She obtained her PhD from the University of California, San Diego. Her research focuses on the use of genetic data, such as from feces and skin, to understand biodiversity and assist in its conservation. Along with her students, she has done fieldwork in Northeast India, the Himalayas, the Western Ghats, and the Central Indian Highlands. She is a recipient of the Ramanujan Fellowship of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), of the Outstanding Scientist award of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), the Wellcome Trust Indian Alliance Senior Fellowship and, recently, the Parker Gentry Conservation Award. Amritanshu Prasad The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai