Dr R. Uma Shankar

Professor and Emeritus Scientist (retired) and Co-Founder of Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment

Dr R. Uma Shankar (Shaanker), a retired professor and scientist, is a renowned expert in plant evolutionary biology. He is a Founder Trustee of the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Bangalore, a leading institution dedicated to conservation science and sustainable development.

Dr Shankar served as a Professor and Head at the Department of Crop Physiology and School of Ecology and Conservation at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore. In addition to teaching and supervising student projects, Dr Shankar’s research focus was on plant evolutionary biology, conservation genetics and bioprospecting important plant secondary metabolites. Following his tenure, he continued as an Indian Council for Agricultural Research Emeritus Scientist at the same institution, during which period he became interested in the concept of the hologenome. Using endophytes as a model system, his work extensively demonstrated their role in accelerating plant adaptations to abiotic stresses.

Between 2021 and 2024, Dr Shankar was a Senior Professor in the Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering, IIT Jammu, where he contributed to inter-disciplinary research and mentorship. Dr Shankar is a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore.