
  • Kerala State Council For Science Technology and Environment Research fellowship for PhD 2015
  • Qualified CSIR-NET, June 2016
  • Outstanding Young Scholars award to attend the 12th International Congress of Ecology, INTECOL 2017, Beijing.
  • BES Travel Grant to attend the 12th International Congress of Ecology, INTECOL 2017, Beijing.

Publications

  • Asha et al. (2021) Roller dung beetles of dung piles suggest habitats are alike, but that of guarding pitfall traps suggest habitats are different. Journal of Tropical Ecology (Accepted)
  • Asha et al. (2021) Spatiotemporal effects on dung beetle activities in the lowland tropical forest fragment-home garden matrix. Scientific Reports (Minor revision)
  • Asha and Sinu (2021) DNA barcode and phylogenetic analysis of dung beetles (Coleoptera:
    Scarabaeidae) from the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot, India. International Journal of Tropical Insect Science (2020)
  • Varma S, Rajesh TP, Manoj K, Asha G, Jobiraj T, Sinu PA (2020) Nectar robbers deter legitimate pollinators by mutilating flowers. Oikos 129: 868-878
  • Sneha S. Kambli., M. S. Aiswarya.,K. Manoj.,Sangeetha Varma., Asha.,T. P. Rajesh and Palatty allesh sinu., Leaf foraging sources of leafcutter bees in a tropical environment: implications for conservation.Apidologie,2017, 10.1007/s13592-016-0490-2.
  • Palatty Allesh Sinu.,Sangeetha Varma.,U.Prashanth Ballullaya.,Asha and Prabitha Mohan.(2016).Natural history and behavioral ecology of bees.In Palatty Allesh Sinu and K.R.Shivanna(Ed.), Mutualistic interactions between flowering plants and animals (pp.50-70).Manipal University Press.

Conferences /Workshop attended

1)“Workshop on ALTERNATIVES to the USE of ANIMALS in LIFE SCIENCES”: November 29, 2010, School of Biological Sciences, Central University of Kerala, Kasaragod, Kerala.

2)“XIth International Symposium on Biochemical Roles of Eukaryotic Cell Surface Macromolecules”: 27th – 31st January, 2011, Estuary Island Resort, Poovar, Trivandrum, Kerala, Jointly Organized by: School of Biological Sciences, Central University of Kerala & Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Kerala, India. Co-sponsored by: National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, India & IUBMB, Alberta, Canada.

3)“National Seminar on Biology to New biology-The paradigm shift-Gene, Genome, Genomics”: April 11, 2012, Department of Genomic Science, Central University of Kerala, Kasaragod, Kerala.

5)“National  Seminar  on  Biology  to  New  biology-The  paradigm  shift-Drug designing”: Department of Biochemistry and molecular biology, Central University of Kerala, Kasaragod, Kerala.

6)“National Colloquium on Translational Health Science”: March 18- 19, 2013 Srinivasa Ramanujan Institute for Basic Sciences, KSCSTE, Thiruvanathapuram.

7)”National  Seminar  on  Molecular  Trends  in  Taxonomy  &  Biodiversity Conservation”: March 3rd, 2014, Department of Plant Science, Central University of Kerala.

8)”Symposium on Insect Taxonomy”: March-April 2013, Department of Animal Science, Central University of Kerala.

9)“National Workshop on Concepts and Practices in Ecology of Plant-Animal Interactions”:20-27th may 2014, Department of Animal Science, Central University of Kerala.

10)National Conference on “Frontiers in Genetics & Genomics”- Department of Animal Science, Central University of Kerala. 

Volunteered

Indian Bee Course 2015 –Department of Animal Science, Central University of Kerala 10–14 August 2015 

Insect Biodiversity Studies-Where does India stand in the Global Map? the joint conference of Department of Animal Science @ Central University of Kerala, Entomological Society of India and Prof. T.C. Narendran Trust for Animal Taxonomy in collaboration with the Zoological Survey of India and Association for Advancement of Entomology,29-31 March 2016.

Trainings undergone

  • Training on Taxonomy of Insects and Mites (ICAR Sponsored Niche Area of Excellence on Capacity Building in Taxonomy of Insects and Mites), 6-26 November 2013, Department of Entomology, UAS, Bangalore.
  • Short-term workshop in Molecular Phylogenetics at Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, from 1st August to 5th August 2016
  • GIAN International workshop on (i) Molecular Entomology (ii) Molecular Phylogeny and Next-Generation Sequencing at Mizoram University, 19-28 June, 2017.

Poster Presentations 

  • Student Conference on Conservation Science,IISc Bangalore,2014
  • 4th Indian Biodiversity Congress 2017 at Pondichery University