Organocatalysis & Asymmetric Synthesis Lab

Akanksha Kumari (PhD)

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Ph.D. (2025): IIT Jodhpur (with Prof. Nirmal K. Rana)

joined the group in Sep 2025.

Google Scholar

Akshaykumar Wadhave 

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M.Sc. (2018): Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University, Nanded, Maharashtra

joined the group in September 2021.

Sruthy Vipin

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M.Sc. (2019): Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), Cochin.

Arun Kumar

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M.Sc. (2021): Hindu College, University of Delhi

joined the group in January 2022

Athira M P

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M.Sc. (2017): Mahatama Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala

joined the group in August 2022.

Pallavi 

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M.Sc. (2021): Panjab University, Chandigarh

joined the group in January 2024.

Navneet

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M.Sc. (2019): Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra

joined the group in January 2024.

Mahir

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M.Sc. (2021): Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut      

joined the group in January 2024.

Kajal 

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M.Sc. (2021): Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut      

joined the group in August 2025. 

Gopika C K

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B.Sc.(2024) : Delhi Univeristy

joined the group in Aug 2025.

Munavvar Ihsan V A

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BS-MS (IISER Mohali, 2022)

Joined the group in June 2026.

Dr. Asim Kumar Chaudhury

Ph.D. (2013): Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (with Prof. Rodney Fernandes)

Duration: September 2013 - August 2015

Dr. Dilip Kumar Paluru

Ph.D. (2016): Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai (with Prof. Vimal K. Jain) 

Duration: February 2016 - January 2018

Dr. Priya Ghosh 

Priya joined the group in April 2017 as a National Postdoctoral Fellow funded by the DST-SERB 

Duration: April 2017 - July 2018

Ph.D. (2017): IIT Guwahati (with Prof. Anil K. Saikia)

Dr. Pooja Chaudhary 

Pooja joined the group in June 2024.

Duration: June 2024 - June 2025

Ph.D. (2023): University of Delhi, Delhi (with Prof. Surendra Singh) 

Dr. T Ramanjaneyulu Bandaru

Anjaneyulu joined the group in Jan 2010. He submitted his thesis in Dec 2015 and defended his thesis in March 2016.

M.Sc. (2008): Acharya Nagarjuna University, Andhra Pradesh

Ph.D. (2016): IISER Mohali

Thesis Title: "Nucleophilic carbene catalysis in chemoselective & aerobic oxidation reactions"

Previous experience (2016-19): Postdoctoral Fellow at POSTECH, South Korea (with Prof. Dong-Pyo Kim) 

Dr. Virsinha Venkat Reddy

Vir joined the group in Aug 2010. He submitted his thesis in Feb 2016 and defended his thesis in June 2016.

M.Sc. (2009): Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad, Maharashtra

Ph.D. (2017): IISER Mohali

Thesis Title: "Synthetic approaches toward benzannulated N-heterocycles and related natural products through metal-catalyzed domino electrophilic cyclization reactions."

Previous experience (2016-2020): Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Cape Town, South Africa (with Prof. Kelly Chibale)

Dr. Panjab Arde

Panjab joined the group in Jan 2011. He has successfully defended his thesis on 5th May 2017.

M.Sc. (2009): Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad, Maharashtra 

Ph.D. (2017): IISER Mohali

Thesis Title: "Development of Organocatalytic Organic Transformations using N-Heterocyclic Carbene as a Catalyst"

Dr. Mahesh Sriram

Mahesh joined the group in Jan 2012 and defended his thesis on 16th October 2017

M.Sc. (2009): Sai-Sudhir P.G. College, Osmania University, Hyderabad.

April - Dec 2011: Anthem Bio-Sciences Pvt Ltd, Bangalore

Ph.D. (2017): IISER Mohali

Thesis title: "Lewis acid-catalyzed synthetic approaches toward unsymmetrical diaryl- and triarylmethanes"

Dr. Abhijeet Sahebrao Jadhav

Abhijit joined the group in Jan 2013. He submitted his thesis in Aug 2018 and defended his thesis on 17th Nov 2018.

M.Sc. (2012): Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad, Maharashtra.

PhD (2018): IISER Mohali

Thesis title: "Exploring the vinylogous conjugate addition reactions of para-quinone methides to access fused N-heterocycles, diarylmethanes, and related natural products."

Dr. Prithwish Goswami

Prithwish was an integrated Ph.D. student of IISER Mohali. He joined the group in Jan 2014. Prithwish submitted his thesis on 18th September 2018 and defended his thesis on 19th Nov 2018.

