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Sciurid Lab

Nandini Rajamani

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My career reflects two interests, conducting research and communicating science. My research interests include examining the ecology of species, and understanding adaptations and processes, particularly with respect to environmental (eg: climate change, production and human-altered landscapes), and historic (eg: trade, collections) factors.

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Education

  • Ph.D. Evolutionary Biology, Auburn University, Department of Biological Sciences, USA. 2007–2011.
  • M.S. Ecology, Salim Ali School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Pondicherry University, India. 1998–2000.
  • B.A. Economics, Stella Maris College (Autonomous), Chennai, India. 1994–1997.

Experience

  • April 2016 onwards: Assistant Professor, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Tirupati (IISER Tirupati), Tirupati, India.
  • July 2013–March 2016: Co-Director, IndiaBioscience, National Centre for Biological Sciences, India.
  • January–June 2013: Consultant, Education and Public Engagement Program, Nature Conservation Foundation, India.
  • January 2012–July 2013: Research Associate, Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore, India.
  • June 2010–December 2012: Editor, Current Conservation magazine, India.
  • January-December 2012: Post-doctoral Scholar, Centre d’Ecologie Functionnelle et Evolutive, CNRS, Montpellier, France.
  • August–October 2011. Visiting Scholar, Loyola University and the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, USA
  • 2004–2011: Research Associate, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science campus, Bangalore, India.
  • 2003, 2007, 2008: Curatorial Assistant, Bird Collections, Auburn Natural History Museum and Learning Centre.
  • December 2000–August 2002: Visiting Scholar, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.
  • December 2000–September 2001: Research Scholar, Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Coimbatore, India.

Awards & Honours

  • 2021-2022: External Editor, Nature Communications Biology
  • 2020-2022: Editorial Board Member, Cheetal Magazine, The Wildlife Preservation Society (WPS) https://wpsidoon.org/
  • 2021-2022: Secretary, Ethological Society of India
  • 2011: Outstanding International Graduate Student, Biological Sciences, Auburn University, USA.
  • 2008: Outstanding International Graduate Student, Biological Sciences, Auburn University, USA
  • 2008: 2nd place, Oral presentation—Graduate Student Research Seminar, Auburn University, USA
  • 2003: 2nd place, Oral presentation—Graduate Student Research Seminar, Auburn University, USA

Publications (Before 2016)

  • Varma V., Ratnam J., Viswanathan V., Osuri A.M., Biesmeijer J.C., Madhusudan M.D., Sankaran M., Krishnadas M., Barua D., Budruk M., Isvaran K., Jayapal R., Joshi J., Karanth K.K, Krishnaswamy J., Kumar R., Mukherjee S., Nagendra H., Niphadkar M., Owen N., Page N., Prasad S., Quader S., Nandini R., Robin V.V., Sait S.M., Shah M.A., Somanathan H., Srinivasan U., and Sundaram B. 2015. Perceptions of priority issues in the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems in India. Biological Conservation 187 (2015) 201–211.
  • Datta, A. and Nandini, R. 2015. Other Sciurids. Mammals of South Asia. (eds A.J.T. Johnsingh and N. Manjrekar) Universities Press, Hyderabad. pp 513-571.
  • Robin, V.V. and Nandini, R. 2012. Shola habitats on sky islands: status of research on montane forests and grasslands in southern India. Current Science 103(12):1427–1437.
  • Nandini, R. and Sinha, A. 2012. Disconnected canopies and flying squirrel presence in a landscape matrix in the Anamalai Hills, Western Ghats. Technical manual on canopy research in India. Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment.
  • Nandini, R. and Mudappa, D. 2010. Mystery or myth: a review of history and conservation status of the Malabar Civet Viverra civettina Blyth, 1862. Small Carnivore Conservation 43:47–59.
  • Nandini, R. Kakati, K. and Ved, N. 2009. Occurrence records of the Bengal slow loris (Nycticebus bengalensis) in northeastern India. Asian Primates Journal 1(2):12–18.
  • Nandini, R. and Parthasarathy, N. 2008. Food habits of the Indian giant flying squirrel (Petaurista philippensis) in a rain forest fragment, Western Ghats. Journal of Mammalogy 89(6):1550–1556.
  • Nandini, R. and Sinha, A. 2008. Squirrels: the state of knowledge and conservation. Current Science 95(7):809–810.
  • Koprowski, J.L. and Nandini, R. 2008. Global hotspots, centers of diversity, and conservation of the tree and flying squirrels. Current Science 95(7):851–856.
  • Nandini, R. and Karthik, T. 2007. Field observations of foraging behaviour of the yellow-throated marten (Martes flavigula) in Meghalaya, North-east India. Small Carnivore Conservation 37:26–27.
  • Robin, V.V. and Nandini, R. 2007. Birds of two worlds: the ecology and evolution of migration. Edited by Russel Greenberg and Peter P. Marra (Book review). Current Science, 92 (5): 692–693.
  • Nandini, R. 2005. Predation by Forest Eagle-Owl Bubo nipalensis on Mouse Deer Moschiola meminna. Indian Birds 1(5):119.
  • Rajamani, N., Mudappa, D.K. and Van Romapey, H. 2002. The status and distribution of the brown palm civet (Paradoxurus jerdonii) in the Western Ghats. Small Carnivore Conservation, October: 6-10.

IUCN Red List Assessments

  • Rajamani, N., Molur, S. and Nameer, P.O. 2008. Funambulus sublineatus. In: IUCN 2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.4. http://www.iucnredlist.org/app...
  • Rajamani, N., Molur, S. and Nameer, P.O. 2008. Petinomys fuscocapillus. In: IUCN 2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.4. http://www.iucnredlist.org/app...
  • Rajamani, N., Molur, S. and Nameer, P.O. 2009. Ratufa indica. In: IUCN 2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.4. http://www.iucnredlist.org/app...;

Conference Proceedings (Before 2016)

  • Nandini, R. and Dobson, F.S. 2012. Size matters. 1st Joint Congress on Evolutionary Biology, Ottawa, Canada. Poster Presentation.
  • Nandini, R. and Siefferman, L.M. 2010. Sexual size dimorphism in hummingbirds. 25th International Ornithological Congress, Campos do Jordao, Brazil. Oral Presentation.
  • Nandini, R. and Sinha, A. 2009. Gliding in disconnected forests: the response of two species of flying squirrels to forest fragmentation. International Canopy Conference, Bangalore, India. Oral Presentation.
  • Nandini, R. and Dobson, F.S. 2009. Size matters among the sexes of squirrels: an investigation investigation of female-biased dimorphism in the Family Sciuridae. Young Ecologists Talk and Interact (YETI meet), Indian Institute of Science, India. Oral Presentation.
  • Nandini, R. and Dobson, F.S. 2008. Patterns of sexual size dimorphism and allometric scaling in squirrels. International Society for Behavioural Ecology 2008, Cornell, Ithaca, USA. Poster presentation.
  • Nandini, R. 2008. Size and color dimorphism in hummingbirds—an ecological perspective. American Ornithologists Union, Oregon, USA. Oral presentation.
  • Nandini, R. and Dobson, F.S. 2006. Examining patterns of reversed sexual size dimorphism in flying squirrels. In Nandini, R., Robin, V.V. and Sinha, A. (Eds.) Abstracts of the Fourth International Tree Squirrel Colloquium and First International Flying Squirrel Colloquium, Technical Report No. 2-06. Ecology, Behaviour and Conservation Group, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore. Oral Presentation.
  • Nandini, R., Cornut, J., Casanelles, J.C, Sinha, A. and Dobson, F.S. 2006. Flying squirrel nest hollows: characteristics and abundance in rainforest patches of varying disturbance. In Nandini, R., Robin, V.V. and Sinha, A. (Eds.) Abstracts of the Fourth International Tree Squirrel Colloquium and First International Flying Squirrel Colloquium, Technical Report No. 2-06. Ecology, Behaviour and Conservation Group, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore. Poster Presentation.
  • Rajamani, N. 2003. Associated habitat parameters and geographic distribution of sympatric flying squirrels in southern India. 3rd International Tree Squirrel Colloquium, Northumberland, UK. Oral presentation.
  • Rajamani, N. and Parthasarathy, N. 2002. Feeding ecology of Petaurista philippensis in South India. Third International Canopy Conference, Cairns, Australia. Poster presentation.
  • Rajamani, N., Borges, R.M. and Kumar, A. 2002. Habitat preferences of flying squirrels in South India. Third International Canopy Conference, Cairns, Australia. Oral Presentation.
  • Rajamani, N. 2001. Feeding and roosting habits of Petaurista philippensis in a rain forest fragment, south India. In Ganeshiah, K.N., Uma Shankar, R. and Bawa, K.S. (ed). Tropical Ecosystems: Structure, diversity and human welfare. Proceedings of the International Conference on Tropical Ecosystems. Oxford-IBH Publishers, N. Delhi. pp. 716–721. Oral Presentation.

Talks

  • 2015: Women in Science and IndiaBioscience. DWIH Workshop on Women’s Empowerment in a Globalized World, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore.
  • 2015: IndiaBioscience and the Indian scenario for research (talks given at Young Investigators’ Meeting 2015 Kashmir, EMBO Meeting 2015 Birmingham UK, Young Investigators’ Meeting UK 2015 Cambridge UK, National Institutes of Health Baltimore USA, DBT Ramalingaswami Fellows Annual Meeting 2015 New Delhi).
  • 2014: Career opportunities in science for young Indian students. Panel discussion at the NextGen Genomics & Bioinformatics Technologies (NGBT) Conference, NIMHANS, Bangalore.
  • 2014: Alternate career options in the Indian science scenario. Talks given at Career Development Workshop, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore & Samanway student career fair, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.
  • 2014: IndiaBioscience and the Indian scenario for research. Talks given at Young Investigators’ Meeting 2014 Hyderabad, FEBS EMBO Meeting 2014 Paris, American Society for Cell Biology Meeting 2014 Philadelphia, USA.
  • 2013: IndiaBioscience and the Indian scenario for research (talks given at Young Scientist Networking Meeting, Bangalore, Neuroscience meeting 2013, San Diego, USA, American Society for Cell Biology Meeting 2013, New Orleans, USA).
  • 2012: The mystery of the Malabar Civet, PhD Foundation Course, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, India. Invited talk.
  • 2012: Size and Squirrels. Nature Club Calgary, Barrier Lake Field Station, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Invited talk.
  • 2009: Ecology of flying squirrels in Peninsular and Northeast India. Invited talk at DST workshop— Research Priorities for Northeast India. Guwahati, Assam, India.
  • 2009: Methods to study gliding and flying mammals. Invited talk at DST workshop—Research Priorities for Northeast India. Guwahati, Assam, India.
  • 2009: Flying squirrels—an overview of my past and current research. Masters Program in Conservation Biology, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, India. Invited talk.
  • 2009: Ecology of flying squirrels. Lab talk—Sanjay Sane’s lab, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, India.
  • 2007: Flying squirrels and nocturnal mammals in the Western Ghats. BioLunch, Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, USA.
  • 2007: Nocturnal mammals in the Athirampilly-Vazhachal forests. Biodiversity Significance of Chalakudy River Basin with special focus on Vazhachal Forest Division, Thrissur, India. June 2007. Invited talk.
  • 2006: Proceedings of the Squirrel Colloquiua at Periyar Tiger Reserve. National Institute for Advanced Studies, Bangalore, India.
  • 2007: Flying squirrels in the Anamalai Hills and management recommendations. Management of forests in India for Biological Diversity and Forest Productivity – A new Perspective. WII-USDA Forest Service Collaborative Project. Site Level Workshop – Anaimalai Conservation Area. January 2006.
  • 2005: Ecology of flying squirrels in a fragmented landscape. Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore, India.
  • 2004: Evolution of sexual size dimorphism among flying squirrels. Rainforest Research Station, Nature Conservation Foundation, Valparai, India.
  • 2002: Distribution and habitat associations of flying squirrels in South India. BioLunch, Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, USA.
  • 2002: Habitat preferences of flying squirrels in South India. Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.
  • 2002: Distribution of flying squirrels in Karnataka. Presentation to the Karnataka Forest Department, Bangalore, India.

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