Team

Team

Dr Ponnari Gottipati (co-founder, SaS) is a Research Management, Science Education and Engagement consultant in Hyderabad. In addition to co-leading SaS, she currently consults for LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, and Sree Padmavathi Venkateswara Foundation, Vijayawada in Research Management. Trained in Molecular Biology, with a PhD from the University of Sheffield, UK, and a Postdoc from the University of Oxford, UK, she was previously at the DBT Wellcome Trust India Alliance as Grants Manager.  Celebrating science through engagement and outreach enthuses and inspires her!

@PonnariG

Dr Sarah Hyder Iqbal (co-founder, SaS) is a science engagement consultant specialising in innovative, participatory approaches to public and policy engagement with science and research. Her diverse experience spans biomedical research, public engagement, strategic communication, funding, science policy, and capacity building. Sarah has worked with the funding agency DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance and the science policy think tank Foundation for Advancing Science and Technology (FAST India), where she helped set up their science communication and public engagement verticals. She also collaborated with Pivot Collective (South Africa) on a Wellcome Trust-funded learning and design project on knowledge exchange and community engagement in health research and serves as faculty for the Health Communication course by Sangath, India. Sarah holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Oxford and completed her postdoctoral research fellowship at the Scripps Research Institute, USA.

@SarahHyder

Dr Somdatta Karak (co-lead, SaS) is trained as a molecular and cellular Neuroscientist at the University of Göttingen and had been a Teach for India Fellow. In her current role, she designs and handles the communication channels at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad. Through these, she informs and engages with students, educators, industries as well as the general public of the research and other activities at CCMB. She loves working towards building a more informed society.

@SomdattaKarak

Dr Sathya Srinivasachari (Project Associate, SaS-APSI Medical Workshops) is a dedicated science educator with a strong background in interdisciplinary research, having served as a DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance Early Career Fellow at InStem, Bengaluru. Her expertise in chemistry and biology now fuels her passion for teaching at Poorna Learning Center in Bengaluru, where she creates innovative content to make complex scientific concepts accessible to students. Committed to mentoring, Sathya inspires young minds by exposing them to global opportunities in science. Collaborating with APSI, TIGS, and SaS, Sathya will be facilitating workshops for medical students across Karnataka, sensitising the next generation of healthcare professionals to address AMR.
Khushi Goel (Project Associate, SaS) holds a Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences from the University of Delhi. In her previous roles, she served as a Science Communication Intern at the Foundation for Advancing Science and Technology (FAST-India) and as a Research Associate at the Center for Civil Society (CCS). At CCS, she contributed to a project focused on evaluating and benchmarking best practices for science research management in India.
Currently taking a gap year to explore her next academic path, Khushi is deeply passionate about science communication, public engagement, and science advocacy. She is dedicated to bridging the gap between science and society, fostering a greater understanding and appreciation for scientific research and its impact.

@KhushiGoel__

Sanjukta Mondal (Project Associate,SaS). She holds a master's degree in industrial chemistry from Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences and works as an independent science communicator and journalist.
Apart from journalistic science stories, she writes popular science articles on various scientific topics and crafts scripts/storyboards for investigative video essays that expose misinformation and debunk pseudoscience. She is also passionate about using social media to reach a wider audience and create digital content that makes science fun and accessible.

@sm_essem

Collaborators

Mr Sharad Sharma is a cartoonist based in New Delhi. He has experience of working in newspapers, magazines and electronic media before he founded World Comics India introducing Grassroots Comics as an alternate medium to mainstream comics. He has been conducting grassroots comics workshops all across India and also internationally to initiate social campaigns on various issues. He has also published several books and manuals and won awards for his work in the social sphere.

@Sharadji; @WorldComicsNet

Dibyush Jena is an artist and designer based in Odisha, known for his versatility and expertise in graphic design, branding, multidisciplinary art, and illustration. As the founder of BOSA Art Studio, he has led numerous art and craft workshops for students, corporate entities, and commercial institutions, using art as a medium for teaching, learning, problem-solving, and exploration.
His portfolio includes diverse projects such as murals, art installations, and children's book illustrations, highlighting his keen eye for detail. Dibyush has led teams of artists and designers to deliver impactful visual solutions for NGOs, government projects, educational institutes, and corporate clients.

@yantrapurush

Partners

Supporters

Acknowledgements

  • Dr Raghunand R. Tirumalai, Tuberculosis Researcher, CCMB, Hyderabad
  • Dr Priyamvada Chugh, Consultant, Communications team at Unitaid
  • Dr Sivranjani Santosh, Pediatrician, Magna Clinics, Hyderabad
  • Dr Sweena Chaudhari, Immunologist, Tardigrade Pvt Ltd
  • Dr Rupinder Kaur, Microbiologist, Center for DNA fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Hyderabad and DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance Senior Fellow
  • Dr Shahid Jameel, Virologist, former CEO, DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance
  • Mr Chiru Yerra, VFX Animator, Mr Sunny Blake Ganta, Visual Effects Creative Director and Mr Maheswar Kudupudi, Animator

We, at SaS, would love to work with other like-minded organisations and individuals working in this space in India, so please reach out to us at sasindia2018@gmail.com