Research interests

Research Area

Sex Chromosomes

Broadly, I am interested in understanding the evolution of sex chromosome using computational tools. My fascination for the sex chromosomes has two major reasons.

  1. The number of different species with different sex determination systems (Some weird ones are even more interesting). Each species is interesting in its own unique way. With a unique history, I believe each species has a story to tell.

  2. Now, my curiosity lies in the underlying “pattern”. That is, what makes a species determine sex environmentally or genetically? and if its genetically determined why does a species “adopt” XY or ZW or UV system of sex determination and how does the species determine sex?

Although I am interested in understanding the evolution of Y chromosome, I am currently focussed on understanding the evolution of genes on the X chromosomes that is a nice segue to my Ph. D. research.

Antibiotic Resistance in Pathogens

My developed interest in microbes is primarily due to the students in my lab. The evolutionary origins of antibiotic resistance raise key questions about its ancient roots and natural reservoirs, including how resistance genes evolved before human antibiotic use and their ecological roles. What are the mechanisms driving resistance, such as mutations and horizontal gene transfer, and the stepwise pathways and convergent evolution that lead to multidrug resistance. The influence of microbial communities, mobile genetic elements, and environmental factors on resistance evolution is also modeled. Additionally, the impact of human activity—such as antibiotic overuse and environmental contamination—is a critical to study, alongside the evolutionary trade-offs and fitness costs of resistance. Understanding how resistance evolves, persists, or diminishes when selective pressures change is vital for predicting resistance dynamics and developing strategies to mitigate or reverse its spread by resensitization.