Tree Biology and Biotechnology

Dr. Rajwant K. Kalia is Principal Scientist (Agroforestry) at ICAR- Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI), Jodhpur, India. She is a graduate of University of Delhi and has obtained Ph.D. from ICFRE-Forest Research Institute, Dehradun. She has more than 20 years of post-doctoral research experience in the field of tree/plant biology and biotechnology including Post-Doctoral Research at ICAR-NIPB, Delhi, University of Delhi and ICAR-NBPGR, Delhi. She has been a recipient of BOYSCAST Fellowship to work at University of California, Riverside and Purdue University, West Lafayette, USA. She has handled more than 15 research projects on several aspects including micropropagation, conservation, cryopreservation, molecular characterization and improvement of important tree and crop species. She has also supervised Ph.D. students on these research aspects. Dr. Kalia has published more than 70 research papers and book chapters and is serving as peer reviewer of high-impact national and international research journals.

Dr. Rakesh Pathak obtained Ph.D. from the Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur. He is Assistant Chief Technical Officer in the ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur, Rajasthan and is a Fellow of Institution of Chemists (India). Dr. Pathak has published more than 100 research papers and book chapters on molecular characterization and genetic diversity studies of several crops and trees in journals and books of national and international repute. He has molecularly characterized and submitted more than 300 novel gene sequences belonging to plant varieties/germplasm, macro-fungi, fungal pathogens and PGPRs with NCBI, USA, to address Indian biodiversity. Dr. Pathak has delivered several oral and poster presentation in national and international conferences. He has been regularly reviewing manuscripts as a referee for high-impact journals.