PhD (2018): IISER Mohali

Thesis title: "Organocatalytic and Lewis acid-catalyzed nucleophilic addition reactions of p-quinone methides and cyclopropenones"

Dr. Gurdeep Singh

Gurdeep was an Integrated Ph.D. student of IISER Mohali (2014 batch). He joined the group in August 2017 as a regular graduate student. He has successfully defended his thesis on 27 January 2023.

MS(2017): Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali (IISER Mohali)

PhD (2023): IISER Mohali

Thesis title: ''Metal-free transformations of para-quinone methides to oxygen-containing heterocycles and carbazoles.''

Dr. Rajat Pandey

Rajat joined the group in August 2017 as a graduate student. He has successfully defended his thesis on 27 January 2023.

M.Sc. (2017): Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology Nagpur

Ph.D. (2023): IISER Mohali

Thesis Title: "Metal-Free Approaches Toward N-Heterocycles and Diarylmethanes under Batch as well as Continuous-Flow Conditions.”

Dr. Sonam Sharma

Sonam joined the group in March 2017 as a project student and subsequently enrolled in the Ph.D. program in August 2017. She successfully defended her thesis on 1st May 2023.

M.Sc. (2015): Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar

Ph.D. (2023): IISER Mohali

Thesis title: "Exploring the vinylogous conjugate addition and radical reactions of p-QM."

Dr. Rekha

Rekha joined the group in January 2017. She successfully defended her thesis on 18 May 2023.

M.Sc. (2015): Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra

PhD (2023): IISER Mohali 

Thesis title: "Transition-metal-free approaches toward the synthesis of diaryl- and triarylmethanes from para-quinone methides."

Dr. Pankhade Yogesh Ashok

Yogesh joined the group in August 2016.

M.Sc. (2015): Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad, Maharashtra. He successfully defended his thesis on 29th May 2023.

PhD (2023): IISER MOHALI

Thesis Title: "Synthesis of Substituted Fluorene Derivatives and Related Natural Products from para-Quinone Methods."

Dr. Feroz Ahmed

Feroz joined the group in August 2016. He successfully defended his thesis on 6th Nov 2023.

MSc (2015): RTM Nagpur University, Nagpur, Maharashtra.

PhD (2023): IISER Mohali

Thesis Title:  “Metal-catalyzed Approaches to the Synthesis of Indolizine Derivatives from 2-Pyridinyl-substituted para-Quinone Methides and/or 2-(2-Enynyl)pyridines.”

Dr. Pavit Kumar Ranga

Pavit joined the group in August 2016. He successfully defended his thesis on 8th Nov 2023.

M.Sc. (2013): Kurukshetra University

Ph.D. (2025): IISER Mohali

Thesis Title: "Cyclopropenium Ions Catalyzed Organic Transformations and Their Applications in the Total Synthesis of Resveratrol-derived Natural Products."

Dr. Shaheen Fatma

Shaheen joined the group in August 2018 as a graduate student. She successfully defended her thesis on 12th Mar 2025.

M.Sc. (2015): Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University, Faizabad, UP.

Ph.D. (2025): IISER Mohali

Thesis Title: "Cyclopropenium Ions as Organic Lewis Acid Catalysts in Reactions Involving Carbonyl Activation."

Suresh Kumar

Suresh worked in the group for MS final year project (Aug 2018 - April 2019)

Thesis title: "Organocatalytic ring opening reactions of cyclopropenones"

Prabhat Rana

Prabhat worked in the group for MS final year project (Aug 2018 - Dec 2019)

Thesis title: "Domino reactions of p-quinone methides."

Akhil V. Gopal

Akhil worked in the group for MS final year project (Aug 2014 - April 2015)

Thesis title: "Organocatalytic resolution of racemic benzoins."

Chaman Lal Mahawar

Chaman worked in the group for MS final year project (Aug 2013 - April 2014)

Thesis Title: "Palladium-catalyzed allylic substitution reactions with alkyl and aryl borate salts under mild conditions"

Current Position: Inspector of Central Excise in the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC), Kolkata.

Manish Pareek

Manish worked in the group for MS final year project (Aug 2012 - April 2013)

Thesis Title: "Base-promoted 5-endo-dig cyclization: A facile approach towards the pyrrolizidine core."

Ph.D. (2017): Graduate student at Technische Universitat Berlin, Germany (with Prof. Martin Oestreich)

Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow at Paris-Sud University, France (with Prof. Vincent Gandon)