The
Chavhan
Lab for
Understanding
Evolution
Members
(In alphabetical order)

Anuraag Avadhany
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Integrated PhD student, IISER TVM (2022 batch)
I'm an Integrated PhD student with a keen interest in the evolutionary arms race between bacteria and phages. This ongoing battle has shaped microbial evolution and also gifted us revolutionizing tools like CRISPR-Cas systems.
One can only be excited about the potential of uncovering more of this billion-year battle!

Diya Elizabeth Shaji
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MS dissertation student
BS-MS IISER TVM (2020 batch)
I am a final-year integrated BS-MS student from IISER TVM majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry. My interests lie in understanding the pattern and process of evolution. The fields that fascinate me the most are experimental evolution, molecular ecology, and general theoretical aspects of evolution. As part of my master's thesis, I'll be doing experiments to better understand the origin, evolution, and dynamics of multicellularity. Besides science, I enjoy cooking, eating good food, and napping.

Gatikrushna Mishra
Semester project student
BS-MS IISER TVM (2021 batch)
I am a 4th year BS-MS student at IISER pursuing my major in Biological Sciences. Having joined CLUE, I want to learn more about the evolution of multicellularity in prokaryotes, design neat evolutionary experiments and have fun with microbes to build on my interests. I am also interested in theoretical aspects of evolution and multicellularity.Apart from being a nerd about biology, you can find me playing badminton, listening to various genres of music, watching all sorts of movies, clicking pictures, journaling and dressing as the Mahabali during Onam. I am also a member of Proteus, the Biology Club of IISER TVM,conducting various events and talks. Currently, I am the editor of the Club’s Magazine, Nucleus.

Muhammed Hadi
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PhD student, IISER TVM (2024 batch)
I’m a PhD student at the early stages of my exploration into the factors that influence the emergence and maintenance of multicellularity in microorganisms. Think of me as a detective, peeling back the layers of evolution to uncover the ancient processes that brought us from simple cells to the complex creatures we are today. No magnifying glass, just a lot of petri dishes! I completed my Master's degree in Zoology from St. Joseph's College Kerala, where I focused on ecology. But my curiosity didn’t stop there—it evolved. Beyond my research, I have a broad range of interests and enjoy exploring new ideas and learning about different topics—whether it’s experimenting with new dishes in the kitchen, traveling to new places, or enjoying old melody songs while honing my skills in illustration art. They say curiosity killed the cat, but for me, it’s what keeps life interesting—and who knows, it might just lead to another degree!

Kalyani Kore
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Semester project student
BS-MS IISER TVM (2021 batch)
I’m a 4th-year BSMS student majoring in Biology (with a side of Chemistry for extra flavour). I’m all about microbial evolution, designing slick lab experiments to make microbes dance to the tune of evolution, and using biochemistry, microscopy, and NGS to crack the code to all.
On weekdays, you’ll find me plating cultures and waging war against contamination. On weekends, either deep in a game of BOTC and Avalon or hopping across random states.
My food obsession is insane (from bakarwadi to mandi, no plate is safe). I’m just as quick with a badminton racket as I am in the kitchen, whipping up both smashes and delicacies. Also, if there’s a psychological thriller around, I’ve probably already watched it.


Pratyay Sarkar
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Integrated PhD student, IISER TVM (2023 batch)
I am an Integrated PhD student with a general interest in Ecology and Evolution. I have especially been fascinated by microbial evolution as it allows us to see evolution unfold inside a lab with very simple experiments. As a part of CLUE, I hope to gain unique insights and a robust understanding in evolution, while tackling important topics such as the advent of multicellularity. My favourite pastimes are reading and puzzle-solving. I also like travelling and trying new delicacies.
Shreya Jugoolkar
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Semester project student
BS-MS IISER TVM (2021 batch)
I am a fourth year BS-MS mathematics student minoring in biology. My interest lies in the intersection of mathematics and biology, in particular modelling ecological and epidemiological interactions. Fascinated by the interplay between theory and application, I joined the CLUE lab for my minor project to make sense of complex ecological interactions using dynamical systems. I enjoy using modelling techniques to understand these real-world messy interactions through the lens of a structured mathematical framework.
My project work allows me to work conveniently from anywhere, though you’ll find me comfortably holed up in my room scribbling down equations (with occasional distractions from books, YouTube, and afternoon naps). When I’m not busy with classes or project work, you’ll find me dancing, quizzing, strumming the same four chords on the ukulele, or reluctantly representing my team for table tennis.

Vignesh PR
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PhD student, IISER TVM (Jan 2025 batch)
I am a PhD Student at CLUE. Demonstrating elegance in experimental design in evolutionary biology is my goal. These experiments would help the lab in understanding the mechanism of any evolutionary process.
I believe that if learning something has not changed you, then you learnt nothing! In line with this thought, exploring various arenas in the natural world have expanded my horizons of perception and my personal objective is to use offshoots of evolutionary biology like evolutionary medicine, etc. as Lab to Land initiatives. l want my work to open up new possibilities in research.
Beyond my research pursuits, I am eager to contribute to the nation through science communication. I am a poet and a quizzer too, and I write in my personal blog on various issues and critical analyses of English literature.

Yashraj Chavhan
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Principal Investigator
Assistant Professor, IISER TVM
I am an evolutionary biologist who is a fan of neat experiments and effective metaphors. I have wide-ranging interests in the evolution of asexual systems. Before joining IISER TVM, I was a Wenner-Gren Postdoctoral Fellow with Dr Peter Lind at Umeå University, where I developed a new research direction on the plasticity-driven evolution of macroscopic multicellularity. During this time, I also studied how mutational biases shape bacterial evolution. For my PhD under the guidance of Prof. Sutirth Dey at IISER Pune, I studied how the sizes of asexual populations influence their adaptive and maladaptive dynamics. Prior to my PhD, I pursued an Integrated Master’s degree in Biotechnology from the Institute of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology (IBB) in Pune.
We are very eager to work with with fellow Evolutionary Biology enthusiasts at many distinct levels (ranging from first-year college undergrads to established postdocs). Please contact Yash (the PI) if you would like to join the lab! Please do visit our Research page to see if your academic interests align with ours!
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